One of Winston Churchill’s most profound quotes is “If you’re going through Hell, keep going.” Although Churchill said these words decades ago, this quote still has meaning in this day and age. It’s been interpreted in various ways by many people, including Steve Harvey, who famously questioned why anyone who’s going through Hell would want to stay there.
When I hear this Churchill quote, the first thing that comes to mind is perseverance.
It takes courage and strength to navigate our struggles, no matter what our specific “Hells” look like. However, in pop culture, the advice we receive about working through adversity often disregards the role of time. The media tends to advertise “microwave popcorn” solutions to our problems, like following a specific set of steps or saying a prayer or mantra to speed up the process, heal and “get out” more quickly. Oftentimes, when we try to apply these non-universal solutions to our specific problems, we find ourselves angrier and more frustrated than when we started trying to heal because the solutions everyone suggested didn’t work. Additionally, we deflect our pain when we misplace our energy on finding a “quick fix” for our problems rather than strengthening our faith and resilience.
“Band-aid” solutions only help us temporarily.
Our true healing comes from airing our wounds and acknowledging the situation — which is not the same as approving of it. The vast majority of the time, this can be an uncomfortable process, but it will remain a natural part of the human experience.
Deflecting the situation or denying our pain can cause us to stay in a rut longer than we want to.
It’ll make us feel numb and force us to hide what we’re truly experiencing. This causes a “reprobate mind” that rejects faith, suppresses truth, and forces us to rely on deceit and distraction. Acting on our seeds of willingness to change our mindsets and stop deceiving ourselves makes all the difference. This process is gradual, but it’s worthwhile, and we’ll learn and grow along the way.
There’s no step-by-step solution to climbing out of Hell because we all have different hills and valleys to face.
Part of the “keep going” aspect of Churchill’s famous quote is practicing patience with your own healing process, whatever it may be. Acknowledge the difficulty, but act in a way that will to keep you safe. Seek out support, temporarily disconnect, or even rest when you need a mental or physical boost to keep going.
I’m still learning that I don’t need to pretend like I’m not struggling, and I’m not healed yet. However, I found that the more we can step outside of our bodies and tap into our strong inner selves, the more we can discover our innate desires for hope, despite the world’s attempts to harden our hearts. “Getting through it” is different from “going around it” or “getting over it,” whatever your challenge may be. Our biggest mistake is thinking that we can walk through Hell on our own. Seek guidance and soften your heart to keep “going through Hell,” and you’ll keep getting stronger.
Featured Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash.
