I’m in search of a catchy phrase that I can say to myself other than “this too shall pass” just to keep myself going.

Anche, please do share!   I also used to collect quotes and had some good ones, but I don't know where they are now!

Perhaps I need a quote for how to keep track of things.

Garden Artist, I am glad you liked the quote. I am now copying quotations on a journal... I will share some more if it is ok.

Anche71, your quote from Seneca took me back decades to an ancient history class and the wise words of some of the citizens of Greece and Rome.  I haven't heard Seneca's name mentioned since that class.

I think it's time to dig out some history books and segue back in time; there still can be so much to be learned from the ancients.

Thanks for inspiring this mental trip across the Atlantic.

I found this sentence by Seneca by chance and thought it is worth sharing it:
“Two elements must therefore be rooted out once for all, – the fear of future suffering, and the recollection of past suffering; since the latter no longer concerns me, and the former concerns me not yet.”

Otherwise, my teacher in high school used to say; if my grandfather had wheels he would be a chariot...
As your grandmother said it's nonsense wondering 'ifs'.
I sometimes say to myself what a Spanish friend said about my mum.. Small but strong! (I am 150cm ;-))

When us kids would start worrying and "what iffing", my grandmother would say to us:
"What if" one thing,
"What if" another.
What if a bullfrog was your mother?

The moral: It's silly to sit around what-iffing.

Well, a lot of you are using the phrase "It won't matter in a thousand years", which is good, but I've always said "Will it matter in 10 years?" That always seemed to nip a problem in the bud for me.

It makes it more realistic and personal.

Earlyabuse - that question of yours "Who owns the problem?" really helps put a clear perspective on the issues. If something is not our problem to own, we really should try to not carry it around and worry about it. Very helpful.

I have found the perfect phrase to tell myself when I need a break and need to look at reality for what it is! Who owns the problem? That is the statement I tell myself when I need to put it in perspective and it really helps!

OMG, I'm sorry, but I just burst out laughing thinking of the time I was beyond terrified facing some oral surgery and sought out some help from a psychologist who helped me. I practiced with tapes he made and he had me regularly repeat I am becoming...calm....and. ...relaxed. Which was so ridiculous I would often laugh to myself when I focused on that and say to myself "I am becoming tense and hysterical. Sorry I don't have an answer for you. Wish I did.

Shell,

Yes! The stress of being a caregiver can age us!

When my mom was here. I was always so tired!!!

Instead of feeling like I was in my sixties, I felt like I was in my 90’s like my mom!

Shell,

I used to love going to drive in movies. They were so fun!

NHWM,
LOL!!! Yup, I remember thinking 30 was old too!

I was very small for my age and when my dad would takes us to the drive-in theater he would tell me "if anyone asks you how old you are, tell them that your 5 and I would be 7 yrs old." Just because anyone 5 and under got in for free. He would always knock my age down by a few yrs to save a few dollars.

I too always looked younger then my age. Of course, living with my mother has age me 5 to 6 yrs...now, I think I look my age. Ugh!!!

It is what it is!

Shell,

Oh my gosh! LOL 😝

Remember when we were young, we thought any people past 30 were ancient!

Now I look at a 30 year old as being a kid! 😂

It’s funny looking at my youngest daughter. She looks so much like me when I was young.

I always looked younger than I am and I got furious when my aunt paid a child price at the movies for me when I was already a teenager.

I remember telling her, “I am not a 12 year old!” Her response was, “Shhhhhh, I am saving a little bit of money!” 🤣

NHWM,
That's a funny story! LOL

My mother would tell me the samething about laying out in the sun as a teenager. Of course, my response was, "I don't care! Hopefully I'll be dead by time I hit 35 yrs of age and I won't get wrinkles because I'll be dead." Which was a dumb statement on my part, but at the time, I thought 35 was old and I didn't want to get old because old people never have any fun!! Now that I am way past 35 I see that getting old might be hard, but you still can have lots of fun!

And it is true, in a thousand years nothing we have or do or even the problems we face won't matter!!!

Shell,

I don’t know why your statement reminded me of this funny memory of my neighbor growing up.

It was years ago! I was a teenager. I am 65 now.

