“Suffering as a guide, not as an enemy”

It’s so human to resist suffering. We long for ease, for joy, for the flow of life without obstacles. And yet, if we look honestly at our own journey, we often realize: the moments that shaped us the most were not the effortless ones, but the trials, the heartbreaks, the uncertainties.

Think of a river. Without its banks, it would spread out endlessly, lose its direction, and eventually disappear into stillness or mud. The banks, even though they restrict its flow, are what give the river movement, power, and purpose. In the same way, the difficulties we face in life act as the guiding banks of our own journey. They narrow us, sometimes painfully, sometimes against our will, but always with the potential of channeling us toward greater depth, steadiness, and strength.

When we go through hardship, something essential is being cultivated within us: the ability to remain steady. Just as muscles grow by resistance, the mind and heart grow by being tested. Without the challenges of everyday life, bills to pay, relationships to nurture, losses to endure, changes to adapt to, we might never discover the strength, resilience, and clarity that already live inside us.

This doesn’t mean we should glorify suffering or go looking for pain. But it does mean that when it comes, as it inevitably does, we can meet it with a different lens. Instead of asking “Why me?”, we can ask “What is this trying to teach me? What quality is life asking me to grow right now?”

Sometimes suffering teaches us patience. Sometimes it pushes us to set boundaries. Sometimes it forces us to let go of illusions we were clinging to. Sometimes it cracks us open to compassion for others who walk through the same fire.

If we lose faith in life during hardship, we lose touch with the very medicine suffering is offering us. Faith doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine. It means trusting that even in the darkest season, there is a seed of growth being planted, and in time, it will bloom.

The material world, with all its frustrations and imperfections, is not a mistake. It is the exact training ground we need. Without real-life situations, the deadlines, the disappointments, the illnesses, the misunderstandings, we could never develop steadiness of mind. We could never learn how to stand tall and grounded in the middle of chaos.

So the next time you find yourself in a difficult moment, pause. Feel the discomfort, but also ask yourself:

• What is this guiding me toward?

• How might this be shaping me into someone steadier, deeper, freer?

• Where is the hidden gift in this struggle?

Over time, you may discover that life itself is never against you. Even the hardest seasons are part of the journey of awakening, leading you step by step back toward wholeness, wisdom, and the highest goal of remembrance that all is already present in you and always has been. All the experiences in life are an invitation to uncover back to the essence of who you truly are.