Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.
I found this Anonymous quote and loved how 6 short words so effectively sums up a basic philosophy that I believe in strongly.
Yes, pain is inevitable. If you want real proof, just ask someone that spends most of their energy trying to avoid pain. The more they try to avoid it, the more they seem to experience. And that’s the definition of struggling: trying to avoid the inevitable.
There’s an old expression: “No pain, no gain.” I’ve never believed in that since I believe there is gain in joy as well as in pain. However, I also believe that when you have pain, there IS gain, that the gain associated with pain is also inevitable.
Another favorite quote of mine is by Teilhard de Chardin “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”. This also says that pain is inevitable, but more, it says that it’s part and parcel with the human experience. And that’s why we’re here, to experience the full spectrum of human feeling.
So, pay attention to ALL the feelings you have today, good and bad. Try to repeat the good and cut back on the bad, but be grateful for all of them. They mean you’re alive!!
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