“The fact that we can be heartbroken is part of our deep humanity; it is not a weakness in our character. A weakness, if anything, is our fear of looking at our suffering more authentically and our resistance to dealing with it more wisely.

The wisest question when we are deeply sad is not, “How can I end or numb this pain immediately?” The wisest question is, “What is the meaning of this pain?” or, “What does it reveal to me?

What is it calling me to understand?”

An honest inquiry into the spiritual significance of our pain does not prolong it, but rather hastens its end. Whether we grow from our suffering or succumb to it lies primarily in whether we succeed in finding a spiritual lesson in even the most excruciating circumstances.

Searching for those lessons is the search for wisdom, and the search for wisdom is the search for peace. In the words of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”
Excerpt From: Williamson, Marianne. “Tears to Triumph.”