Lovely, isn’t it?
Suffer well. Who wants to suffer? No one does.
But what does that mean, really?
Never despair; but if you do, work on in despair.
-Edmund Burke
That’s what it means to me.
The opposite of suffering is thriving. Is happiness. Something so elusive yet so convoluted, misused, and hated via jealousy.
Happiness is something harder to describe than “suffer well”, I’m afraid. Again – to me.
No one will always be happy. Times will never be perfect. Things in your life will happen that make you hate, cry, fear, loathe, cry out, miss times passed, wish for something more – something better, something happy.
But we cannot all have it go our way all the time. And life is a messy mash-up of, simply put, everything.

Murphy’s Law: anything that can go wrong, will.
How many of you know this one?
I can feel you cringing and half smirking. 😉
Facing it, always facing it, that’s the way to get through it. Face it.
-Joseph Conrad
Don’t hide. Suffer well. Do what you can.
Make peace with it. I’m not saying to be a victim, I’m saying take the pain you’ll be bestowed when you don’t let yourself be victimized. And there’s so much to that word, that implication; “victim”. Take is as you will and never let it happen of your own free will.
Life is something strange. Something diluted and translucent all at once. Appreciate it. Love it. Strive to live your life for you but don’t forget those around you who you love, you respect, admire, hope the best for. If they factor into your happiness, factor them in. If they only want to ride your high of “happy”, let them go.

Never memorize something that you can look up.
– Albert Einstein
Spend your time on what you enjoy, when you can.
Love when you want to. Ask yourself why you love when you don’t want to.
Feel what you must. Know yourself well enough to know when what you feel and what is true is not the same thing.
But while you suffer, do it well.
Figure out who you are. Do not be a collective of all those around you. Be you. And then make peace with who you are.
Find out what you want. What you need. Find out why. Find out how. Decide you neither want it nor need it if it is evil.
Perception is everything and you’d be astounded by the amount of control we have over ourselves by what we perceive. Be sincere. Be truthful with yourself. There’s nothing more painful at times. But it’s well worth it.

In 3 words I can sum up everything I know about life: it goes on.
– Robert Frost
Suffer well. Do not let life’s pains and setbacks put you through enough pain to the point you want to quit.
Enough is enough. Know when that is for you. And if someone puts you down for having your own definition of this, set them lose. Let them go.
Never be ashamed of what or how you feel….just be honest.
– Jaimie Alexander
I guess this post came at this time because I’ve finally made peace with me. With my life, where I’m at. What I’m doing, what I’m lacking, what I want, what I desire. What I know. And I’m not strictly talking knowledge here.
I’ve been thinking a lot about a poem I wrote some time ago. I think I’ll read through it now – it’s had over a year to sit …. I think that’s enough time for me to wait. (Just image, if as writers we left that rough draft for one year – I’d end up in a straight jacket!) Maybe I’ll mend it, take it to where I want it and post it here. It’s where I got “Welcome to My Shaded World of the Strange”. Seems to be a theme in my brain, so why not run with it? It won’t leave me alone, I might as well.
We think too much and feel too little.”
– Charlie Chaplin
I don’t mean to go all preachy on you, but I just had to spew that out for you. Or maybe I just had to spew it out period and I like all of you and thought you ought to know.
I was reminded by someone I consider a friend that I really need to not be afraid to do things my way. He reminded me not to be afraid to make mistakes. Jeeze – I definitely forgot that one for a while.
I’ll leave you with the promise to post something coherent next time around – and with my favorite quote.

Follow your heart but take your brain with you.
– Unknown
Guess staring: Lucky, Flame, and MoJo.
Daphne, Adore this post plus have shared it over on MDJunction.com on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group where am 1 of the 3 group leaders there- want everyone to see your sublime snippet! Loved the quotes plus pictures. Am a dog lover, too, as am adopted by a Dalmatian called Sebster! Am a chronic pain sisu warrior. Never use the word suffer yet use the dynamic word Challenged as it is so much more empowering plus from a survivor mindset methinks. Am challenged well with Fibromyalgia, CFS, Osteo arthritis, migraines, coeliac , Raynauds, jaw pains triggered by rains or thunderstorms, and, costochondritis- my chronic pain challenges are constantly moderate severe to severe in fluctuations plus am disabled/enabled with walking aids! Thank you for your dynamic beautiful post- really made me smile a risso dolphin smile today :-)! Gentle hugs across the miles to You from me here in Devon 🙂 Clara 🙂
You totally just made my day. 😊😊 Thank you.
I am glad you got something good out of it.
I sincerely hope you know how amazing you are!
*hugs*
It was great to finally see pics of your little boys! All so sweet! And it’s interesting that you included quotes from famous authors in your post, because I feel that you wrote very important life lessons that can be isolated into quotes as well. My favorite: “Do not be a collective of all those around you.” 🙂
Thank you very much! 😀
What a fantastic post. I love the sayings – very clever 🙂
My god – what beautiful dogs !!!!
Thank you. They’re lovely hams. 😉
love this post..and your DOGGGIES!
Thank you. They’ve all had to endure the endless photo torture (because they’re soooo not hams at all). 😉
same with my dogs!
Great post! 🙂 I especially liked the pics of the pups.
Thanks. Picking only 4 was the hard part. 😉
😉
Love the doggies!
Thank you. They’re sweeties.
If one would have to suffer, I would rather suffer well, than horribly. 🙂
😉