June 11

”Man cannot remake himself without suffering.” Alexis Carrel

I believe nothing is free in this life and those things that we have to suffer for the most are usually those that we most appreciate. Things that come easy are too simply forgotten or taken for granted. I look back on my life and choices, and I can see that those times where I had to make the hard decisions, to face my responsibility and to confront situations rather than turning away are the times that have meant the most to me in the long term. It’s never fun to have to fumble through life, but I think life is meant to be a struggle. I don’t think we are here to enjoy it as much as to learn. We seem to learn best in adversity. This train of thought reminds me of the movie The Matrix, where one of the computer avatars is explaining that the first version of the matrix was utopian, but it did not sufficiently stimulate the humans, which is why the second version was filled with pain, strife, struggle and the pursuit of happiness. We need to suffer before we can grow.

Affirmation I may not relish the strife in my life today, but there is a positive aspect in that it is an opportunity for growth.