Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Suffering Is Inevitable, Misery Is Optional

The first noble truth of Buddhism is that life means suffering. No one makes it through life without suffering. We can see that for ourselves. Some people experience a change, crisis or health issue as a reason to live their entire lives mired in misery. They complain loud and long to anyone who will listen, and even to those who don’t. Chronic complaining becomes a substitute for action. Chronic complaining keeps them in a victim mind set.

Others accept that there are things in this life that are beyond their control. These people know how to cope. They know that although they can’t control what happens to them, they can control their reaction to whatever comes their way. I have a friend who went for a routine checkup only to find out that he needed coronary bypass surgery. After the initial shock, he made a decision to be the very best heart patient that doctor ever had.

Complainer or coper? The choice is ours!

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