Suffering is optional!

Such a trite bit of spiritual jargon, yet a greater truth has never been told. Meandering through the world, specifically through my neighborhood and my town, I am distracted by the number of people that walk through life believing that LIFE SUCKS and THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.

Why do so many believe that a hard life is normal, that struggle is for the righteous and that suffering is part of life? Now, before you think this blog is going to be pollyannaish, it’s not. Yes, life has twists and turns, some lovely surprises but it also includes death, and divorce, disappointment, and illness. While this is the reality of life there is a collective unconscious belief that we live at the mercy of our conditions – we don’t.

Reality needs to be questioned. Diagnoses need to be questioned. News from ALL sources need to be questioned. Your fear, doubt, and worry need to be questioned. We suffer when we go unconscious. We suffer when we believe that what was remains our reality.  Instead we must say to ourselves: something else is possible, something new is possible, something miraculous is possible.

Every day I see individuals who simply do not know how to use their God-given mind to think past their own misery. Yes, life happens, shitty, hard, and painful things happen, that is part of our humanity, but what you make that mean, what you surrender to is an option. There is a difference between dealing with the hard things in life and being a victim to the circumstances. Being a victim is synonymous with suffering.

Start now, today, this moment, the very next time something comes to your attention that feels like reality – right there in that moment, question it. Here are some examples of things you think are real but need to be challenged/questioned:

- Life sucks and it is hard and there’s nothing I can do about it.

- I don’t deserve more.

- I’ll need get the life I want.

- I’m not worthy or loveable.

If I could give one gift to the world it would be this: Question everything and do not give your power away to anyone.