Resistance

This last Sunday we enjoyed Stake Conference. One of the speakers said something I have been thinking about all week...

Pain/suffering is a result of resistance.

Does this mean we are the cause of our own suffering? If we wouldn't resist would we not suffer?

It is interesting to think about. Suffering can be avoided if we look at situations positively and embrace them rather than dread them.

Think about this. How often do we say things like:
I have to...
I need to...

When we use these phrases we are in essence saying we don't have our agency in the situation and are forced to act or do something. It is in these situations that we feel pain/suffering.

But what if we used phrases like:
I'd love to...
I get to...
I want to...

These phrases show we are using our agency and embracing a situation whatever it might be.

I have thought a lot about this. In my life one source of pain/suffering could be my sleep deprivation. Just last night Matt admitted he felt bad sleeping through the night knowing I was getting up many times with Blake. I told him that it wasn't a cause of pain for me. I love to get up and spend time with him. Yes, I am tired, but I feel honored that I get to wake up and take care of him.

Of course my application of this has to do with Blake (he is kind of my whole world), but it applies to so many situations. I have been reflecting back on times when I allowed myself to suffer. If I would have just embraced the situation and turned it into an "I'd love to" instead of an "I have to" I think I would have been a lot happier.