Psychological suffering is a waste of life. It is pointless, cruel, and above all deceptive. I say deceptive because psychological suffering is an unnecessary pain that we are presently certain is not only necessary, but actually unavoidable . . . a part of real life. Mental and emotional suffering are not a part of real life. You do not have to live with any tormenting thoughts or feelings no matter how compelling their cries may be to convince you otherwise. There is always a choice when it comes to psychological suffering. You need never surrender to any wave of helplessness that leaves you feeling sorry for being alive.

Your suffering is born out of thinking about yourself. Any direction or guidance given to you by your thoughts telling you how to break out of your self-confinement is merely the continuation of the very same thoughts that have you feeling imprisoned.

The desperate search for happiness is the continuation of unhappiness. Happiness is never driven to look for itself. It is itself. The drive to become confident is the continuation of self-doubt. The hope for a brighter future is the continuation of a dim and flickering past. Even feeling guilty over getting angry is still the continuation of inner-irritation. Any direction we take to get away from some misery is the continuation of that distress, no matter how much time and space we may put between us and it. As long as we choose from this distressed life-level, our solutions have their roots in the problem. This insight helps us to approach the deeper meaning of Christ's message, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

Start watching yourself in action. Here's just one example. Catch yourself listening to a familiar anxious state telling you how to make the best plans for a secure tomorrow -- and then ask yourself if it makes sense to ask a shark how to get out of the ocean. Obviously, it doesn't! Catch enough of these cunning conversations in yourself and before too long a real miracle will occur. You'll stop asking yourself for directions because at long last you will no longer believe in the you that's telling you you're lost.