The motto, “this, too, shall pass away,” is one that’s said to have originated from a legend about an Eastern monarch asking his wise men to construe a motto he could engrave on his ring which would help him through the worries he faced on a daily basis (Watson, 1988, pp. 74-76). This motto prevailed throughout time and has inspired countless others, from the writer Paul Hamilton Hayne to ex-American president Abraham Lincoln (Watson, 1988, p. 76).
It’s a motto I, too, tell myself although I had no idea where I picked it up from until I read this story. I’ve had to tell myself this a lot lately as I try to balance three graduate courses (an ill-advised decision I made when enrolling in my first semester of the program) with working in a near full-time capacity. It’s a motto that gives me comfort because it helps me take things into perspective that my hardship is only temporary and motivates me to wake up each morning with renewed conviction. Beyond this however, it also reminds me that the challenges I face each day is a test to my character, my spirit, and my will. Challenges and struggles are what builds perseverance and separates those who excel from those who stay mediocre. Me personally, one of my biggest fears is living through life like feeling like I’ve accomplished nothing I could be proud of. As an individual, I live to compete and challenge myself. It’s one of the reasons I took this MA Leadership program: To challenge myself to think in ways deeper than I did previously and surround myself with people who are ready, willing, and committed to transform themselves into people that can make a bigger impact in society.
Another concept that I’ve fully grasped recently is that the sense of accomplishment is not about the destination but about the journey it took to get there. Many people approach life with aspirations of attaining awards, power, titles, or money and fabricate that as part of their identity or reason for existence. In the end, some of these aspirations may prove to be too difficult to overcome and when they don’t succeed, it threatens their self-identity and propels them to a downward spiral of depression or identity-crisis. What I’ve come to realize, especially in my life, is that my identity as a person shouldn’t be defined by a single goal. Life is dynamic in that it changes frequently. Sometimes as people, we have to evolve to adapt to these changes. Many times I’ve heard people express that even if they have achieved these goals, deep inside they still feel empty and ponder why. Understanding that it’s not the goal itself that’s fulfilling, but the journey it took to get there is really what compels meaning in our action and allows us to recognize that it’s in this process where we grow as individuals.
We must learn to love the challenges we presently face and understand that we’ll come out as better people, whether or not you accomplish that set goal. You get what you put into it, whether that applies to your goal or the effort it took to work towards that goal. That’s what should define the thrill you get when you achieve that goal because you were rewarded with something materially to show for it. But remember, it’s not about the material item that should motivate you but the understanding of how far you’ve come since you set out on your mission. That’s why the motto, “this, too, shall pass away,” helps me put into perspective the temporary hardships I presently face because it reminds me that it’s a small step towards my overall journey of growth. Life is a journey. So love that journey.
References
Rivera, R. (2018, October 21). Riance’s Journey [Digital image].
Watson, L. E. (1988). Light from many lamps. New York: Simon & Schuster.
