There are countless mottos that encourage us to keep going—many on posters or quotes that make their way around social media. And we need them. Life on Earth can be tough. Honestly, I regularly feel like I’m doing it wrong in one way or another.
It can be easy to assume that because we are running into hardships, we have made a bad choice somewhere along the way—or that we aren’t manifesting correctly. This is especially true down the spiritual path, where we are aware that we help create our own destiny.
But it’s not that simple. Many of us have a viewpoint that includes a God or gods, universal intelligence, the concept of being one with all, and individual spirits here for the purpose of learning and growing. In that sense, challenges are what we’re looking for—we came here to be stretched.
Because of this, I have found that self-compassion is a key ingredient to being resilient. So is receiving support. Support can come in a variety of ways, many of them things we can do for ourselves. I need time alone, meditation, exercise, time in nature, good nutrition, lots of water, restful sleep, and regular creativity to fill me up.
On top of that, I need people around me encouraging me and sharing this life with me. When I feel alone, I’m less courageous. And when I feel in communion with others, I feel buoyed. This leads me to share a phrase that was given to me by my dad, and to him from his dad: “It ain’t as long as it has been.”
You have to imagine it in a thick Mississippi accent to get the full effect. Don’t worry, it didn’t make a lot of sense when I first heard it either. But over time I’ve been able to understand its wisdom. To me, this means that I am closer to accomplishing a goal, or being done with a rough patch, than I’ve ever been. And to not forget all I’ve come through.
Whether or not it means the same to me that it did to my dad or grandfather, who knows? But honestly, that’s part of the tradition of generational wisdom—passing it on and recontextualizing it, adding to it over time and building on the wisdom of those before us.
What I like about this motto for perseverance is that it acknowledges that something may have been tough. And that you may have had to dig deep or stick with something to get this far. So it recognizes the effort you’ve put in. That is self-compassion.
I also like that it’s true to real life. It doesn’t distract and say, “Some people have it worse.” Or, “Suck it up, life is hard.” These are not tender enough—they close us off to our experience. It allows you to have your experience while still being reminded that you have made progress, or that you may already have something to be grateful for. That is honesty.
“It ain’t as long as it has been” also tells us that time is on our side. Taking life in its current moment is all we can do. Focusing on the past or the future too much prevents us from being in the present. Time marches on, so we just need to take a tiny step toward our goal, doing what we can for now. Then, as we string those moments together, we see progress. That is patience.
Lastly, I find there is a trust in it. For me, it speaks to the higher order, or divine current, that runs through everything. I may not know how everything will turn out, but I can trust that it will, that I will receive the help I need, that it is for a purpose, and that I will be better for it. More than that, it forces me to accept that this experience is universal. I am in good company, surrounded by family, friends, and brothers and sisters here doing the same thing. With that, I’m bolstered and I’m linked in the human community—all here doing our best and searching for love at the heart of what we’re going through. And that is wisdom worth passing on.
Many blessings,
tyler
