“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you’re running and you think, ‘Man, this hurts, I can’t take it anymore. The ‘hurt’ part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand anymore is up to the runner himself.”
― What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
He goes on to say that he just made it up.. and I admired his wit for that
Today reading the wisdom of our rabbinical teachers I came across this one:
“Pain is a reality, suffering is a choice.” – Rabbi Asher Resnick
Pain, whether it’s physical or emotional, hurts but it is our choices that shape how it will affect our lives. - Tuvia Levin
It is nice to know the universality of certain thoughts..
Whenever I hear something similar, I am reminded of Wilma Mankiller, the late chief of the Cherokee Nation who said:
I cannot determine what the Great Spirit sends my way, but certainly I can decide how I respond to it..
Nice thoughts to begin your day
thinking of my friends in Iran , who have to daily decide how to deal with the emotional, psychological, economic and social problems they face, much of which are not of their making.
