Suffering and Loss

“That which does not kill us will make us stronger.” Nietzsche
We are born into this world and we will all eventually leave this world.
We all, at times, live with the ungrounded illusion that life was scripted to be a smooth and predictable journey. A life that is destined for experiences of unlimited success, joy and personal achievements. This cultural trance is the belief that life should be an easy and charted course with no disruptions.
The truth is that you cannot live without experiencing loss in a thousand different ways. All of the small and insignificant temporary losses as well as the inevitable, monumental permanent losses.
The crisis comes. Life seems to stop. Your concept of reality is altered. A shift in your perception needs to take place in order for you to make survival much easier.
The reality of life is that you will be given a multitude of disruptions that will be cleverly disguised as life enhancing opportunities. Your goal as a human being is to navigate through them and grow. Significant growth never takes place with an easy life.

We must mourn the past life.
We must strive to move on.
We suffer…………….
We mourn…………....
We strive……………..
We come to realize that we have grown……...
We grow as we continue to move on to the next challenge.

Nothing is permanent. Everything in life is in a transitional state.
We have all learned to anticipate and embrace the changing seasons. The cold and harsh winter eventually opens up to the beauty and majesty of spring. The landscape of nature explodes with vitality and color. The richness of life is evident with a new landscape that has been created by each unique seed that was just waiting for its’ expression.
With each passing moment of time, the tapestry of nature slowly begins to shift. What was once a brilliant leaf, slowly surrenders to the call of natures’ destiny. The blaze of color begins to dull as the golden light of the dusk moves over the land. The days get colder and the trees that were once strong and flexible, become brittle.
As each season of our life passes, we can remain optimistic in knowing that we are an integral part of a larger picture of life with nature. With each beginning there will be an ending and with each ending a new beginning. And so the cycle of birth and death will begin again.
Suffering is not a tragedy. It is a human necessity. Each person has an opportunity to become free with it.
“The question is not whether we will die, but how we live.” Joan Borysenko