The meaning of suffering remains the same, despite its disguises, some of which fit like a sweater, others which are too large to bear. No matter how much or how little we suffer, the meaning of suffering has important cases for us to study.
In what way does it produce benefits during or after the process? Why do we have to suffer, is it essential?
Suffering, if not looked after, can deteriorate our mental health and physical well-being. There is no set length for this process, nor is there a set threshold for the emotions that we carry within it. Often we try to avoid the pain by diverting our attention to phone usage, and television “numbing out”. With that being said, what if we actively choose to view it in another way? Suffering can guide us into a healthier relationship in life and help us value it more. This does not mean turning this negative into a positive but finding a neutral state about what is happening within.
Because of this, we can find that most of the time it’s a feeling that we need to sit with. For this exercise, I approach it like a puppy, something that needs to be played with and cradled. Sometimes it could be for days or weeks, but eventually, accepting what we are feeling allows us to minimize its strength on us even further. Rather than suffering turning us inside out, we turn it on its head and can let understanding shine through.
When we suffer, it pushes us to change something in our lives. It gives us a miracle to work with which is empathy, and not just for ourselves but for other people as well, which is a great value to have in life. It lets us ease into a calm state rather than a reactive state because we know now that when people are suffering, they sometimes do things out of character for them to shake off their own personal sufferings, but now with the knowledge we have, we no longer have to do this. We can see life from a more fluffy point of view, that yes, suffering is inherently a part of life no matter how many humans try to make it seem like we don’t need to suffer anymore – it is a part of nature. We can take trees, for example, I always thought that the wind would knock the tree right over, I felt bad in a way for being so cozy inside and letting the trees become gusted by wind and rain, but after researching I had the realization that it makes the tree’s roots stronger – That led me to this post today!
Listen, we can make life easier by trying to run away or distract ourselves from the suffering, but I feel like that’s not living in the reality of self-fulfillment, (plus it will always catch up to us in the end). It is both the lightness and the darkness that develops us. If we don’t, then we will be soft to any sort of criticism, or issue in life that requires a bit of suffering. I am not saying go look for suffering; I say that we cannot bear the smallest of things (that might not even be considered suffering, but to the modern ages we can classify it as so).
The sole purpose of suffering is to help us – a tool to use (bring out the toolbox yet again!) to grow into a fruit of many things that it can bear: Understanding, empathy, value, and compassion.
How do we know when we have let our suffering go too far? When we feel that every day it eats at our bodies and crowds our minds with the thought of more suffering. Our suffering can latch on as a leech, if not properly used. We must note this and find help whether that is through talking with a therapist, a friend, or a family member. We must ask ourselves: How long do I want to bear this? Do I need to bear this any longer than I am allowing it? First, we must know how to comfort ourselves and out of our pain. The cycle of life is just as real as the cycle of emotions as long as we step out of the carousel once in a while and watch it go around. This is the only way we can truly learn to understand who we are and what we need in times of suffering and silent pain.
A gem cannot be polished without friction,nor a man perfected without trials
What are your own thoughts on suffering? Please let me know x
Neena
