This To Shall Pass

 

You know, I still remember when I first heard the phrase “This too shall pass.” I was mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, and there was Tom Hanks sitting at a table with a group of actors. He said, “Remember—when life is good, this too shall pass. And when life is going bad, remember, this too shall pass.”

It sounded simple. Obvious, even. But at that moment, it stuck with me. At the time, life was good. I wasn't exactly enjoying it—I was just sort of there, scrolling through life without much thought. But for some reason, that line replayed in my head like a broken record.

And then life flipped.

I spiraled—another round of self-sabotage, another relapse, another rehab. Thirty days, detox, all of it. And that phrase? Still in my head. But here’s the danger of that message at the wrong time: I used it as a reason not to learn. Not to grow. I convinced myself that the storm would pass without doing the work to stop repeating it. The truth? I wasn't ready. I wasn’t tired of the hole I was in—I’d just accepted it.

Life got somewhat better when I left. But it was still a fight. The hard part wasn’t that life was moving—it was that I wasn’t. I was standing still, absorbing whatever came my way, hoping things would magically improve. But life doesn’t wait for you. And if you refuse to grow, the world will push you—harder every time.

Eventually, I realized I had to do the work. As Tom said, yes—this too shall pass. But will you?

So I sat down and started writing out the things I needed to change about myself—something I picked up from Jordan Peterson. Slowly, I began to feel like time wasn’t just passing—I was growing with it.

Then I started a 1,000-day challenge, something a mentor suggested. And yeah, time kept moving. But this time, I was moving too. Preparing myself for what’s next, not just waiting for life to swing back around. Because I don’t want to cling to the good times out of fear. I want to be ready for them—and ready when they pass, too.

The truth is, I can’t predict what the future holds. But I look forward to it—good or bad. Because every day is a chance to get better. To prep for the next chapter. To choose discipline over chaos. And to stop coasting through my life.

So if you’re feeling stuck, behind, or like life is just dragging you along—I get it. Just remember this: This too shall pass.

But while it’s passing, ask yourself—how will I grow with it?

Thanks for reading.