Best Mantras To Keep You Hanging On When Things Are Shit

[PacificDogwood]

I am supporting a RL friend through some shitty times - no real end in sight

She said the exact same thing I recently saw posted by a battle-experienced, wise MNer :
"Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and keep breathing in and out."

Pace yourself.
Be kind to yourself and look after yourself.
This too shall pass I may have used that one rather a lot in my own head
Que sera, sera.
Let it go.
You cannot change somebody else's behaviour; you can only change your response to it.

I am sure there are many more.

They are all quite trite truisms, but not any less true for all that.

Please add your own - anything at all that kept you hanging on when times were tough and no light at the end of the tunnel was forthcoming.

And I do hope you did come out the other side and don't need your own mantras anymore.

I've just read this elsewhere, and it's really resonated with me.

I'm not crying because of you; you're not worth it.
I'm crying because my delusion of who we were was shattered by the truth of who you are.

• Steve Maraboli.

Yeah, that cuppa was blinding!

I have gathered quite a few sayings this last year.

"Its better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not"

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better" (Samuel Beckett).

I had to study the last one ... here is one explanation I've copied. Life is all about failure in a way, as we are not perfect and life is not perfect. To fail is an acceptance of living, and embraces living since we are alive. One cannot live life to the full if we cannot live in failure and imperfection. We have no alternative but to keep on failing. We cannot be who we are, or grow, or find truth, or take risks, unless we accept this. The fail "better" means maybe to do it with more honesty, more aplomb, more commitment and verve, more consciousness and more awareness and humour even. Perhaps this is the progress, not success in and of itself.

"Seize the day"

Love that explanation of failure sparky

Should this thread be moved into classics?

Opies, I just tried to paraphrase that to somebody - thank you for the quote, much more succinct and pithy than my ramblings.

Failure is not an option

Oh and "it's darkest before dawn" a friend told me that one

The trick is to keep breathing.

The title of a book I read years ago. Can't remember much about the book, however, the title has stayed with me,

Hey mrs, sorry things are tough. If I can help then PM me.

My favourites are. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.. Except for bears. Bears will kill you.

And this

Not a mantra but a poem given to me on a little card when I was about 9:

You must keep on going when the odds are against you,
No matter what doubts lie within,
The darkness of night has to reach its conclusion,
Before a new day can begin.

Face up to the challenge, show that you're worthy,
Repeat that you can and you will,
Life has a tariff on every ambition,
And effort comes high up the bill.

Faith is a candle that glows in the darkness,
Lighting the road to relief,
All it requires is a burning ambition,
And a touch from the flame of belief.

Have no idea where the little card is now, or who wrote it, but I scrawled it in the front of so many homework diaries that it is still engraved in my brain now!

Any of these quotes or actually the entirely of "Oh the places you'll go''

Dr Seuss fan here, I'm afraid.

entirety, sorry

Melt - I totally agree with both the things you said. Keep on keeping on is so my mantra when life goes pear shaped. When the rug goes from under you and you've no idea what to do and have no control, what to do? Get up in the morning and carry on. Carry on doing what you always do. You feel beyond rubbish but if you mustn't give in. And yes be kind. Always be kind. It's such a positive approach and can empower you because you're going against what you feel like being.

I like lots of them, but the one that works, for me, in most situations is 'This too shall pass'. I stopped saying it on here after it appeared on so many threads in a negative way (ie if I hear it again I'll scream type stuff) but you know what!? It's back in play! anyone that doesn't like it can walk on by.

The only thing that is certain in life is that everything changes. Nothing stays the same.

Patience is the art of being hopeful

chipping the phase of complaining about this too shall pass has passed too

It is actually one of the most positive things I have taken from MN particularly in relation to challenging time with kids because whatever infuriating or delightful phase they are, it passes.

mink .

But sadly not, it was being bitched about just the other day. But tough! If people can't accept it comes from a good place, even if they think it's naff or twee, then they can jog on.

Everything will be okay in the end, and if it's not okay, it's not the end.

If you don't give up, you cannot fail. (see below link)

One day this will only be a memory??

I have asked for this collective wisdom to be put in Classics - its such a lovely thread full of real positive reflections

Anyone else agree - please submit a 'report' from OP

Just seen the link to dr Seuss "oh the places you'll go". I recommend anyone to read it if things are tough right now.

When I'm tempted to say "oh it'll be fine" (when something might not be, probably isn't) the therapist says

"It will be, and that's all we can be sure of right now".

If you're going through hell, keep going,
And

From the troubles of the world I turn to ducks, beautiful comical things. a poem by F W Harvey.

It's better to have tried and failed rather than never have tried at all.

Its the journey that matters, not the destination.

Life is a work in progress

The darkest hour is before the dawn

Tomorrow is another day

It might be daft but ' always look on the bright side of life... da da da da ' . It always comes into my head when I am feeling down ... It just makes me smile again or face the day .

The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm

Keep your head up and your heart open.

Take the shoes off of your teeth and quit running your mouth about what you are going to do and put them on your feet and take some steps towards your goals

action conquers fear

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

Nothing great was ever achieved by being realistic.

Nobody will Love me, the way I love me. So, the way I treat myself sets the standards for others.

change the way you view the world and you will change the world you live in