Best Mantras To Keep You Hanging On When Things Are Shit

not so much a mantra but a lovely thought

"one day someone will hug you so tight that all your broken bits will stick back together"

Failure isn't falling down, it's not getting back up again.
I had 3 job interviews on consecutive days. The first two I didn't get and I said this saying to myself on the way to the third. I got the job.

It could be worse.
Tomorrow is another day.

Thank you for this thread - I've a friend who is going through some severe shit so I'll be sending her the link to this .

For me, I have a few:
This too shall pass
Everything's Going to Be Ok (EGBOK)
One step at a time

and when things are really bad,
Just Keep Breathing.

Ah, these are brilliant.
Here's my penny's worth:

"You'd rather be right than be happy" (I am rather guilty of that, at times)
"The wind blows, the mountain is unmoved" (Japanese proverb postcard I had for years up in my room, as a teenager)
"Deep down, he's really superficial" (friend of mine's excellent saying)
"Courage is not always the lion that roars - sometimes it is the little voice that tells you to try again tomorrow" (Buddhist proverb, I think...helped me a lot when I was trying, and failing, to have another child)
"Try to live your life with as few regrets as possible"

I'm sorry about your friend, OP...you sound like the kind of friend everybody would like to have though

I have "it too shall pass" tattooed on my foot - after tough times. The origin of the fable is relevant to me too.

A friend sent me this today which has made me stop and think:

Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings and emotions.

May not be relevant in all situations but a good one to remember.

Xxx

I have a postcard I bought recently hanging on my kitchen wall. it says....

"Es ist das ENDE der Welt" sagte die Raupe

"Es ist der ANFANG" sagte der Schmetterling

which translates too......

"its the end of the world" said the caterpillar

Its the beginning" said the butterfly

it is all about perspective, and that has helped me a lot, to remember that.

it also includes one of my all time favourite words schmetterling :)

Thinking I'll try to remember yours Hirvi in case it might come in handy for dd one day - has to be good especially for relationship angst?

It's very basic but the 'Just keep swimming' bit from Finding Nemo always pops into my head when I'm struggling!

My lovely, wise old Nanna (now deceased) always used to say to me in times of trouble "What is meant for you, won't pass you by".

"thoughts are just thoughts. They are often valuable but not reality or you." This has helped me realise that half the things I am stressing about aren't real, haven't happened and maybe won't ever happen.

Maya Angelou: 'People forget most of what you say, and most of what you do, but the never forget the way you make them feel'

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.

You cannot save people, you can just love them.

This above all things, to thine own self be true.

The people who make you cry, aren't the ones worth crying over.

It could be much worse
Where to start? Start at the beginning
Baby steps

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Mathew 6:34. Abbreviated to 'sufficient unto the day'. A bit like the one about not borrowing trouble from tomorrow. I find this really useful for long running complicated situations without an obvious end point.

and one that makes me laugh

"you know it's going to be a crap day when the sun comes up and the bird singing under your window is a vulture"

yep. onwards and upwards

Don't let the past tax the present.

It is easier to get back a thousand pounds that were stolen than a single word which you gave away.

When in doubt, tell the truth.

I'm not big on motivational saying usually, but the one that gets me through when I feel like I just have too much to do and too little time to do it, or am otherwise overwhelmed by some big task or other, is "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." It's corny but it has helped on several occasions.

My DP is going through a horrendous divorce (I am not OW) and finds the various steps incredibly stressful, we now have the mantra of 'every step is one step closer to the end". This really helps to put the various court cases, document writing, meetings with children's services etc in to perspective and reminds us that these horrible times won't last forever (although if your friend is dealing with death this definitely wouldn't work!).

Step by step one walks far.

Chinese proverb, I think, not 100%, always reassures me... And always loved the baz luhrman 'wear sunscreen' song.

My favourite comes from a bigger quote by the late, great Bill Hicks. The quote I hang onto is:

"Don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride"

Reminds me that life is actually a bit of a gift and can be enjoyed and that we won't be on it forever and anyone who takes shit too seriously can be ignored

Worrying is like riding a rocking horse, it gets you nowhere!

So Hum
(I am that.....I am)