Category: The Nature Of Suffering

Suffering is an internal state.

And you’ll never be able to outrun what’s inside.

In fact, the longer you try running from suffering the more time it’ll have to build strength and the more tired you’ll ultimately become.

The way towards healing isn’t running—no.

The way towards healing is stopping.

…And looking at the suffering; sitting with it; inquiring into its existence—understanding the suffering (that never just arbitrarily arrives).

And then slowly, slowly—rebuilding your strength while you drain it of its own.

Until eventually you can turn suffering into softness that you can then mold like clay and let go of like art.

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.

Heaviness doesn’t get lighter with time—it gets heavier.

You might try to trick your mind into ignoring, suppressing, or avoiding its heaviness—but that doesn’t change it’s weight. It only increases the time you’re holding it for.

Which, counterproductively, makes it heavier.

This all might sound relatively straightforward, but what about what weighs on your mind?

Hard conversations might be avoided, but they carry on within your mind—until they’re finally had.

Trauma might be suppressed, but only to the pit of your stomach—until it’s finally given the attention it needs.

You might cleverly distract your mind from facing your toughest problems, but as soon as you’re no longer distracted, there they are.

Want to lighten your load? Face the heaviness. Have the hard conversation. Confront the trauma. Face the tough problems.

It takes a lot of energy to carry around heavy shit.

But, when you face it, while it might be heavy upfront, you can finally free yourself from the increased heaviness that comes with time.

For good.