suffering breeds strength

Suffering is a part of our lives, it’s inevitable. We all experience different levels and kinds of suffering from time to time and in those times most of us question why we are the ones who need to go through them. Maybe the suffering that we are going through is because of a choice that we made, or it may be because of a grander plan that we simply don’t know about. But as the darkness of suffering surrounds us, we can always find the light of meaning in it. Not only will it dispel the darkness but it will also alleviate our pain to some extent. As Viktor Frankl writes in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, “In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.”

Not all humans suffer equally, some suffer more, some less. Some say it’s karma, some say it’s luck, some say it’s fate. In the end, we can’t compare the suffering that one person goes through to another one’s. All sufferings are unique but the common thread that runs through all of them is that they all foster personal growth. Suffering makes us strong.

We can be wise and choose our sufferings diligently but we also need to be prepared for the sufferings that life and the Higher Power wants us to experience. Instead of running away from suffering, we can make it a friend who we’re in constant touch with. If we get too settled in our comfort zones, eventually we bring more suffering in our experience. Once suffering becomes a part and parcel of our life and we subject ourselves to healthy doses of it, we get stronger, more immune and more shock absorbent.

As we suffer, our goal is to simply find meaning in it. Once we do that, we become tolerant and gain better endurance. As we change our perception towards suffering and know that it’s an important and sometimes essential part of human life, we make our peace with it and become more hospitable towards it. Because without suffering, we won’t able to find meaning and clarity, and experience what true happiness really feels like.