Article: You Should Suffer
You Should Suffer
A canyon was once a stream, a diamond once a lump of coal, a bodybuilder once a fraction of their current self, the list goes on. What made them the better, or a more capable form of themselves, was simply the friction of circumstance, a "suffering" if you will. A constant process they were subjected to, which yielded an outcome of unquestionable significance.
Of course one might say "well, but the canyon did not CHOOSE to be subjected to the year after year beating of floods, and ice, and debris like the bodybuilder CHOSE to subject themselves to a discipline". And you're quite right, but I think you'll find that the "choice" of being subjected to this friction, this suffering, in life is almost never given to anyone. No-one says "today I will get a flat tire on my way to work so that I might learn patience, perseverance, and mechanical skill as I repair it on the roadside." Yet, they do indeed find themselves subjected to it quite frequently. What comes of them as a result of this suffering, is greatly depending upon how they handle it...or, don't.
So why the title? Why should you suffer? that seems a bit, unnecessary?
Because the same flames that destroy the weak, forge the strong...
The simply truth is that suffering provides an opportunity, one nothing else can offer, to view and also refine, what lies within us. Trials, challenges, difficulties, anything that bings about suffering, also brings about an opportunity to build, grow, become more resilient, increase our endurance, and so on. When we are faced with things that cannot be easily overcome or brushed off, we have to make a choice, not whether or not we will or will not experience pain, suffering, or difficulty, but what we are going to allow that suffering to do to us, or for us.
You can be crushed by the weight of circumstance, or you can use it to anchor and build a stronger foundation. We know from arborists that when climates become adverse for growing, trees roots are compelled to dig deeper and further to find sources of water an nutrients. They expend vital resources to undergo that process of growth, they "suffer" to increase their root systems strength, and the outcome is not only that they eventually find water, but also that when surface storms of extreme nature roll through, the trees remain almost entirely unscathed...
So, you should suffer...not because it is enjoyable, or easy, but because it is THE way to become capable of winning the wars inside and out, overcoming the struggles of the day, and achieving victory, despite how hard life hits you.
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