ACKNOWLEDGE IT BUT DON'T DWELL ON SUFFERING

(Picture was taken by my daughter with her camphone)

Suffering or troubles come to us, like it or not, irrespective of age or wit. For instance, an injustice is done, tough luck persists, loved ones die, one loses a house in the fire, a marriage crumbles, you get fired from work, you find out you gave birth to a retarded child, or an accident dooms you to the wheelchair for life. Now wisdom tells us to just let it ride. Let the pain hit you --- you’ll hurt for sure. You’re allowed to do that after the initial shock but --- sooner or later you have to pull yourself together. Indefinite ranting is simply expelling lots of air and nothing more. Not always smart to go up against the tide, some problems are that overwhelming that fighting it would destroy you even more.

Yes, but--- neither is it smart to dwell on your ‘suffering’. You let it ride but you don’t have to wallow in it. It can’t be your entire fault. C’mon, give yourself a break. This is a big wide world and this is a huge life with lots of things in it--- so much good can happen and also so much could go wrong at any time. Can you take a handle on everything just so it comes out right when it does? Never! So simply acknowledge the troubles, recognize them as part of life, consider them as part of ‘learning’, or look at it as ‘signboards’ steering you into another direction perhaps better.

Acknowledging it is so much different from punishing yourself over your misfortune. Everything that comes to us, good or bad, is for a reason (though for a time I had some difficulty understanding that). Although that may be a hackneyed phrase—but a reason perceptibly lies behind it. We may not see it yet, but it will show itself at the appropriate time it does. Believe me-- we’re better off believing that ---because ‘troubles’ sure have a particular way of knocking good sense down and out of us. Can’t let that happen, can we? :-)