Suffering will come into your life; grow from it, don’t waste it.
Failure will happen; use it, learn from it, don’t waste it.
Disappointments will occur; there is a lesson therein, don’t waste it.
Problems, troubles, obstacles: They are an inevitable part of life, not optional. LEARNING from them, growing, developing from them; THAT is optional, that is a choice, a decision. Live Smart, Avoid Dumb, Don’t Sabotage: Look for the Lesson, don’t waste the pain.
Closing Quotes:
“To live is to suffer. To survive is to find meaning in the suffering.” — Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, 1844-1900
“The cure for the pain is in the pain. The wound is the place where light enters you.” — Rumi, 1207-1273 AD
“Let difficulty transform you. And it will. In my experience, we just need help in learning how not to run away.” — Pema Chödrön, b. 1936 (see below for my favorite Pema books)
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” — Maya Angelou, 1928-2014, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’
My Favorite Books from Pema Chödrön
Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World
The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion
Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears
The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving-Kindness
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier