Suffering=purification=transformation=realization=change=another Miriam=suffering=purification=transformation=realization=change=another Miriam=etc.
What I understand so far is that my suffering has a source, a reason outside of me. It triggers the suffering that lives inside of me. I always have a choice about how I relate to events in my life. Sometimes I can accept how life comes to me and sometimes I am overcome. I make the choice to have the full experience, quite often negative in the beginning. I suffer. When I have had enough of the suffering, I can stop it, it has served its purpose.
Now we are presented with the movie ‘The Secret’ and the explanation of the law of attraction. Great stuff that makes people think and realize that they are responsible for that situation and that they also created it. The law of attraction is nothing new though, it is age old, better known in other ways as “You sow what you reap.”
The point here is that this seems a way too easy answer on suffering. It is not that ‘The Secret’ is the end to all suffering now suddenly. I wonder how the world and the people in it will look like in a couple of months from now. Don’t we all have a library worth of about 5.000 euros or more at home? Did we get it with all those books and knowledge? This is a rhetorical question. Most of us are still searching. Something is missing.
We all want to push away suffering, it is bad to suffer. Being happy is the way to be. And now what happens? With the law of attraction we tell each other that you are responsible for your own suffering and you created it. So if this is what you have in life, you are “to blame”. Get into action and change your life: have that great lover, have that big car and house, whatever it is that you want.
But hey, wait a minute. What happened to the good old suffering? Is that still allowed?
When I was 29 I had the year of my life, I worked as the manager of a bank in the Northern Part of Amsterdam. An armed bank robbery was the first thing that happened. I sat on the floor in fear, confronted to the bone with death, guns, I was so afraid of life for many months after. I decided to travel alone in Indonesia for some weeks: I was lonely, upset and confronted, again. I got home and my love life shattered when he left me after 7 years. I cried and cried until I had to drink water to be able to cry again.
I would still pretend that nothing was wrong with me. I was living my life and on the outside I was doing fine. At the same time a big suffering was inside of me. I was afraid of life and had lost faith in almost everything. Did I sit down and feel what was going on inside of me? No way! I was happy and could create my life how I wanted it. Accepting my feelings was not there at all.
I needed one extra push, the universe brought me another attack in the bank. This time with a knife. But this time I listened and I went home. Alone, crying and hitting rock bottom. But thank you universe, I am so happy with all this suffering. It made me into who I am more and more. I love my suffering, it made me grow.
Suffering has made me feel my fear of life, of death, at being in charge and surrendering to the guy with the gun.
Did I suffer? Yes, big time. Was I able to change because of this? Did I purify myself? Transform myself? Regenerate myself and become another person because of it? Yes of course, I had an immense growth because of them. What would happen if my life would be only bliss and only happiness, since that is the best to create? I would not like it one bit.
By sharing, you help others. There are so many words out there, but so little truth. This is Real Truth.
I thank you deeply.
Garry
Today I am going to a “Secret” party where five of us women will view the movie and then discuss it. It will be my fourth viewing because I saw it on the web and then it was playing in my naturopath’s office while I waited (I was 30 min early and she was 20 min late). I will bring up your point and see what take everyone has on it. Kelly
Suffering, to a thinking person, is a bit like a lemon to a person dying of thirst – bitter and sweet at the same time. But, you know, Miriam, I just wish I could grow without it. It may make me wise and strong in retrospect but, at the time, I’d give anything to be dumb and weak. I find suffering is easier embraced from a distance…
Painful experiences can be a great teacher, they are what shaped me more than anything else. Having said that, i would still much prefer to learn from all experiences, not only the worst ones that force me to change.
It makes me think of something that I’ve heard many times: “Pain is necessary but suffering is optional”. The way I understand it is that in the moment we can experience painful feelings but unnecessary suffering comes from our reaction to it. So let’s say sadness would be a “painful” feeling felt in the moment, but chronic depression would be the suffering we cause ourselves by not letting the sadness be experienced and dealt with as it comes.
I think I’m rambling on here…thank you for the post
Ggw, Kelly, Oscarandre and Brian, thank you for contributing. This post has been on my mind for two days and you know perhaps we can suffer less too. If we can be kind and patient with ourselves during the challenges in our lives. When I forget about love and joy, I lose my power. I can return to this love and joy and regain my power. It might take a while but I can do that.
Suffering makes me realize that I think I lost something and then I can return to love and joy. So maybe when we learn to listen to our inner self, the time for suffering can be shortened. I can smile when I think about it this way. To be continued.
Such a wise and thought provoking posting. I look back on my life and now can see the challenges were opportunities for me to grow spiritually and emotionally. Given time I did grow from them but at the time only saw the problem, the pain or misery.
If every moment in our lives went perfectly according to our vision of how it should be, would we grow? Speaking for myself, I know I would not. I would be content with life as it was and would likely just carry on with my happy life, totally oblivious to areas in myself that “could use” some growth or development.
I am now grateful for all the growth opportunities that have presented themselves in my life. I can’t say I am looking forward to more such opportunities in the future. I just hope I have the wisdom to recognize it for what it is when it arrives, as undoubtedly it will.
I really enjoy your writing.
I hope you don’t mind me adding you to my blog role.
Bill
Great article and a good reminder that learning about the Law of Attraction and other Universal Laws is like finding a doorway to a fascinating subject that everyone should explore and look into a little deeper to discover the real truths behind The Secret and the Law of Attraction.
@Eric, I removed the url you put in, cannot make out what kind of site you have, it looks too commercial for me.
I’ve heard about “The Secret” and I know I am not going to buy it. Perhaps I’ve heard wrong, but what it sort of means to me is that somehow we are to blame for everything that has happened to us or our world.
I was urged to buy a copy of Bernie Seigal’s book “Love, Medicine and Miracles” and I finally bought it and cracked it open randomly today and found a few lines about how we’re created what we have in our lives today somehow and again, I’m feeling this feeling of blame – that I’ve done something wrong and am being made to suffer for it.
I know that being in pain can make us stronger, and I wouldn’t change who I am today and the pain I’ve had in my life has helped create who I am, but I don’t feel as if I am to blame.
Perhaps my interpretation is screwy but I don’t think so.
I have only cursorily investigated the laws of attraction, but I’m wondering if it’s all about I must have created it so I’m to blame?
Maybe I’m just too raw right now to be commenting anywhere.
No need to buy the video for the Secret, here is the link to Google Video.
@Rubyshooz: There is a lot to say about the Secret. I for one do not think that when you are sick you are to blame. Life is an experience and I am getting what I need to become more of me. And yes, not-so-nice experiences come with that too. Creating your own reality has to do with the experiences that we encounter. We choose how we deal with them, positive and negative. As you say “It helped create who I am”. I know all about it too, hang in there Nora, good to drop by. Most of us stop communicating when we feel down and out.