The Wisdom Of Suffering

No one likes to suffer, this is universal when it comes to the human condition. Suffering is a part of reality, in the sense that to be alive means, at some level, we suffer. We get hungry, we get cold, we don’t get what we want and we get what we don’t want. It could be either physical or emotional pain, or some might say psychological pain. Sometimes the situation we are in create unavoidable suffering. For these situations I hope you get the support you need.

However, generally speaking, how we interpret suffering will have an impact on our level of happiness. If it makes us feel helpless then we can fall into depression, if we are not careful. Though suffering can be a route to walk a spiritual path. Suffering can be a pathway to God or enlightenment, but we must be careful here. To use suffering to get closure to God or enlightenment does not work, you simply end up worshiping suffering.

Suffering can, however, be used as a tool to understand the human condition and how to live well. For example, certain situations would cause great suffering for us, but very little for others. This tells us that suffering is relative. It is relative because the amount to which it hurts us is linked to the amount we are attached to either our sense of Self, or Ego, or to things and experiences. When these are threatened or damaged the level of our suffering is often linked to our level of attachment. In this way we could ask how suffering can be a guide on the pathway to a life well lived.

Always Look For Beauty

For some the day ahead seems to be filled with boredom, for some it is dread. Many have felt the devastating sting of loss that makes it difficult to carry on. Many live the same day every day through the repetition of events and interactions. Many feel lost and don’t know what to do with their day. Many feel as if they have reached rock bottom. Many feel as if they are drowning in debt.

These are realities for a lot of people, but every day there is still beauty in the world. A smile, a sunset, a song, a flower, an opportunity to be generous, an opportunity to be kind. The world is full of beauty and the opportunity to create it. The negative things in life can cause us to be blind to them, so we must actively look for beauty every day. This will increase our sense of gratitude and improve our wellbeing.

It will not solve all of our problems, but it will put us in a better position to solve those problems for ourselves.