5 Reasons for Hard Times (part 3)
In my last two posts, I've covered four out of five reasons for difficult times in our lives. Since I've had so much to say about each reason, what was meant to be one article turned into a three-part series. Well, I hope you haven't become annoyed with my wordiness. The last reason for adversity is... 5. Suffering Gives Us a Story to Tell Now, when I say, “suffering gives us a story to tell,” I don't mean the kind of story where the victim of life's circumstances complains to drum up sympathy from others. What I mean is that our story may someday help others. The difference is in our motives: when we complain, chances are, we're doing it for ourselves. We may want to look like the victim, point fingers, and drum up sympathy from others. On the other hand, when we share our story in a beneficial way, we do so for the good of others, not out of selfish ambition. It helps us to empathize with them so they can feel understood and validated.