![](\"https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/057c1480101/62b136ab-be7b-4bf5-b633-4aff8ada0fa6.jpg\")
Suffering has no value unless we use it consciously.
\”Inconsolable suffering can console us by making us feel special. But this feeling of specialness diverts us from true freedom.\”
~Ezra Bayda~
The challenges we face prompt us to awaken. Through them we cultivate strength and compassion while discovering new facets of our true potential. There are two types of suffering. One is ego-driven and keeps the story alive while the other is a vehicle for awakening.
When people are caught in ego-driven patterns of thought, they often allow the past to dictate their ability to be happy in the present moment. Conversely, the spiritual seeker learns to rise above and transforms their suffering into awareness. The suffering ultimately becomes something for which we can be grateful because it was integral to our awakening.
Resistance keeps negativity in place. Acceptance allows the energy to flow and creates a space in which a transformation can occur. As we become aware of the patterns that repeat in our experience, we can turn our attention inward. When you seek the lesson in a challenging situation, you will find it. Be willing to accept whatever unfolds in your experience as if you had purposely created it. Taking full responsibility for our life experience creates mastery, empowerment and freedom.