The gift of suffering.

"What? Gift? Suffering is not a gift, it's a curse." - You might be thinking this as you read the title.

And I'd agree with you, for some part. Suffering isn't pleasant. It's the absence of joy. So how can it be a gift?

One of the most scary diagnosis that I saw on House MD was a patient who can't feel pain. We might thing it's a blessing. But because their pain system isn't working, they don't get to know when small injuries become lethal. They just keep walking with them.

Suffering is similar. Without suffering, we might not know where we are misaligned in our life. What needs our attention.

The challenge is that, just like with insulin resistance (because of too much insulin), now we have suffering resistance. We have so much suffering, that any more suffering doesn't even register. It doesn't move the compass. It's the way things are.

How do we change this? How do we start using suffering as a compass, as a gift?

Start with observing your suffering. It's not vague. It will tell you what needs your attention. Focus on the one that's causing the most suffering. The one that's scary to look at.

And find a one-degree move. What is it that you can do for 20 minutes that can bring attention and love to that situation? It won't solve it. But it won't be ignored anymore.

That's a good starting point. Immediately, you'd see the suffering compass move. The heavy thing becoming 1% less heavy.

And as you keep doing this, just like intermittent fasting reduces your insuling resistance, you'll start reducing suffering resistance.

Then you play this game. Your suffering tells what needs attention and love. You give it a one-degree dose.

And when you are there, you'll realise what a gift suffering is.