Are you a suffering fool? Spoiler alert, I am.

It never feels all that great to look in the mirror and feel like you’re staring at a fool. But it happens more often than I’d like. 

The Seventh Dalai Lama accurately stated, "If there is a way to free ourselves from suffering, we must use every moment to find it. Only a fool wants to go on suffering.” 

I’m comfortable being foolish, and sometimes even a fool, yet there was something about this quote that struck a nerve and sent me down a contemplative rabbit hole. 

I feel like such a fool. Probably fair
Am I really suffering? I think so. but…
If I am suffering, does that make me weak, since there are really people who are actually suffering? Yes, but not really, but yes. I wonder what the exact definition of “suffer” is? “To undergo or feel pain or distress.” Dictionary.com. Well, I certainly feel distress, so yes, I am suffering.
Am I doing enough to free myself from this? No.

I also got held up on the word “every.” My first interpretation was literal, and I have wavered back and forth. Does he mean every available moment? Every moment I’m not tired? Every moment I’m not being a parent? A spouse? A community member? A healer? A seeker? And the list goes on and on. 

Life and its circumstances are real, but I’m learning and know when I’m being a fool. That, I’ve reconciled.

For me, I know when it’s when I’m being mindless. You know those times when you’re staring at your phone or watching TV, and wondering where the time has gone. I deserve this time. I’m a justifier.

I’m busy, we’re all busy, there’s never enough time!

(Pop culture jokes aside, if you are suicidal or in crisis, call 988. If you need support with substance abuse, call 844.289.0879.)

I could calculate over 50,000,000 moments in my life. 50 million seconds equals 579 days. 579 divided by 50 equals about 11.5 days. 

For those of us 35 and over (if you’re younger, it’s higher), we spend on average about 5.75 hours per day on our phones. Now there’s work and email, but there’s also social, video, news, texts, and a multitude of other “moments.”

5.75 hours per day x’s 7 days equals 40.25 hours per week. 

Throw TV into the equation, and that 50 million feels shockingly light. 

In short, my existence as a justifier paints another picture. I’m a fool. 

Am I doing enough and taking advantage of not being one? No. But that’s great news! 

From nature to working out, and meditating to yes, therapy, our paths to less distress are plentiful. So if we don’t feel good, why wait to do something about it?  

I won’t look back and think, “What if?”. I have a clearer vision of my future, how I can utilize all of my moments, and continue to free myself. Reducing my suffering sounds good to me. 

5-Day Journaling Exercise: Are you suffering, and not doing something about it?