Life Is Pain, Life Is Suffering
I’ve been giving it a lot of thought recently to the idea that life is pain, life is suffering. When I work out, I push my body through the suffering of lifting heavy weights, taking my body to its limits. But what happens after, is that the suffering makes my body stronger, more capable of lifting heavier and heavier weights.
Life operates the same way. To grow a strong character, we must wish for difficulties to make us stronger. There is no change, no growth, without first a need to change, a need to grow.
The key to immortality is first living a life worth living, and is that about happiness? Pleasure? Instant gratification?
No, it’s about purpose, meaning, and true fulfillment, and that comes from doing the hard things in life that we care about, and stepping more and more into the person we must become, the next version of ourselves.
Running through life, it’s always been a marathon not a sprint, and that competition exists, but only against yourself, and that’s something I have to remind myself constantly as I do the things I love to do, as well as doing the things that I don’t like to do.
Here are the four things that have helped me reshape how I view pain and suffering.
1. Understanding the why
When you remember, and truly understand why you do something, you are more willing to endure any short term pain or suffering, because you internally know you are working towards a greater meaning, a greater purpose.
2. Reframing challenges as opportunities for growth
You can have a good day, or you can have a character building day, no more bad days. The beauty is when you turn challenges, setbacks, obstacles, into opportunities, and the way forward, you start, as an avalanche does, to gain forward momentum, and momentum, well that is a thing of beauty.
See when you have momentum, you can create massive change in a shorter period of time, because now everything is in your favor, even if originally you thought it was an obstacle. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.
3. Silencing short term emotions
The greats aren’t heartless, but they’ve learned to think with their hearts, less. In order to accomplish the things we want, and to truly view the right kind of pain and suffering as meaningful, we have to silence those short term emotions that want us to quit, give in, and stop. This is the part where you push past all of that, so you can reach the next level on your own journey.
4. Having a place of inner sanctuary
Sometimes the noise can get loud, and you have no idea what to do, what to think. It’s chaotic and reckless, and you need a place to remind yourself of inner peace and tranquility.
That’s where the inner sanctuary comes in. A fond memory, a place in your mind where you can be at peace with yourself, and allow all other noise to fall away as you begin to calm.
