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.

"My track record for getting through the day is so far 100%. It will still be 100% tomorrow." Has kept me vaguely sane on a number of occasions.

it has been better than this, and worse than this before, and it will be better than this and worse than this again.

Also, not a quote or snappy line, but in bad times, thinking of myself as a boulder in a river helps - the river moves around me, and i can't control it, and while it may shape me slightly, it can't change what i am. Bit woo but helps me sleep. Hope her situation improves.

you can only go on from where you are. (accept where you are, look forward, don't waste mental energy on the pain of the past or overanalyze how you got into your current fix, no regrets)

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well"

Julian of Norwich.

Keep buggering on

When going through hell keep going

How hard can this actually be? ( when confronted with having to change locks or something urgently and no fucking clue) and yeah, it's easy. Youtube it, for a start:)

You can only change yourself and your reactions. Not others.

We shall all be dust one day, and it won't matter. Live well.

Don't drunk and dial ( or be loaded and im)

You might get run over by a bus tomorrow - so live each day kindly and well.

Be kind to everyone who knows what shit they have in their life. However, that does not give them the right to be nasty and rude.withdraw gracefully and its better to be alone, but not lonely. ( theres always mn:)

There's many marvellous things here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/2081291-give-me-your-best-it-will-be-alright-quote-or-saying

I've always liked 'worse things happen at sea'

Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it. - Buddah.

Thinking about the fact that the planet we inhabit is 12.5 billion years old.
That in terms of universal scale, none of it matters more than a button.

Sorry your friend is going through shit. I came across this video which I found so inspiring.

Just keep swimming.

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...

I love Dory

And my mum used to say "You're not a drug addict, or a criminal, or a gambler, and you're not dyjng, so it can't be that bad." Unhelpful of course if those things are the problem, of course.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

when the going gets tough the tough get going
(I don't get this. did "the tough" just hang about waiting for the shit to hit the fan and only started going when it got tough? are "the tough" really just a synonym for the emergency services on call?)

when you're swimming in shit keep your head up

and whatever Scarlett O'Hara tells herself about dealing with it tomorrow

We had some very tough times in summer 2012 and I always remember hearing an athlete on the radio who referred to a Japanese proverb which went "get knocked down 7 times, get up 8"

Dunno why but I found something very empowering about it - you can't stop being knocked down but you can take control of how you respond. Hope things get better for your friend soon.

It will all come out in the wash.

Sometimes you need a bit of bicarb, but it will all come out in the wash.

Has kept my marbles in control in the past!

Thanks for these

saw a programme about a Chinese circus training children.
fascinating and horrible at the same time.

little boy in tears being made to practise complicated/painful/tiring routine

coach "why cry? you've got to do it anyway!"

true

As a child of the 60s/70s I was scared of my Dad...if we were naughty my DM used to say 'wait till your father gets home'...I remember waiting for him and hearing his car...I remember that feeling of dread...but told my self...'This time tomorrow it will all be over' Still use it today...(and actually DM rarely told on us)

The bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep.

Thanks for this thread, I need it today. "why cry? you've got to do it anyway!" made me laugh for some reason.

Give her a copy of "We're Going On A Bear Hunt."

"We can't go over it, we can't go under it - oh no! We've got to go through it!"

And at the end the family are all tumbled together and the threat (bear) goes away.

A lovely metaphor, I always think.

puny

that is brilliant! I never thought of it like that

I am who I am, your approval is not required.

My silence could mean you are not worth the argument.

Leave me alone, I'm only speaking to my dog today.

Old ways wont open new doors.

If I cut you off chances are you handed me the scissors.

Successful people never worry about what others are doing.

My mum used to say to us when we were moaning about something or other..

Shit happens to everyone, dig your way through it, don't wallow in it.

fox
I love your doors and scissors ones.
very very true.
Thanks for those

Oh thank you, lovely people, you kept the thread going.

I am happy that some of your contributions may have helped others who are struggling - to you all.

Interesting that there has a similar thread before - which reminds me of another thing that's helped me before: "Why me? " - "Well, why on earth NOT you?". Gives perspective if nothing else.

My lovely mum, a teacher for 50 years : "challenging children make interesting adults"