The First Noble Truth: life is suffering.
- Childhood trauma
- Diseases/ illnesses/ disorders
- Heartbreak/ back-stabbing/ hate
The reality of life that we have to accept is that there will always be suffering present in some way/ shape/ form.
The Second Noble Truth: we can identify the causes of our suffering.
When your heart is broken or you’re diagnosed with a disease or illness, identifying the source of your suffering is relatively straightforward.
When we’re children, however, we tend to bury or distract ourselves from the pain because we don’t know how to properly manage it. And this behavior often carries over into adulthood.
It isn’t always obvious from where our pain originates. But, with patience, grace and care—we can identify our pain’s root causes.
The Third Noble Truth: we can put an end to our suffering and healing is possible.
Healing is possible.
The key is to mindfully sort through what’s outside of our control (what happened in our past) and to act on what’s within our control (our choices today).
The Fourth Noble Truth: there are paths to free us from suffering.
These paths are different for each of us. But, many of them contain the following:
- Meditation
- Introspective writing
- Reading for healing
- Self-care skill building
- Vulnerable, authentic conversation
- Therapy
And just like healing is possible, so is perpetual suffering.
If we don’t accept the second noble truth, we won’t reach the third. And without the third, we won’t reach the fourth.
Take your journey towards healing at your own pace—but, keep moving forward on the path. Think tortoise—not hare.
And transform your suffering into a new, better reality—one deliberate, brave choice at a time.