Problems:
Yours and Mine
“Having
problems doesn't make you noble or virtuous, it makes you human.
Nobility and virtue come from the way that you handle your problems
and either move past them or live with them if out of your control.”
Oli
Anderson (Personal Revolutions: A Short Course in Realness)
There are real victims in
this world; people who are caught-up in situations not of their own
making, who have no avenues of exit, and no resources for overcoming,
or even coping. Those are the people for whom outside help is
absolutely essential. And then, there are people who believe that
their personal brand of suffering sets them apart, and in some way
makes them special. For them, help can be offered, but is sometimes
shunned.
Suffering is part of the
life-cycle of every human being on planet Earth—rich and poor,
black and white, whatever your nationality or gender. Thankfully, for
most of us, suffering is typically time-limited—it is a passage, we
move through it, and then beyond it. Like Old Testament, Jacob, who
wrestled with an angel, we may walk away wounded, but still on our
feet. Recovery requires some time, some soul searching, and some
personal work. Recovery doesn't happen in an instant, and it requires
that we actively engage in our own healing. Sometimes asking for and
accepting help is the hardest first step.
Recovery from any wound,
whether physical, psychological, or spiritual, also requires our
personal commitment to wellness. Right attitude is crucial to
success. A deep desire for wholeness, together with personal
responsibility and action can overcome incredibly daunting wounds.
Think of all the people who came out of concentration camps after
World War II, and went on to lead satisfying and productive lives. We
see our service men and women coming back from battlegrounds every
day with wounds that most of us would consider catastrophic. But,
somehow, some of them muster the strength and fortitude to persevere
and even thrive. It can be done. But you have to want it; you have to
work for it, and you have to be willing to move past suffering into
freedom.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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