This week, let's look at a story from the Sufi tradition.

A story about a king, a ring with four words, and what happens when you understand that nothing... not the pain, not the power... lasts forever.

Let's dive in...

There once was a king who had everything.

Wealth. Power. A kingdom that feared and respected him in equal measure.

But he also had something else... A mind that swung between extremes.

When things went well, he was untouchable. Drunk on his own power and convinced that he was invincible.

But when things went wrong, he was devastated. Like he was convinced everything was falling apart.

He lived between two states… arrogance and despair. And it felt exhausting.

One day, after a particularly crushing defeat, he called his wisest advisors together.

"I need something," he said. "A reminder. Something I can look at when I'm drowning... and when I'm flying too high."

So he said to them...

"Bring me a ring. One that will humble me when I'm too proud... and give me hope when I've lost everything."

The advisors looked at each other. They knew it was... impossible.

But they searched anyway. They consulted philosophers. Jewelers. Scholars. They traveled to distant lands looking for something that could do what the king asked.

But nothing worked…

Weeks passed. Then months.

Finally, an old craftsman came to the king. He held out a simple silver ring.

No gemstones. No ornate design. Just a plain band with four words engraved on the inside…

"This too shall pass."

The king stared at it.

"That's it?" he asked.

The craftsman nodded. "That's it."

The king put it on.

Years later, the king faced his greatest loss. A war lost. Close friends dead, and his kingdom was shaken.

He sat alone in his chamber, broken… Almost ready to give up.

Then he looked down at the ring.

This too shall pass.

He stared at those words for a long time.

The grief was still there… The loss was still real… But somehow, for the first time in days, he felt lighter.

Because this feeling... it wouldn't last forever. It felt like it would be. But it wouldn't.

Time would move. And eventually, so would he.

Years after that, the king won a great victory.

His enemies were defeated, his power was restored, and he felt that old feeling creeping back in... that feeling of invincibility.

At the celebration, surrounded by people praising his greatness, he felt unstoppable. Like he'd finally proven he was beyond failure.

Then he glanced down at the ring once again…

This too shall pass.

The ring said the same thing. But it felt different this time.

This victory... this praise... this moment of feeling on top of the world... none of it would last.

And weirdly, that didn't make him sad. It made him lighter again.

Because if the pain didn't last forever, neither would this. Which meant he didn't need to hold onto either one so tightly.

He could just... be present in this moment.

The king lived between two extremes...

Arrogance when things went well and despair when they didn't.

And maybe we too can recognize that pattern in ourselves.

When things are good, we're flying. And when they're bad, we feel lost.

There's no middle ground... Just highs and lows that both feel exhausting.

And here's what's happening in our subconscious mind.

It treats everything as permanent.

When something good happens, our brain locks onto it like it'll last forever. When something bad happens, it registers it as a permanent loss.

So we cling to the good. And we spiral in the bad.

Both for the same reason... our mind doesn't understand that everything is temporary.

That everything will pass...

But nothing lasts forever. Not the pain. Not the joy. Not the failure. Not the success.

The king's ring said four words... This too shall pass.

And those four words did something the advisors thought was impossible.

When he was broken, they reminded him the pain wouldn't last. When he was arrogant, they reminded him the power wouldn't either.

This week, when you feel lost... remember your own version of that ring.

Remind yourself that this feeling won't be forever. It may feel like it will... But it won't.

And when you're flying too high... you remind yourself again.

This moment won't last either. Which means you don't have to hold onto it so tight.

You can just be present.

Not needing it to be permanent... Just present.

That's all for this week. I hope this story reminded you that nothing lasts forever... and that somehow, that's a good thing.

Thank you to everyone who's been replying and sharing your thoughts.

Your feedback means more than you know, and I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to let me know what resonates.

If something in today's edition moved you, made you think, or reminded you of something you needed to hear, hit reply and let me know.

And if this story reminded you of someone… share it with them. Some things are worth passing on.

If you missed last week's edition: How to Stop Playing It Safe

See you next Sunday.

— Manifest Chronicles | The Mindset Behind Change