“Courage is certainly not the absence of fear. The ability to look fear in the eye, to stand up to what scares you, is courage. So, being able to face Life’s upheavals, without giving up, without becoming bitter, is courage. Being able to withstand pain, while choosing to not suffer from it, is courage. Choosing to immerse yourself in what you love doing, when darkness engulfs you, is courage. To let go, and to flow with Life, is courage. Being useful, even when you can’t be successful in a worldly sense, is courage. To live a Life of love, compassion, dignity and cheer, despite constant pain, despite enduring constraints, is courage. To laugh at yourself, at your situation, and at Life, is courage! To be happy, to be non-worrying, non-frustrated and non-suffering, despite the circumstances, is courage.” PainHappinessLife LessonsFearCourageLaughterAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“When going through an enduring and painful situation, stop wishing that it did not exist. It is this wanting, this desire, that causes your suffering. Instead, deal with each day, doing whatever you can do in the given circumstances. Do your best. And leave the rest, the outcomes, to Life. This is how you flow with Life, at its pace, peacefully, calmly.” PainHappinessDesireLife LessonsSufferingFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaThe Happynesswalas Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Often times, when in the throes of extraordinary pain, we want to give up on Life. We believe we cannot go on. Be wary of this downward mood spiral. In Life, as in cricket, it’s never over until it is over, until the last ball is bowled! And when it is over, when your time is up, you wouldn’t obviously be around to know what happened! So, why worry, why grieve and why be anxious? Live free. Live without worry or fear. Live in prayer and surrender. Remember: you are in Life’s safe hands! So, no matter what, you will be looked after, cared for and provided for.” PainHappinessLife LessonsPrayerWorrySurrenderAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Happiness is not quite about always getting what you want, or about buying stuff which you can afford, or even about being understood, recognized and celebrated by those around you. There will always be times in Life when you won’t get what you want, when you can’t even afford what you think are the basics and when you will imagine that the whole world is conspiring against you. Happiness is a decision. It is your decision. When you decide to be happy, the circumstances don’t matter. Happiness, then, is to be accepting of the Life you have, while celebrating it for what it is, and learning to be non-worrying, non-frustrated and non-suffering.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingWorryAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“The truth is that we humans cannot fight Life’s design. For instance, when someone’s time is up, they just have to go. When this understanding is complete, there will be a realization that carrying on grieving is futile. That’s when you exercise the choice to be non-suffering. However, being non-suffering does not mean that there will be no pain. You cannot negotiate with pain. You have to simply accept it. But when you are non-suffering your ability to accept pain and deal with it improves significantly.” PainHappinessDeathSufferingSpiritualityGriefAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalThe HappynesswalasVaani Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Drop the 'why' and ‘why me’ questions. Stop asking ‘why’ and ‘why me’ in the context of your Life situation. Then you will not suffer. The pain will be intense. But you will not suffer. You cannot avoid pain, but you can choose not to suffer. Suffering comes from asking 'why’, ‘why me'. Suffering always magnifies the pain. Choosing to be non-suffering does not take away the pain. But it helps immensely in coping with the pain.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingSpiritualityAcceptanceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“When you train your mind to be non-worrying, non-frustrated and non-suffering, you can actually be Happy ALL Year!” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingWorryInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswalas Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“There is no way you can fast-forward your Life. When going through painful situations, as long as you are complaining about your circumstances, you will find each day long, dreary and miserable to endure. But when you immerse yourself in what you love doing, you will find that each moment is a celebration. You will then be able to flow with Life, joyously, enthusiastically.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessCelebrate LifeThe HappynesswalasThe Bliss Catchers Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Happiness is the ability to be non-worrying, non-frustrated and non-suffering despite the circumstances. This is an art. And you learn this art by learning to train your mind.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingWorryFrustrationAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Grief is a natural process. You grieve when you give attention to someone's absence from your Life. But there's another way to deal with such irreparable loss. Try celebrating that person's Life – what did they stand for, what did you learn from them, who did they love, what would they have loved for you to do?...And go celebrate all these qualities of them/in them by living your Life fully, in celebration....When you transform your grief into celebration, you come alive. You will feel the pain (of separation) but you will not suffer. And when you are not suffering, you are flowing with Life...then you are not missing the absence of someone, you are feeling their essence; their presence is felt through the essence of who they were/what they were!” