Pain is Inevitable - Suffering is Not

As human beings, our mindset of ”maximize pleasure and avoid pain” is deeply ingrained into our psyche and consistently reinforced by our culture.  But this attitude, mainly based on fear, limits our experience of life as we try to deny, avoid, and even ignore those parts of ourselves that are hurting or wounded. 

In this episode,  I differentiate pain from suffering, since they are often used interchangeably, and discuss the futility of pursuing a life of permanent happiness and fulfillment.  

 Topics include:

·      A new broader definition of pain that includes everyday experience

·      What the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism can teach us

·      Two formulas that suggest how to be with pain while reducing our suffering

·      A three-step approach for “taking on pain as path” whenever it arises