Let me also say a few words about journaling. In exploring these questions, try not to select what to write about. Instead, try to open your heart and mind, by meditating on the question in silence for a minute or two, and see what wants your heart’s attention. Once writing, don’t censor what arises. These expressions are for you. It’s more important to be honest with yourself than to hold back because someone else might see what you write. Don’t worry about being organized or making sense, or even if you write in full sentences. Let your heart and deeper mind be your guide. And please remember, these exercises are experiments in authenticity. There is no right or wrong way to do this, no normal amount of time each takes, and no one way to surface what you feel.

We’re now at the threshold of the one journey we all share. As we enter, it’s my hope that the trail of this lifetime conversation with suffering and care will open you to the fullness of your own humanity. With a steadfast belief in our aliveness, I hope what’s here will help you meet the transformation that waits in however you’re being forged.

Enduring Suffering

ENDURING SUFFERING

In life one plays the hand one is dealt to the best of one’s ability. Those who insist on playing, not the hand they were given, but the one they insist they should have been dealt—these are life’s failures. We are not asked if we will play. That is not an option. Play we must. The option is how.

ANTHONY DE MELLO