25 Comments

I may feel like I have not done what I should have well enough , or that I am a failure in some ways that tend to repeat themselves. But I am focused on the bigger pictures. I am working on the habits that get in my way. I know we are talking about suffering in general, not just what we bring on ourselves, but that's my focus right now. What do I bring on myself and how? It is nice to be able to step outside of it objectively. I call a habit *Having A Break In Thought*. When you just fall into doing something and you aren't noticing the habit of it yet. Thank you for this positive post!

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I think that’s really great, focusing on habits and taking one step at a time will change, like you said, the big picture.

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The ups and downs of life will happen to all of us but suffering is optional…we can choose to dwell in suffering or we can choose to view our experiences as things we can learn and grow from with love and gratitude. We have free will to choose in every moment how we experience life and I am practicing choosing learning through wisdom over suffering. Great post, thank you 🙏 ❤️

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Thank you for your wonderful insight, blessings!

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This post is amazingly refreshing. I am glad I subscribed.

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Happy to have you here!

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Well said, thank you, Alexander!

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Thank you!

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Good things to think about🙏 I know I can sometimes overthink things happening in my life. I am working on stepping back and recognizing my blessing, just as you said. We choose how we go through life.

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It’s difficult for sure, something I am constantly facing as well

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We are told the reason for suffering in this life, it is so we may develop the character of Christ:

"so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt 5:45)

It is he who overcomes that shall inherit eternal life:

Rev_21:7  He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

Our physical life the first stage of the two parts of creation, it is not an end in itself, but the beginning of eternal life.

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The main reason

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Thank you - when going through difficult times, it's not always to give thanks for the blessings in your life and/or to help others - great reminder

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Thank you!

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I just read my note again - I meant to say, it's not always EASY to give thanks ....

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I understood haha

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Suffering, grief, trials, and tribulation can be viewed as gifts given to provide opportunities to grow emotionally and spiritually. They provide the resistance that strengthen us. This is a broken world, there will be suffering. There is also a Comforter that walks through it with us. And, once we have found peace and joy again, we are then able to reach out to others and comfort them, as we have been comforted. We suffer in order to serve.

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I like that thought for sure.

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Thank you for this. Some powerful questions to ask ourselves.

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Glad you liked it!

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Very good advice! Ego wants attention, attention, attention. Like people who are attention seekers, if you give them attention, they will just want more, and eventually we tire of their demands. Same with our ego. Instead of giving our ego attention, ignore it as much as possible. It will be easier to let the ego take its proper place. "Why me?" if dwelt upon, feeds ego. You won't grow up. Only your ego will grow.

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So true

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The stoics also used to say that we're in charge of our reaction/ opinion. Outside events (such as the weather) are not negative, we CHOOSE to see them in a positive/negative way.

Moreover, struggles are not problems but opportunities to grow.

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I agree!

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May 7
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I love Divine Mercy, I didnt see this comment before, so sorry

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