Suffering in Life – Did you know it is just an option?

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Suffering in life is a choice we consciously choose to exercise. We cannot escape pain completely because of the defects of the human mind. The more we feed on them, the stronger they grow. The resultant pain is thus inevitable unless we have already succeeded in mastering the human mind. We can thus choose to learn and grow from that pain or choose to suffer from it. Most often than not, we choose to suffer. Suffering in life has become a norm for most. They think it is in fact a part of life. But no, it isn’t.

Suffering in life – Can we escape it?

When we refer to suffering as optional, it does not mean that we escape from the feelings or emotions that pain causes. If we truly want to learn and grow from our life experiences, we have to walk the painful path with courage. Running from your problems isn’t going to solve them. Dealing with them is. And the process of dealing might not be a joy ride, and that is alright. This is the only recourse available to freeing yourself from the bondage of suffering in life.

How can we deal with suffering in life?

Firstly, acknowledge and accept the situation exactly the way it is. Ask the right questions, but leave all the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ behind. All our imagination of ‘how’ things should be, makes us delusional and illogical. These traits then pave the path to needless suffering. Once you have fully acknowledged and accepted the cause of your pain, it becomes easier to deal with it. Living in denial will add to your suffering in life. Letting go of our stubborn impressions formed in the mind will make us look at life with a practical lens.

Suffering in life is optional, but if pain is inevitable then does it mean that it is permanent?

Nothing in life is permanent, everything is temporary. Be it the good or the bad. The beauty of life is in the transitoriness of things. Hence the cause of your joy or pain will eventually fade away. But the feelings that we create is entirely up to us. On can choose to be happy and joyful whether the sun is shining or the dark clouds have taken over. The transitory nature of things in the universe should not affect the way we feel within. If we have generated true genuine happiness within us, no external circumstance can either dominate or dim that light. Similarly, if we let ourselves get attached to the pain, then the pain will continue to last. Even after the cause of the pain has long gone. The everlasting pain will then lead to all the suffering in life, turning it into a choice that we made for ourselves.

Is there a solution to heal all the suffering in life that we have already undergone?

There is always a solution to everything. If there is a lock, there has to be a key. If there is a problem then there has to be a solution. If there is no solution, then that means that there never was a problem in the first place. Take immense peace in just knowing that. The best way to end any suffering in life you have already gone through is to heal your roots. The cause of all our suffering in life is hidden in our roots. But we tend to overlook or forget what happened at the bottom of it all. Unresolved issues from the past tend to overshadow our logical judgment of the present. If you really want a solution, get to the root of the problem.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel after all?

If you do not find the light, keep going. It means you still have a long way to go before the tunnel ends. But there is always light at the end of the tunnel. We own all of our emotions and feelings. Be it the good ones or the bad. Hence we can choose to smile and be happy irrespective of the situation causing us pain. Or we may choose to crib and cry over it. The choice is always with us. Even if we have started crying, the choice to stop and smile again is in our own hands. People and things may contribute to your existing emotions if you have given them the power to do so. However, the ultimate power to end all suffering in life can only lie in our owns hands. So the choice is up to us whether we choose to be stuck in the tunnel, or keep going until we see the light.

About the Author

Karen Rego is a content contributor at Life Positive. She has completed her advanced teachers' training in yoga education from The Yoga Institute. A part of yoga education also includes philosophy studies that are aimed at personal development, which aims at living a life free of misery and suffering. She is also a law graduate and has previously worked in corporate law for 10 years.