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The Road Less Travelled: Problems & Pain (Life is difficult (How do…
The Road Less Travelled: Problems & Pain
Life is difficult
Why is it one of the greatest truths of life?
Once we truly see this truth, we transcend it.
Once accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters
Why do many people not fully see this great truth?
They moan!!
More or less incessantly, noisily or subtly
about the enormity of their problems, burdens and difficulties
as if life should be easy!
as though they have been victimised and picked on with a unique affliction to them/their family/tribe/class/nation/race/species and not others
Most people aren't wise!
Life is an endless series of problems
most would rather moan about problems than solve them
this means life is always difficult, but full of pain as well as joy
Why is life difficult?
The process of confronting and solving problems is a painful one
Problems evoke uncomfortable feelings
frustration
grief
sadness
loneliness
guilt
regret
anger
fear
anxiety
anguish
despair
The uncomfortable feelings are often as painful as any kind of physical pain, sometimes equalling the very worst kind!
It's because of this pain that we call these events or conflicts problems!
"Those things that hurt, instruct" - Benjamin Franklin
What are the consequences of avoiding problems?
primary basis of all human mental illness
lack of mental health
"Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering" - Carl Jung
To the point where the neurosis becomes more painful than the legitimate suffering it was designed to avoid
chronic mental illness means we stop growing, become stuck
without healing the human spirit begins to shrivel
build elaborate fantasies in which to live, sometimes to the total exclusion of reality
avoid the growth that problems demand from us
What is the reality of problems in reality to our meaning, purpose, growth and development?
problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure
the meeting and solving of problems gives life meaning
They call forth and create our courage and wisdom
only because of problems that grow mentally and spiritually
wise people learn to welcome problems and the pain of problems
How do most people approach problems?
almost all of us attempt to avoid problems through fear of the pain involved
procrastinate in the hope that they go away
ignore and/or forget them
even take drugs to assist this - think that deadening ourselves to the pain we can forget the problems that cause the pain
pretend they don't exist
skirt around them rather than hit them head on
get out of them rather than suffer through them, going to extraordinary lengths to do so! Try to find an easy way out!
Discipline
What is discipline?
Basic set of tools required to solve life's problems
Without discipline we can solve nothing
Some discipline means we can only solve some problems
Total discipline means we can solve all problems
The techniques of suffering
means by which we experience the pain of problems in such a way that we work through them and solve successfully
learning and growing in the process of solving problems
enable us to confront pain rather than avoid it
Love is the will to use these tools
What are the 4 tools of discipline?
Delaying of gratification
Dedication to truth/reality
Acceptance of responsibility
Balancing