Suffering is not the end

Suffering is not the end.

I know what it’s like to be sick, suffer, and have no energy. I endured that state for seven years. If you want to get through it and come out on the other side without going crazy, you need to know something important.

The pain and hopelessness will make you want to give up.

And you are not strong enough to get through it on your own.

You need something bigger than yourself to keep going.

I didn’t give up because I kept reminding myself that I had a duty to myself, my ancestors, and my people: to survive, have children, and accomplish my mission. My work was more important than dying to relieve my suffering.

Find your purpose, and there is no better time to do that than when you are suffering. Comfort cannot reveal purpose; only suffering can. Once you find your purpose, the suffering begins to lose its hold on you, and you become free to pursue it no matter how bad off you are in the moment.