Why We Suffer

You know what they say about life. There are two things we can be sure of: death and taxes. However, suffering seems to be an inevitable part of the whole experience also. But, let us not despair.

Talking about suffering need not be depressing. If you’d like a fresh perspective, please read on.

Consider the seasons of the year. During the winter months, nature seems to be asleep. Bears hibernate, the activity of vegetation slows nearly to a halt. Many people have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a slightly depressed mood due to reduced sunlight. If you’re not in the minority of people who love the dark and the cold, how do you respond to this dormant time of year? Do you just grin and bear it? Do you grumble and complain? If your response to winter – especially a harsh winter – is one of pessimism or negativity, what good does it do you?

What is the purpose of winter, and why must nature be dormant? What’s the good of it? Is it possible that the purpose of winter is for life to renew each year? How would things change if we could view the winter months as a necessary feature of the world? That is, necessary, because without winter, there would be no spring. 

Just as the year goes through its cycle, so do our lives. Happiness, sorrow, joy, loss, success, failure. Is it possible that the purpose of loss and grief is that it can lead to a rebirth of joy and positivity? If there is no purpose in the bad things that happen, how can we live with them? We must find the purpose – and not just purpose, but also meaning – when we have a loss, a grief, a sorrow.

If we fail to find the purpose and meaning in suffering, we stay trapped in the past, and cannot see how to move forward and to experience renewal. We block our own emotional rebirth.

This problem presents itself frequently in the lives of people who seek counseling. They cannot get past their emotionally damaging experience, because they cannot or will not try to find the purpose and meaning of it.

As you read this, you may know someone who is struggling in this way. If so – or if it’s you – it may be time to reach out for help. You can rest assured that other people have succeeded in moving on to a meaningful life, despite their suffering. Thus, we know that relief is possible. If you would like to learn more, please feel free to contact me by telephone at (219) 309-3928. It would be an honor to be of service.

for more thoughts click Conflict #29 – Letting Go

Thanks for reading!