We have all felt pain.
It is a part of life.
And with pain comes suffering.
YET WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH SUFFERING.
We know how to cope with pain.
Whether it is the pain from a toothache or the pain of a bad breakup.
The grief and anguish of losing a loved one are all too familiar to us.
Especially lately when it seems more of the people we know are leaving this existence.
YET EVEN THOUGH PAIN IS A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE RARELY IS IT EVER SPOKEN ABOUT UNTIL WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
The aftereffects of the suffering that comes with physical pain or the pain of loss are well known.
There are entire industries built on helping people to cope with the pain after the fact.
So why don’t we help people learn how to deal with the pain and suffering before it arrives?
LEARNING HOW TO SUFFER WELL IS ONE OF THE BEST LESSONS WE CAN LEARN.
For we will all go through it again.
Experiencing pain and suffering is a part of life.
You can see it everywhere if you look for it.
That fact is not necessarily a bad thing.
FOR WHEN WE LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH THE PAIN AND SUFFERING BEFORE IT ARRIVES, IT CAN HELP US GROW AND EVOLVE.
Harshness, antagonism, and violation occur every moment of every day.
When we build up our resilience and we learn how to get through the challenge without judgment or blame, then we are merely experiencing a sensation of pain.
If we create all kinds of stories around how we deserve it or how we are being punished for something, then we re-experience the pain over and over again.
It becomes a specter that overshadows our every move.
AND WE KEEP THE PAIN ALIVE FAR LONGER THAN IS NECESSARY.
Pain and suffering are not personal.
Though they may feel personal.
However, when we use it to help us grow and redefine who we are, it can actually serve us.
For we will never be the same person as we were before.
THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO USE THE EXPERIENCE TO UPLIFT AND EMPOWER OURSELVES, OR ARE WE JUST GOING TO BE A VICTIM OF OUR OWN SUFFERING?
So let us all learn how to suffer better and it will serve us for the rest of our lives.
Where in your own life are you suffering right now?
Can you learn to transform your suffering into something that actually serves you?
~ Sam Liebowitz, The Conscious Consultant
Host of The Conscious Consultant Hour
