This too shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass.

This too shall pass is an old adage that suggests material conditions, like pain are completely temporary. Sometimes life hits you out of nowhere and leaves you barely holding on. You don't think it will pass, that it'll get better. That you'll survive. But I assure you it'll pass. It might pass like a kidney stone. Extremely painful, but it'll pass. Now, a kidney stone seems a funny comparison. But it's almost fitting. Life can be unbearably painful. Kidney stones are unbearable. For some, it's the worst pain of their life. Those who have experienced kidney stones have said...

It took a while to pass but it eventually did on its own.

I can't keep doing this! I cannot take the pain.

I had no idea what was going on but thought I might die.

I am in the dark as to how long I need to put up with the pain.

I wonder if it is possible to pass this... without any pain.

It was the worst pain ever.

I had no warning signs.

It was the "loudest" most extreme pain that I had ever experienced.

Experiencing kidney stones is obviously painful. But notice how each one of these phrases uttered about kidney stones of all things can fit into painful life situations. The death of a loved one. The death of a pet. Depression. Anxiety. A lost relationship. A lost friendship. The loss of motivation. Feeling stuck.

But those who have experienced kidney stones have also said they passed. Some of the worst pain of all time passed. For some it passed on its own, only time could heal. For others, help was needed. If you take nothing away from this at least try and remember this: It will pass.

So don't let me lose you just yet. I know it's silly, picturing kidney stones but I want you to understand something. Science is concrete. It's fact. Medicine is part of science, thus it is also concrete, factual. It's explainable. It's possible to accept that because of modern medicine and the way the human body works, one can understand that a kidney stone will pass, right? So if you can grasp your head around something as simple as the fact that a kidney stone can be passed, then whatever you're going through in life that has you squirming in pain, will pass, just like a kidney stone will pass. It's a guarantee.

Remember things won't always be this way. You won't always experience pain. Pain is temporary. But so is joy. Treasure the times you won't be passing your imaginary kidney stones because they might be on the horizon.

You can't calm the storm. Stop trying. You can only calm yourself.

So breathe. It's just a bad day. A bad week. A bad month. A bad year. Not a bad life.