Someone has probably said these four words to you at some point in your life.
This too shall pass.
Maybe you were going through a breakup. Grieving somebody. Struggling with work, money, family or simply one of those periods when everything seems to be going wrong at once.
And somebody said it to you.
And annoyingly… it probably helped.
I’ve heard this phrase countless times throughout my life, but I only recently discovered the story behind it – and somehow knowing where it came from made me love it even more.
The saying has its roots in ancient Persian wisdom and is associated with the Persian Sufi poet Attar of Nishapur, who lived around the 12th century.
Perhaps the name Nishapur resonated with me because it sounds rather like Nisha! But the story certainly did.
The tale tells of a powerful king who had everything – wealth, success and power – but struggled to control his emotions.
When life was good, he became overconfident and arrogant. When things went badly, he completely fell apart.
So he asked his wisest advisers for something seemingly impossible.
He wanted one sentence, short enough to engrave onto a ring, which would comfort him during his darkest moments but also humble him during his greatest ones.
The words they gave him were:
This too shall pass.
When the king was experiencing enormous success, he could look at the ring and remember that the moment wouldn’t last forever.
But when he was devastated, defeated or frightened, exactly the same words gave him hope.
This wouldn’t last forever either.
Versions of the story travelled through different cultures and generations. The English poet Edward FitzGerald retold the fable in the 19th century, and Abraham Lincoln later spoke about the same idea in a famous speech in 1859.
And there’s something rather beautiful about that.
The phrase about nothing lasting forever is itself the thing that lasted.
The king has gone. His world has gone. The mythical ring is gone.
But the words remain.
I think that’s why This Too Shall Pass has always brought me comfort.
When you’re going through grief, heartbreak, disappointment or one of those periods where you simply can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, sometimes you have to trust that there is a light – even when you can’t see it yet.
I’ve certainly had moments when I’ve had to tell myself: This feels awful now, but it will pass.
Because things do change.
Feelings change. Circumstances change. We change.
But I also love that the phrase works both ways.
When life is wonderful, perhaps it’s a reminder to appreciate it. Don’t take it for granted. Be present. Enjoy the good times rather than assuming they’ll always be there.
Four tiny words that can both ground you and lift you up.
I don’t know whether saying This Too Shall Pass actually changes anything.
But sometimes, when things feel particularly difficult, it reminds me to trust that how I feel today isn’t necessarily how I’ll feel tomorrow.
And sometimes that’s enough.
This too shall pass.
What’s your phrase?
Love Nisha x