Do you run away or face your difficulties?

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We all go through times when we wish we could press a fast-forward button and project ourselves into the future and out of our present situation. Whether it's something minor or something as major as the loss of a loved one, it is human nature to want to move away from the pain and find comfort as soon as possible. Yet deep down, we all know that we need to work through these experiences rather than bury our heads in the sand. It is at such times as this that we acquire important information about ourselves and about life. The learning process may not be easy, but it is full of lessons that bring us wisdom we cannot find in any other way. Pressing the fast-forward button at such times only means trying to run away, but all we are really doing is pressing the pause button and prolonging our difficulties, even in some cases making them worse. The more direct, clear, and courageous we are in the face of whatever we are dealing with, the more quickly we will move through the situation. When we truly realize that the only way out of any situation in which we find ourselves is to go through it, we stop looking for ways to escape and start paying close attention to what is happening. It is then that we realize that we are exactly where we need to be. We remember that we are in this situation in order to learn something we need to know, and we can often lessen some of our pain by understanding that there is a purpose to our suffering. When you next feel the urge to press the fast-forward button, remember that you are not alone; we all instinctively avoid pain. But in doing so, we often prolong our pain and delay important learning. Facing life in the moment is, in the long run, the least painful way to go.