It’s folly to expect anything of value to somehow accumulate without cost. We know that our lives are nothing if not the repeated task of enduring a path not wholly designed by us alone. We often benefit from goods of varying worth solely acquired through forced purchase and instigated seizure. Why, then do we allow ourselves to be off-put by the appearance of such natural, if not expected, circumstance?
Pain is the price of such a natural state. We haven’t a choice where the accumulation of personal power is concerned. Acquire it until you so choose to give it all away.
Suffering is such a choice in action. Choosing to suffer is to defer the profits of our overcoming by paying more than its price and beyond its purchase. As insurmountable it may appear to be, we have but a choice between ending completely…or continuing such a frivolous wasting of our energies. The universe expects you to stop, anyhow. None of its other creatures opt for such unnecessary torment, after all.
How much of the problem do you want to keep?
In the pursuit of our leverage to make the bold choice to let go of suffering, the debate needn’t be more than the inwardly directed question: How much of this suffering do I want to continue?
A simple reply provides both simple solution to the obstacle and the clarity of purpose in its application.
The Devil Advocate‘s John Milton, the devious devil himself, declared, “Guilt is like a bag of fucking bricks. All you gotta is set it down“. Brilliantly true, and equally on target where suffering is concerned… suffering being the guilt of our own resilience.
The magnitude of the pain not to be understated, we’re always but one choice away from freedom. When we decide to stop suffering, we will. The alternative is to decide to continue… and this is where weakness comes into the story.
Weakness is to Loser, as Courage is to Hero
I’ve often stated that weakness is the unwillingness, up to the denouncement, of an individual to climb his own ladder of power. Contrary to what the unnuanced may think, it can never be the specific rung itself in this most relative of realities.
Conquering such a state can be described, then, as just deciding to climb.
When we make the decision to climb our personal ladder of power, success needn’t be guaranteed, only effort. It’s the effort alone that will begin to build the strength successes are made of.
Beginning with Step One
A common misstep of the reluctant sufferers is the belief in the notion that applying the fix is the initial move toward power. Not at all. The first step is a commitment to climb in the first place. That’s the plan, the foundation, the true north of the development inward, then acquisition outward, of power.
We have to say “yes” to the process and “no” to giving up. Once that’s done, we begin to understand that our circumstances are only what they are…The distraction of our new drive being enough to end prior investments into our own depressive states.
Respect the Process and Thrive
As in any relationship (alliance), we need to work on the process after the commitment. Choosing to end suffering is no different.
How we decide to fill our time is worth considering. We shouldn’t look to distract, however. Certainly there will be times when the pull of habits of old will need to be mitigated, but any move away from them should be, by design, toward our goal. We no longer run away from anything, but toward everything we want.
This skill of inspired growth, like any other, will require both time and the aforementioned effort. Stumbles will occur, so accept them when they appear and move accordingly.
Any world renowned scientist once was just a kid who couldn’t multiply single digit numbers. Any world class artist was once a child who couldn’t keep the coloring between the lines.
Respect the process, yes? What will happen as a result is the power of the climb, but more importantly, the demise of the weakness of suffering.
~MC
