Day 9.155 Your Choice

I am the first to admit that yesterday's post was a little weak. Because I was. We have come to review these weakloglings as 'streak keepers', meaning, of course, that by their mere posting the streak of consecutive days remains intact, uninterrupted, alive and well.

That is one thing. The quality of post is another.

The quality level of me telling you that it has been a long day and I need some shut-eye to restore and prepare for today, is like me posting that ominous clouds are playing peek-a-boo with the Big Dipper. Not exactly cogent prose inspiring likes and shares.

I should have scheduled the effort when I still had gas in the tank, after all today is just as hectic on a different level, with three classes and a workout with Jr. Reality doesn't slow down just because I need a nap.

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, it has been said.

I have been talking all day (in two of the three classes) about something called the P2S ratio. The pain to suffering ratio. In his book, The Art of Happiness, the Dalai Llama tells us that pain is exterior and suffering interior. We burn our hand and pain suggests that we might want to avoid open flames in the future. Because that is our hard wiring, AVOID PAIN AT ALL COST. Yet the paradox is that life is suffering. That is so central to happiness that it carries the moniker of The First Nobel Truth. What an honor. Because once we understand and accept this fact, it changes completely, and is no longer painful. It simply is.

Like going all out. Like being all in. There is no middle ground. You are either flying with eagles or grounded with earthworms.

Pain is the separator. We all know that maximum effort is anything but easy. It hurts. It stings like a bee. It then laughs at our pathetic response to it. It is an exterior force producing an interior response. Unless we diligently work within this concept, experience it, embrace it, own it, we will always run for safety and protection from the very thing that will empower us most.

Pain is pain. We can learn to endure. We can tweak our definition and transcend. We can stand up to it, unblinkingly, and intrepidly. We can call its bluff.

WITH OR WITHOUT SUFFERING.

It can feel so good to hurt so bad. It is all perspective.

Once again spinning imitates spirit much as art imitates life. 

Suffer or no? Your choice.