I don’t believe in suffering for its own sake. I just don’t.
Nothing can make you happy. You choose to be or not be happy.
As Hamlet said, “to be or not to be” is easier to ask than answer.
I’m sure you’ve met people who preach that ‘struggle builds character’. I get where they’re coming from. They’re people who think that living without adversity makes you soft and unable to handle the difficulties in life.
I’m not one of those people. To some degree, sure- the ability to handle hardships in life can come from experience and having compassion for people who are worse off than you - might be more difficult if you’ve never walked a mile in their shoes.
It’s okay to not rush things all the time. It’s okay to take a moment and recognize that the weight you’re trying to carry is going to break your back. It’s okay to put it down before you collapse under someone else’s expectations- and it’s especially okay to stop if the expectations are your own.
When I meditate or walk in nature (which is like meditation for me), I can feel this interbeing of mindfulness of self.
Interbeing means we cannot have happiness without pain any more than we can have darkness without light. Or right without wrong.
Remember the story about the Tortoise and the Hare? Slow and steady wins the race, right? You can have the gains without the overwhelming pain. You don’t need to suffer to become a stronger person.
It’s okay to choose comfort and self-care when you need to.
Remember, we work because we want to live. We don’t live because we want to work.
xo,
Camellia