#suffering

#suffering

Suffering = pain x resistance. When we resist our resistance and beat ourselves up, we multiply our initial suffering, leading to even greater distress.

As Viktor Frankl asserts, we are a meaning-seeking species... with a burning and inextinguishable "will to meaning," an unceasing need to know about and attempt to make sense of both the inner and outer worlds.

In lonely strip malls and dusty markets, I began scribbling in notebooks. The boy on the metal table was the first ghost to come forward.

The deeply ingrained belief that suffering stems from external circumstances hinders our ability to see that true causes of suffering lie within our perceptions and reactions.

In many faith traditions, this week reflects on suffering— a deep human experience that is especially resonant with the LGBTQ+ community, shaped through years of adversity.