This week on Pieces to Wellness we discuss the art of suffering. Suffering is defined differently by each individual who experiences it. Like stress, suffering to some extent is a natural part of life. There is a Buddhist saying, "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." Through this week's conversation, we've concluded that the acceptance of pain and suffering, and the meaning we assign to these experiences become the lynch pin that turns suffering into a teachable, meaningful experience.

What causes suffering? Many things. Unrealistic expectations, physical/emotional pain, loss or defeat, material fixations, financial hardships, and death/thoughts of death to name a few. At times, life can be cruel and unfulfilling. One of the ways many of us attempt to combat life's cruelty is to fill our time with sensory pleasures or superficial artifacts to occupy the space and time in our homes and lives. This provides immediate gratification. This short lived satisfaction subsides only to compel us to repeat the process again. Like an addict looking for a fix, we chase pleasure in order to avoid pain. What if the way out was through? Not around, or over/under, or avoiding, but facing the pain, the suffering with vulnerability.

The acceptance of hard times gives us the opportunity to become well-acquainted with pain, but not necessarily in an adversarial way. We have the opportunity to create a compassionate dynamic with our hardships, our suffering. Think of it this way: Running from suffering strengthens the thing you're running away from. Confronting suffering gives YOU the strength to overcome. There's an art to suffering with grace, and no one gets it right the first time. What matters most is turning hard moments into an opportunity to extract the value, the lesson, even the beauty that may be present.

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
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