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Today's
Meditation:
I
think that most of the trials and sufferings that we go
through are intensified because of the fear we have that
they'll never end. If I have a slight cold, it's
easy for me to deal with it because it's not that intense
and I know that it will pass soon. If I have the flu
and I'm in intense pain, fear that the pain will continue
kicks in, so I'm no longer suffering just from the
sickness, but also from the fear that I have.
If
a friend betrays me, that often sparks new fears of others
betraying me, as well as doubts and fears about my own
self-worth.
Ironically
enough, my strength to overcome both the suffering and the
fear comes through acceptance. My situation is as it
is, and unless I cause it to do so, it won't bring on any
further suffering. There is a subtle, quiet strength
in acceptance that helps people I know to get through
almost anything that happens to them.
The
strongest people I know are the ones that fight the
least--they don't need to fight, for life and its foibles
don't get them down. They maintain their balance
and cheerfulness because they see in every trial a lesson;
they see in every bit of pain something new to
learn. Once an affliction becomes a teacher, we
don't need to fear it any longer, do we?
Suffering
is a part of life, but the degree to which we suffer is
pretty much up to us. We make of our situations what
we make of them; the power to decide to make something
positive of a seemingly negative occurrence is all
ours. What will we do with that power?
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