give up sufferingIt is easy to fall in love with your suffering. There is a certain nobleness to seeing yourself as a martyr, a long suffering victim. Blaming life or others for your circumstances also absolves you of accountability, taking the weight of responsibility off your shoulders.

Trouble is, even if there is some truth in your tale of woe, putting the responsibility for solving your problems outside yourself is rather ineffective.  What happened to you may not have been your fault but if you want to move on, it’s you that has to do something about it.

Occasional pain in life is inevitable; suffering is optional.

Release, release, release.

Closing quotes:

“You desire to know the art of living, my friend? It is contained in one phrase: make use of suffering.”   — Henri-Frédéric Amiel; 1821-1881, Swiss philosopher

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.”   — Thich Nhat Hanh, 1926–, Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk

“Today I will give up all thoughts that hurt.”   — A Course in Miracles, Dr. Helen Schucman; 1909–1981, clinical and research physiologist at Columbia University. Written with Psychologist William Thetford; 1923–1988