The Rob Arthur Podcast3 Dec 2020

You can always look for meaning in suffering

It’s great when everything in life is going along just swimmingly.

When we’re healthy.

When we’re crushing it on the job.

When our relationships are strong.

Yet, it’s not often that life is without its problems.

We all, inevitably, encounter adversity.

We get sick or injured.

We run into obstacles with our careers.

We see relationships end.

Our circumstances rarely last long.

There are good times.

There are bad times.

So many of us expect good times.

We take them for granted.

We see them as what should be the norm.

Then, when bad times hit, we’re caught off guard.

We’re disappointed.

We might feel as though we’re being wronged by the universe.

Unfairly subjected to ill circumstances.

Life’s suffering, however, is not useless.

To the contrary, it has much worth.

Pain can help you appreciate pleasure.

Bad days can show you the value of good days.

Loss can help you cherish what you have.

You'll feel pain.

You'll have bad days.

You'll experience loss.

How can you grow through such experiences?

What can you learn from them?

About the world?

About yourself?

You can't always avoid suffering.

You can always look for meaning in suffering.

In what ways is your life not going how you’d like?

In what ways are you suffering?

In what ways might you learn or grow from that suffering?

This isn’t to say that any of us should turn a blind eye to our problems.

Or that we might act as if everything’s peachy when it isn’t.

It’s okay to acknowledge that life gets hard.

The point isn’t to ignore difficulty.

The point is to use that difficulty.

In any way we can.

To move toward our best life.

That life will not be free of suffering.

It’s on us to make the most of that suffering.

You’ve got this.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(643)

Stepping away for now:-)

Just wanted to give you all a heads up, I'm going to be stepping away from this podcast, at least for now. I will still be writing daily, and I’ll be sharing that on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Link...

19 Dec 202246s

What’s actually happening?

We often assign stories to what’s going on around us. These stories can have elaborate introductions, conclusions, and messages. Rarely, though, do we ask ourselves if these stories are helpful or eve...

16 Dec 202236s

What if we simply listened?

Allowing others to open up to us can be a powerful tool for exchanging the gift of connection. So often, though, we're too focused on responding, controlling, or judging for any connection to form. We...

15 Dec 202236s

Life isn't always a problem to be solved

We often get stuck in patterns of problem solving. No matter what comes our way, we feel the need to do something. Sometimes, though, there's nothing for us to do. Life isn't always a problem to be so...

14 Dec 202236s

Those we see as least worthy of compassion are often those who need it most

Holding compassion for those we see as malicious, selfish, or otherwise unworthy may not feel right. Such characteristics, however, are often rooted in deep suffering or fear. Those we see as least wo...

13 Dec 202239s

Let your thoughts serve you

Our thoughts make wonderful servants. They can be invaluable for reflection, forethought, and contemplation. When we accept them without question, though, we allow them to act as our masters. They can...

12 Dec 202236s

You'll never hate yourself into loving yourself

Focusing solely on our shortcomings often keeps us feeling too unworthy of self-improvement to ever start pursuing it. Even if we manage to improve outwardly, the skill we may have been practicing the...

9 Dec 202235s

Make peace with your imperfection

Striving for perfection is a futile effort. You've always made mistakes and you always will. Rather than carry the burden of a reality you refuse to accept, face those mistakes with kindness and compa...

8 Dec 202238s