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There is a saying that goes: “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional”. This refers to the changing nature of the world around us – the world of matter. Finances, relationships and the health of our own body and those of our loved ones are constantly changing. Whether we suffer that change or not depends on one thing alone and that is, our ability to embrace, accept and be at peace with the change. This is essentially what living in presence and in the present moment is all about.
6 day retreats with Assisi Retreats in Umbra, Italy from March 2026 to January 2027
As we look around us today, we see much suffering. This comes from wars, climate change, inequitable wealth distribution, lack of education and work opportunities and other causes. There are numerous philosophies from Vedanta to the Hawaiian practice of Ho’oponopono that tell us that the “outer”, external world of matter is simply a reflection of what is happening within us: our mental and emotional state. Jesus, in Matthew 7:1-5 asks us to purify ourselves first before attempting to change those around us. There are further theories that point out how every thought emanating from our mind contains energy, and because energy can never be destroyed, ultimately transforms itself into matter through space and time. This theory indicates that the world we are now experiencing is a result of our collective thoughts.
It is therefore empowering to realise that as we find ways in which to choose higher, kinder and more loving thoughts which are in alignment with the highest versions of ourselves, these thoughts and emotional states will have a powerful effect in transforming the world around us. Such is the power of meditation, mindfulness, alignment or whatever we might choose to call it. Labels matter little.