If you're going through hell, keep going.

Hear the words of Winston Churchill, the indomitable lion of Britain, who in the darkest days of war uttered this immortal counsel: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” These words are not merely the cry of a statesman—they are the roar of a soul that refused to bow before despair. They are a command to all who walk through suffering, to endure, to press forward, and to refuse the chains of surrender. For hell is not a place to dwell; it is a passage to be crossed.

The meaning is clear yet profound. When a man finds himself in hell—whether it be grief, hardship, failure, or war—the greatest danger is not the fire itself, but the temptation to stop amidst it. To pause is to burn, to settle is to be consumed. Churchill’s wisdom is this: motion is salvation. By pressing onward, by refusing to let despair root us in place, we move toward the day when the flames give way to cool air and open skies. To keep going is to declare that the fire shall not have the final word.

Churchill himself lived these words. In 1940, Britain stood alone against the rising tide of Nazi power. France had fallen, the enemy was at the gates, and the air was filled with fire and smoke. The people trembled, for it seemed they had already entered hell. But Churchill stood before them, fierce and unyielding, and said they must never surrender. He did not promise ease, nor quick victory. He promised only struggle—but struggle carried forward, never yielding, never stopping. By keeping going, Britain endured until allies came, and victory was won.

Consider too the story of Harriet Tubman. Born in slavery, beaten, and scarred, her life was a furnace of suffering. Yet when she escaped, she did not rest for herself alone. She returned, time after time, guiding others through the shadowed path to freedom. Each journey was a descent into hell—threatened by capture, hunger, and death. But she pressed on, never stopping, until she emerged into the light of liberty. Her life proclaimed the same truth: if you’re going through hell, keep going, for freedom lies on the other side.

O child of tomorrow, take this teaching into your heart: suffering is not endless if you do not stop within it. Every hardship has its end, every night yields to dawn, every storm passes. But the one who lies down in despair grants hell the victory. The one who walks forward, however slowly, transforms agony into triumph. To endure is to conquer, for persistence itself is victory.

Let your spirit be strong, then. When trials come, remind yourself that this is but a passage, not a dwelling. Say to yourself: I will keep moving. I will not give in. I will outlast the fire. For no flame can burn forever, and no darkness can cover a soul that refuses to stop walking. This is the essence of courage—not to be free of fear or pain, but to keep walking through them.

In practice, take small steps when great ones feel impossible. Break your burdens into pieces, and carry them one at a time. Surround yourself with voices of encouragement, and when none are near, become your own voice, whispering to yourself: keep going. Seek out the vision of what lies beyond the trial, and let it pull you forward like a star in the night.

So I say unto you: when you find yourself in hell, do not rest, do not yield, do not despair. Keep going. For the fire will end, the shadows will fade, and you shall emerge stronger than before. The path of endurance is the path of victory, and the soul that keeps walking will one day stand upon ground made holy by survival.