A Reminder for Life: Be Strong

Not to plagiarise a book I've been reading too heavily, but when you are suffering a kind of injustice, you can take on negative thinking that does not suit your nature.

"I would have a normal life if it wasn't for X"

"If it wasn't for X, I could be happy"

As soon as you blame like this - and I have been very guilty of this, too - you mentally put the power to change your situation into another's hands. They have responsibility to change your life for the better; is that true? On analysis no, we always have the power to change our circumstances for the better.

Me, I would have a job and a mate. I would be strong and happy. If only I had my righful peace, privacy and safety. - Is that true? Am I completely passive in this situation? No. With hope and wise choices and courage, I can change everything.


Just because you are being treated badly, doesn't mean you have to respond by being weakened.

Thoughts About Thoughts: Self-generated Suffering and Liberating Thinking

I thought about suffering over Christmas, about how our response to pain can make us suffer or not. I mean if we respond well to stress, we know it is there, but do not allow it to make us sad.

"Nothing is good or bad except thinking makes it so", said William Shakespeare in one of his plays. 

What is an in-born trait and what is human conditioning? For example religion and royalty are two things that a person can be born into, but, if we look closely, we find are cultural, not biological!

It was my idea that suffering can be like that. You can get 'attached' to pain. You can despair. All of this is in your thinking, in the thoughts you have in response to pain. For example, the thought "This is not fair!" when things 'go wrong' will cause you to carry around anger and may lead you into a depression.

This is like cognitive behavioural therapy, I think. Being watchful of how we react to things. If I am always angered and frustrated when I hear an intrusive voice, I lose will power and feel sad; if I can be conscious of my response and stay relaxed, I will be flexible and will be able to cope better.


I'm merely commenting from my own situation and from what I have read; I don't wish to speak lightly of your own pain, if you have any. And I hope that this helps you.