You said, “Will it matter in a thousand years from now?”

I used to lay out in my yard in my bikini to get a tan.

My neighbor used to open her window and holler at me, “Honey, you are such a beautiful young girl.

If you keep laying out in the sun to get a tan, you are going to have wrinkles when you get old.”

I can’t believe I told her this, but you know how we can be as kids, especially teenagers!

I said back to her, “I DON’T CARE how I look as an old woman!

Old people have wrinkles! I want to look good now. I am working on my tan!”

She closed her window and never told me about wrinkles again! LOL

I loved this neighbor, even though I didn’t pay attention to her about the sun and wrinkles.

I don’t have any wrinkles. I think it’s genetic.

My grandmother didn’t have wrinkles, nor my mom and she’s 95!

But I do get your message about, “Will it matter in a thousand years?”

I don’t think I can think of anything that will matter then! LOL 😂

In the big scheme of life, a lot of things don’t matter.

SendHelp, no, not a former Marine...a former corrections officer. Same sense of gallows' humor, I suppose.

Some people don’t wish to say anything at all. Sometimes there aren’t words that accurately describe every emotion that we feel.

A sound proof room would come in handy for when you feel like screaming! No words. Just a gut wrenching scream!

q. "Am I going to die today?"

a. "Not today", said with authority.

ToniTired,
Being tired is only one sign of a B-12 deficiency.

My Bible study teacher always tells us this "It won't matter in a thousand years." Her mother used to tell her that when she was growing up and asking tons of questions. I now find myself telling myself when up against the wall ( so to speak) that 'it' won't matter in a thousand years.

When I move out "will my mother lose my dad's house?" Answer: It won't matter in a thousand years!

My mother complaining about something...It won't matter in a thousand years!

Something breaks...oh well, it won't matter in a thousand years!

Don't know if it helps or not!!

Goodenough.
My dH said that sounds like a USMC phrase.
There is a video by FORT entitled: We'll burn that bridge when we get to it".

Is your dh a Marine? (Once a marine, always a Marine.)

It made me smile!

Don't know of this will help, but it always makes me smile:
Quite sometime ago, my husband, who is can always make me laugh, combined 2 well-known phrases into one:

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it."

It has become such a catch-phrase here; but whenever I use it outside family, I get the strangest looks; I actually often have to remind myself that that's not the right was to say it!

Lyrics to Doris Day's song:
Que Sera Sera, Whatever will be will be...

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Day to day, try to find and think of more options/services/things that would make ME happy. Not a phrase, just some advice ToniTired.

"Just Keep Swimming"!!

I remind myself its not a crown of thorns.
That usually sets me in a better mindset.

1. Well, THAT was fun. Not. NEXT...
2. The sun'll come out tomorrow (SING LOUDLY)
3. Ready to skip ahead to the next chapter now/
Where's the fast forward on this drama?
4. Just do what comes next. Keep moving, keep moving.
5. Just around the corner (original song on jw.org about having confidence in the Bible's promise of a new world to come)

Imagine your task is to eat the largest elephant in the world. It is so huge that it is 4 times larger than all the other elephants. Remember your task is to eat the elephant. How?????? You eat one bite at a time.

When I am looking at this overwhelming situation, I imagine the elephant. I have one little spoon in my hand - and I grin knowing I only need to eat a bite at a time.

The other technique I use is to remember. When someone or something pushes you, our reflect is to push back. Stop (mentally if you have to), Pause and take three steps backward (physically or mentally). When you do this, you are taking yourself outside the tension and it gives your mind time to not feel pushed.

I also picture one of the ropes that they use on naval vessels. It is huge! When I feel I am swinging in the wind, I remember that I am glued in God's hands and he is holding the rope. He's not letting go. I'm not alone.

The one I have used the longest is: do you remember the commercial showing large hands "You're in good hands with Allstate" I use this visual, "You're in good hands with God, and I breathe "I'm resting in His care!." You take a deep breath and say I AM RESTING....hold your breath....and slowly say as you exhale the air, say "IN HIS CARE." The deep breathing helps a whole lot with visualization. Bless you.

"I rebuke you Satan" is what I say out loud when times get tough.

Charlie Brown quotes:
"Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia."