This Too Shall Pass

I don’t know about you, but when I’m going through periods of stress I always tell myself “this too shall pass.” And it always does.

I sit here with the pupsters on the couch with my little Duraflame stove warming me.

Thankfully, my cough is almost gone. I’ve never had one hang on that long. I seem to sleep more. Like my body is just tired.

It has been a month of worry. The health insurance problem, which, I THINK, may be solved. Not sure yet. The fact that I’ve had a lot of medical bills to pay recently.

That I had to relocate this blog, which was costly, and yet I’m making much less money this month due to various factors.

One factor is the mere moving of the blog, though I really had to do it. Another was having my blog down for days on end. Another is that the first quarter of the year is often a tough time financially for bloggers due to advertisers having spent the bulk of their money during the holidays.

Oh, and can’t forget taxes…

Never Let yourself forget:

This too shall pass. I always fall back on those four little words.

When a bunch of things are going on at one time, I tend to get overwhelmed with worry. I imagine everyone does, so I’m no exception. I try to stop the worry pattern in its tracks. But you know how things you don’t want to think about seem to slip into your mind unnoticed.

When this happens, I try to keep to my regular schedule, do what I always do. Try to stay on an even course.

I gaze at my house plants, thinking how the very existence of them cleans the air that I breathe. How the pupsters are at my side no matter what. How the sun still comes up every morning and slips into darkness every evening.

Go with the flow:

The world keeps going like a carousel. I try to keep going with it.

So much to be thankful for. The roof over my head. The patio that I so enjoy in nice weather. Candles flickering in the shadows of evening.

The pretty coffee mugs I can see hanging from where I sit. The bits of red scattered throughout this apartment.

I think back to the last six years living on my own, and say to myself: I didn’t do so bad after all.

Worry is useless:

Worry is a thankless, useless, regrettable course of inaction. But we all do it. We just have to learn to float along in our little boat, riding the waves.

I do not lament these things because my worry is any different than yours. It isn’t.

But when I find myself needlessly worrying, I tend to read quotes that keep me afloat. I focus on the words so as not to focus on things I can’t control.

Because the words give me peace. And I’m hoping they’ll do the same for you. Because we all have to have something to hang onto sometimes.

That’s just life. Because none of us are promised tomorrow. Or the next day or the one after that.

Live for today:

We only have today.

Breathe deeply. Drink water. Meditate. Stretch your muscles and get moving. Drink more water.

Be nice to yourself. Worry doesn’t mean you have to self-flagellate. Don’t whip yourself into a frenzy over what you cannot change.

Get up and move your furniture around. Just for the heck of it. Create a vignette. Repot a plant. Get a notebook and plan your garden. Look at seed catalogs for inspiration. Or old gardening magazines.

Using creativity as therapy:

Do something creative. Paint a piece of furniture. Purge your closet. Or maybe just a drawer. Gather the things you no longer want or need in a box to take to a charity. Someone else will need these things.

Get out nice linens you seldom use and use them. Spritz the air with lavender water. And give the bed linens a little spritz as well.

Take a walk. Listen to the birds. Photograph your surroundings. You will find beauty through that lens. I always do.

Don’t just sit with your worry and let it consume you like an out of control fire. Take control of it and don’t let it control you.

Drink more water.

This too shall pass.

 

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I'm Brenda, creator of Cozy Little House. I live with my cat, Ivy, who keeps me laughing. I graduated from journalism school with a degree in professional writing and won awards for feature writing. I practice gratitude and enjoy my solitude. The glass is always half-full.

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23 Comments

  2. I’m going to go clean out a closet now . I also worry too much .Thank you for always helping us keep on carrying on with life .

  3. Great post, Brenda. I hope you are feeling better soon. It won’t be long until gardening and patio weather, so hang in there.
    Best wishes, Ann

  4. Love your blog! You have given some very sound advise and I love “This too shall pass.” Hope you feel much, much better.

  5. It was great to read this post. I had a melt down this Saturday because of all the negative thoughts and worries going around in my head. The bitter cold weather just makes things worse. Thanks for the inspirational thoughts.

  6. There are times I go through a phase with a lot of stuff going on, and I realize I need to work at releasing the stress and worry. I try to find things to be grateful for, and then I get into a good spot mentally and emotionally. Then, there is someone around me who gets all bent out of shape because they don’t think I am taking things seriously! That used to get me stressed out again! But, I am getting better at just letting go of that person’s attitude too. It’s kind of funny, actually — it’s like I get one more test to see if I really am as serene as I think I am!

  7. I, too, have been ill with this crud going around. I have noticed it’s increased my worry tremendously. I feel jumpy and unsettled, probably from all the mediation. When we are autonomous it is difficult to pop ourselves out of the worry cycle…and you are right, getting outside, starting a project, calling a friend, they all help. Thanks for the reminder.

  8. I always enjoy your posts but this one really hit the nail on the head. Love the quotes and your wise words. Thanks for making the effort while you are still in the recovery process.

  9. Hey you! For some reason your blog isn’t updating in my blog roll and I was thinking you weren’t posting. I was worried about you! I clicked on your last post listed on my blog roll and it was the one about the blog reminder. Yet, all your new posts showed up when I clicked on your site. I hope you are feeling better and better!!

    1. Your words always help me so much. In 2017, i had occasions i literally got sick with worry. Trying to do better in 2018 🙂

  11. You so eloquently express the feelings. I will try to heed your advice. That said, I do appreciate all the things that are right with the world (my family, my little home) that keep me striving to resolve the root of the worries.

  12. Brenda, like so many of your commenters today, I felt like this post could have been written specifically for me. I know that worry only hurts; it doesn’t help anything at all so I don’t know why it’s so hard to stop. Thanks for your reminders! So glad you’re feeling better.

    Sherry in Little Rock

  13. I repeat the Serenity Prayer over and over. It reminds me to let things go that i have no control over, change those things I can, and prayer for the wisdom to know the difference. Powerful thoughts.

  14. You are so right 🙂 A very inspirational post. One thing that I’ve been listening to off and on while I am quilting is NDE ( Near Death Experiences ) that people have had. Lots of them to listen to on You Tube. Puts much of what we go through into perspective.

  15. Brenda,

    I needed this post. I have ALWAYS been a worrier, and as I age I am so much worse. Somedays it is so crazy because I make myself sick with worry, even though I know it is stupid and a complete waste of time.

    I too was sick and it took a full 3 weeks before I started to feel even remotely like myself. I hope that you feel better soon.

    Thank you for the beautiful quotes. Have a wonderful week.

  16. A brilliant post, Brenda ~ a reminder we all need every once in a while ~
    I’ve noticed that all the colds/viral infections and flu illnesses going around the country right now are featuring a long-lasting cough ~ be gentle with yourself.

  17. Thanks for the helpful post. Wishing better days for you. If I click on the ads on your blog do you earn money? Just checking, if you do earn than I will click. 🙂

    Take care, Janie

  18. All sound advice!
    Hope things are looking up soon.
    Feel better 🙂

  20. Brenda, this post is a great comfort to me. Lot’s of stress this past week had my nerves on edge for three days. Worry is so debilitating and such a useless waste of time. I have been reading quotes this week too. Thank you!

  21. Thank you for this post. On this dark, wet and windy January day it’s just what I needed.

  22. Thank you so much! I needed this post right now. I too have dogs to comfort me, food on the table, a warm house, and the future to look forward to. Thanks for being a friend!

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