Emotional Suffering.... Then What ?

If you will click on the title of this post you will be taken to an article which recently recounts a trip that the author made to Sri Lanka. The author wanted to witness the cleanup and rebuilding that is occurring as a result of the Tsunami.

I was reminded as I read this article: Life throws us severe emotional trauma sometimes. There is a scripture in the Bible that says, "the
rain falls on the just and the unjust".

If suffering in our lives can be totally random, what is the best way to deal with it ? My belief is that we only have one thing we can control: the choices we make. We can make a choice of what meaning we will give to a happening that has occurred in our life. Whether it is a tsunami, loss of a family member, spouse or child, end of a relationship, financial ruin, severe health trial, sexual or physical abuse etc., we will always have this choice.

Ultimately, the choice we have to make is to choose happiness and love over sadness and hurt. Unfortunately, life goes on in the midst of trials, and sometimes it feels like you can't even get your feet underneath you.

Making a positive "choice" may sound too "pie in sky" or too fluffy. I once felt that this perspective minimized my difficulty. I didn't believe one could choose in a moment to view even the worst of circumstances in a useful way. I will suggest two books for you to read:

Happiness Is A Choice - by Barry Neil Kaufman
Man's Search for Meaning - by Victor Frankl