Finding the Path Out of Suffering

“You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience.
You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience.”

— Teilhard de Chardin

Do you ever find yourself asking why the same negative situations keep occurring in your life?

When my clients and friends ask me this, I typically respond with my version of the Teilhard de Chardin quote above: “We think we are physical beings having a spiritual experience, but we are really just spiritual beings having a physical experience.”

If we believe the former, we make the mistake of thinking the negative situations, and the suffering we experience, are completely random and purposeless. If we believe the latter, we understand that these negative experiences undoubtedly have a purpose.

You see, we will all endure challenges that cause us to suffer, but suffering is a core part of the spiritual experience.  Without suffering, many of us would remain stationary, in our zone of comfort, and on a path of little or no growth.

When a negative situation continues to manifest in our life, there are universal truths that we have yet to learn, which will lead us out of suffering and onto a path of fulfillment.
 

Universal Truths: Path to Fulfillment

Universal truths can be found across all of the major spiritual philosophies and religions. We are taught them throughout our life. The lessons come from family, friends, religious leaders, books, television, movies, social media, podcasts, etc. The intent is always to prepare us for overcoming future life challenges.

Truths like:

• Follow your heart
• v Choose the path of love over fear
• Treat others how you would wish to be treated
• Practice forgiveness
• Have faith in the future
• Distance yourself from people, places, and things that are causing you to lack love and suffer
• Find love within before looking for it without
• Worry not about the opinions of others
• Focus on the present moment
• Fear should not control your actions
• Growth comes by stepping out of your comfort zone and into the unknown
• The acquisition of material things will only bring you a shallow level of contentment
• Patience is a virtue
• Change is a fundamental part of life
• Go with the flow
• Do not be stubborn with your expectations

If we ignore any one of these truths, we will eventually find ourselves on a path of suffering. Examine these truths; are there any which you are ignoring now?

We often fail to appreciate the importance of these truths because we either lack mindfulness and/or we think that we already have life all figured out.

Both reasons – a lack of mindfulness and certainty that we know everything – will lead to roadblocks (negative situations) that cause us suffering.

We should find peace in knowing that all roadblocks have a purpose, and can teach us the universal truths that we have yet to learn and live.  This will redirect us onto a different path—one that leads us to a more fulfilling life.