Benefits of Suffering
The Benefits of Suffering
Good morning. My favorite part of the day is early morning before sunrise. As I sat on my porch basking under the beams of the full moon, I was reminded of an emotional breakthrough that I wanted to share with you.
This breakthrough gave me a vast amount of peace. However, the breakthrough didn’t come without a tremendous amount of emotional suffering before my ego was cracked open to see the light.
The emotional suffering I was experiencing was jealousy. Jealousy is the green-eyed monster. My emotion of jealousy was connected to the fear of losing a loved one.
Our emotions have no IQ. Jealousy is no different. Now don’t get me wrong, emotions can be our greatest joys too.
Future Stories May Create Suffering
As I sat there ruminating in my emotion of jealousy, I noticed the story I was telling myself was about the future. I thought, “This story is not based on facts. I have no idea what the future holds, so why am I punishing myself by making up this story that may not even come to fruition.”
When I realized this story was nothing more than in my imagination , my stomach stopped churning and my body became relaxed. This overwhelming instant transformation of relaxation was so peaceful.
The transformation from suffering to enlightenment, reminded me of the saying, “The crack is how the light gets in.” I don’t remember who said it, but I remember the quote. Leonard Cohen wrote a whole song about the universal experience. He sings. “There’s a crack…..a crack in everything…..that’s how the light gets in.”
The Power in the State of Being
Don’t be afraid of being in the present moment without having a story about the future. When something happens that scares us, let the future unfold. We don’t have to create a story about how disastrous the future may be after the event. Because it is just a thought. It is just a story.
Our stories can lead to a tremendous amount of suffering. The next time you feel an emotional upheaval that is creating a tremendous amount of suffering, you want to sit quietly and think about the story you are telling yourself. As you sit quietly in this state of being, it is an opportunity for a breakthrough. Someone once said, “All the ills and troubles of humanity arrive at their inability to sit quietly in the room.” If we can’t sit quietly, we may become disconnected from the transcendent.
As Buddha looked for enlightenment, he put himself through extreme practices and nearly died doing it. One day, he decided he had suffered enough. He stopped all spiritual practices and sat under a tree and stopped seeking. That is the moment Buddha’s ego cracked open and enlightenment poured in. Under the tree, the awakening happened.
Like Buddha, we need time to awaken. You may need suffering until you realize that suffering is no longer necessary for you. Suffering can crack open the ego and the light suddenly shines through. There is a crack in everything and that’s how the light shines through.
By: Pamela Chambers holistic health coach | herbalist | author
pamelachambers.com