We all are a little broken. And that’s okay. Really, it is.
In “The Art of Happiness” the Dalai Lama confided to his interviewer that he had a huge regret. He then shared a very sad story. The interviewer asked him if he ever got over it. The Dalai Lama was surprised. “Get over it? No… why would I expect to get over it.” (my paraphrase)
Perhaps a lot of our suffering comes from the expectation of Getting Over Things. The cost of this expectation likely accounts for more lost time at work, with family, and in life in general than cancer, alcoholism and the common cold put together.
The question we all ask is “How do I accept that there is no arriving at permanent happiness?” It is a long road, hundreds, maybe thousands of books have been written on the subject. Next time you are feeling miserable or broken try to pause and ask yourself, “Is there another way of looking at this?” Merely pausing and reflecting may reduce tension, may allow you to, well, find some acceptance in the midst of a society riddled with high expectations. Yes, it’s a paradox of sorts. There are a lot of those floating around.
My job is to get used to them.
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