I recently had the great honor of attending a celebration of life for someone who, by every account, was a bright light and an extraordinarily positive soul.
One after another, siblings, sons, her husband, and the family priest, stood before a packed room and somehow found the courage to put into words what she had meant to them. They told stories. They laughed. They cried. They painted a beautiful picture of a life well-lived—not necessarily through grand accomplishments or splashy headlines, but through family, friendship, songs, faith, love, kindness, and the countless little interactions that made people feel better simply for having known her.
Celebrations of life never cease to amaze me for that reason. At precisely the moment when grief must feel almost unbearable, the people closest to the person somehow summon the courage to stand publicly and honor them. It is resilience in its rawest and most beautiful form.
During one of the tributes, her son shared something his mother had said throughout their lives. A simple phrase that helped steady the family through difficult times:
“Your situation is never permanent.”
She went on to explain that while situations change, our attitude often determines how we move through them. His mother understood that today’s crisis eventually becomes yesterday’s story. Today’s uncertainty eventually produces an answer. Today’s seemingly impossible obstacle eventually looks different from the other side.
Your situation is never permanent.
What an incredible family legacy.
And what an incredible lesson in resilience for all of us in our work and personal lives.
When Work Feels Unbearable
We’ve all had professional moments when the current situation feels decidedly permanent.
The product we spent 18 months developing launches with all the excitement of a yard sale in a thunderstorm. Sales suddenly fall off a cliff. Our biggest client calls to say they’re “going in another direction.” The dream project gets canceled after months of work. The boredom overtakes us as we wonder if this is as good as it gets.
In those moments, permanence is incredibly convincing. But NOTHING is permanent.
Companies pivot. Markets change. New customers appear. Bad bosses leave. Good bosses arrive. Competitors stumble. Opportunities emerge from places we weren’t even looking.
That doesn’t mean we sit around waiting for the universe to fix things. Resilience requires action. But action starts with attitude. The belief that circumstances can change gives us the energy and agency to help change them.
Life Doesn’t Do “Permanent” Either
Of course, the same principle applies far beyond our work lives.
Financial distress can feel suffocating when we’re living it. A struggling relationship can convince us that things will never improve. Watching a child struggle academically, socially, emotionally, or professionally can make a parent feel helpless.
These moments are real. They’re painful. And repeating a positive slogan doesn’t magically make them disappear. But circumstances move. And attitude matters.
Debt gets paid down. Careers recover. Relationships heal—or sometimes change in ways that ultimately lead somewhere healthier. Children mature. Doors open. People surprise us. We surprise ourselves!
The resilient person isn’t someone who pretends everything is wonderful. The resilient person understands that everything is moving.
Appreciate the Good Times
But there’s another side to “your situation is never permanent.” It’s easy to embrace those words when we are struggling. They’re considerably more uncomfortable when life is glorious.
The business is experiencing hockey-stick growth. The bank account finally provides some breathing room. Our children are thriving. Our golf game is dialed in. Our marriage feels strong. Our parents are healthy. The family is together around a dinner table and everyone laughing. We want to freeze the hands of time.
But we can’t.
Those situations aren’t permanent either. Which means resilience isn’t only about surviving difficult moments. It’s also about appreciating the good ones. When things are golden, recognize that they’re golden.
Look around the table. Take the trip. Make the call. Celebrate the win. Tell people you love them. We can’t rush through a wonderful season because we’re already worrying about the next one. Be where your feet are.
And take nothing for granted.
A Life Well-Lived
At the celebration of life, her son repeated those words had helped steady their family. I suspect they will continue doing so for generations.
When life is hard, remember: this won’t last forever.
When life is wonderful, remember: this won’t last forever either.
Keep going through the first. And please don’t forget to appreciate the second.
Because perhaps a life well-lived isn’t measured by how long we can make the good times last—but by the attitude, love, and light we leave behind when our situation inevitably changes.