Bharath Kumar BalasubramanianMar 7 · 3 min read
The 4 words that can guide you through both ups & downs!
Let me tell you a story:
There was a king who posed a question to his court one day.
“I wish to make a special ring for myself.
It would have space for a small palm leaf with a short inscription.
Whenever i feel dejected or sad, and in the need for some assistance, i should read the inscription and it should make me happy and boost me for my challenges.
I will award a 1000 gold coins to the one who will provide me with the message”
Obviously, this was a challenging task for the courtiers. No one was able to come up with a message that would solve the King’s tall order. Finally, one of the soldiers who was spiritually elevated, handed a small piece of parchment to the king and told him to read it when he really had the need.
The king kept the parchment in his ring and forgot all about it.
In a battle, some months later, our king’s army was routed and the king had to flee the battleground. Behind him, in hot pursuit, were some enemy soldiers. The kind came across a hill and decided to climb it to evade his attackers. Leaving his horse at the base, our king made the arduous climb. From afar, he could see that the enemy soldiers also dismounting and getting ready to climb.
Feeling lost and with a building sense of dread, the king felt hopeless. Then he remembered the message in his ring. With trepidation, he carefully opened the compartment in his ring and took out the tiny piece of parchment. It said,
This too, shall pass.
Reading these 4 words, the king felt a surge of strength and optimism inside him. With renewed confidence, he realized that he would have to be stronger than his predicaments. With energy in his limbs, he descended down a steep rocky face on the other side of the mountain and managed to get away.
He went back, raised a new army in a few months and waged war against the enemy king. This time he was victorious!
During the celebrations at the palace, the king was overjoyed. He call forth the soldier who had given him the parchment and rewarded him richly. The soldier, told him:
“I will gladly accept the reward, but before that please read the message now”
“Why?” the king retorted. “I am happy now after my victory!”
“No, please read the message now.” The Soldier insisted.
The King carefully took out the message and read it.
This too, shall pass
He realized the lesson that the soldier was trying to teach him.
These 4 words have also been a constant companion for me. This and another quote from my mother:
“The Night is the darkest before dawn”
The moment we realise that both good times and bad times aren’t permanent, is when we truly realise life. These 4 words lift our spirits when we are down but have a humbling effort when we are on top and start acting all-the-mighty!
Closing this article with a short poem:
Good and Bad, the times are never there to stay,
Keep your wits and carry on, for you will always find a way!