This Too Shall Pass — by Dan Lynn
By Dan Lynn
For many years big problems would really impact me. I wouldn't be able to sleep because I couldn't get the issue out of my mind.
As a result, I started to read a lot of books about the mind and how it works. What was really helpful to me was learning more about an old concept. "This too shall pass" comes from a Persian fable — a king asks for words that stay true in every moment, and is handed a ring engraved with that one line. Its meaning is impermanence: everything moves, and nothing, good or bad, stays.
That's why it works. In a hard moment, remembering it's temporary takes a lot of the worry out of it — you stop treating a passing problem like a permanent one, so you think clearly and act instead of spiral. It's really important to know that it cuts both ways: in other words, no low is as low and as permanent as you think and no high is as high and as permanent as you think. It helps you steady you in the lows and keeps you humble in the highs.
Almost nothing that feels like a crisis today will still be one a month from now. Most fires burn out on their own.
Questions this Key Learning answers
How do I stop treating a current problem like a permanent crisis?
The author returns to the phrase “this too shall pass.” Remembering that the problem is temporary can reduce worry, restore perspective, and make it easier to think clearly and act instead of spiral. Our analysis adds a practical question: what is likely to change within a week or a month?
Should I make a major decision when a setback feels overwhelming?
Our analysis suggests delaying irreversible decisions until the emotional intensity has fallen and the fuller timeline is visible. The author’s lesson is that present conditions are not permanent reality: most problems that feel like crises today will not remain crises a month later, and many fires burn out on their own.
How do I stay humble when things are going well?
The author says impermanence cuts both ways: no low or high is as permanent as it seems. Remembering that success will also change can keep a person humble. Our analysis advises enjoying success, learning from it, and continuing the work that produced it rather than assuming a winning streak will last.