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingLossGriefAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“The greatest – most beautiful yet least known – quality of Life is that pain is Life's way of teaching us to pause, reflect and apply ourselves to being useful, to serve, to make our world a better place.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingSpiritualityAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaServe Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Don’t wish that your Life is different from what it is now. This is how you invite suffering into your Life. What is happening to you has already arrived in your Life. You can’t wish it away, you can’t undo it, you can’t deny its presence. By asking why is something happening in your Life, you are resisting your current reality. That’s also why you are suffering. Instead, learn to be non-suffering by embracing what is. Being non-suffering is a personal choice, it holds the key to your Happiness!” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaNon Suffering Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Extraordinary pain in Life is not a sign of past sins catching up as some would want you to believe. It is, interestingly, a sign of extraordinary grace arriving in your Life. Pain is inevitable – you don’t get to choose it; if it was a choice then, well, all of humanity would like to avoid any pain. So, painful episodes just happen in Life, but they happen only for a reason. And that reason is always revealed in hindsight, upon deep reflection. If you think back, you will discover that any event that caused you pain, only left you stronger, wiser and happy. That’s the grace I am talking about. Pain, in essence, helps you evolve. It hurts you surely, but doesn’t harm you, and, unfailingly, leaves you blessed!” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingGraceAvis ViswanathanAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“There are only 2 things about Life that you can be sure about. 1. Of course, that you will die someday. 2. Life never ceases to amaze you, surprise you. Now, when you are amazed and surprised with Life giving you what you want or even more than that, you don't have a problem. But if Life amazes you and surprises you with what you don't want, what you don't like, you suffer. But the truth is that Life has not done anything different. It has only continued to amaze and surprise you. The problem is not with Life then. Your suffering comes only from your expectations. So, drop all your expectations, embrace your mortality and live fully as you will die any moment. When you live this way, you will be anchored no matter what is happening to you!” LifePainHappinessDeathLife LessonsSufferingAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Acceptance does not necessarily help you solve a problem. But acceptance helps you immensely in dealing with it, in making you non-suffering. When you resist a situation, you are fighting it. Whatever you resist, will fight back. Such is Life. All your suffering comes from wishing that your Life is different from what it is. So, in addition to the intense pain that the situation has thrown up, you have now invited suffering into your Life by wishing that the painful situation did not exist in the first place. Instead, embrace the situation. Gracefully accept your Life for what it is. Then, slowly, very slowly, time heals, peeling off layer after layer of suffering, as you understand the futility of prolonged sadness. As your suffering and sadness dissolve, you feel repaired, happy and at peace with your new reality.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingAcceptanceInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Each one’s pain is different. You can empathize with them but you cannot always understand what someone is going through. Even if they are a long-time companion, a sibling, a parent or a child. No amount of empathy can help the other person either. They have to go through what they have to go through. Ultimately, everyone has to deal with their pain themselves; they have to understand it, negotiate with it and accept it. Acceptance does not take away the pain, but it instantaneously frees you of all suffering. So, if you you love someone who is dealing with intense pain, encourage them to embrace it; help them to be non-suffering. Being non-suffering holds the key to Happiness.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingAcceptanceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Don’t resist your pain, embrace it. It is normal to run away from pain – to hate it, to question why it is there in the first place. That is when – and how – you invite suffering into your Life. You suffer only because you wish your Life is different from what it is. Instead, accept your pain. When you hold up your pain and feel its intensity, you will realize that it is teaching you unputdownable Life lessons. At this time, if you choose to express your feelings through your art – anything…painting, music, cooking, gardening, writing…do whatever makes you come alive – magic and beauty will flow through you! Look around you – every work of art out there is a product of someone’s pain and their choice to express how they felt while enduring it. So, employ your pain to create something of lasting value and relevance! The world is waiting…” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingInner PeaceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Grief is an important emotion. Don’t suppress it. Go through the process of grieving as long as you feel it is important and necessary for you to grieve. Don’t let people tell you that to grieve is being weak or being depressive. Hardly. Choose your own way of expressing your grief. If you must cry, cry. If you prefer being silent, be that way. But whatever you do, remember that grief when carried for too long in you becomes a burden. Then it begins to cause your suffering. So, at some point, hold up your grief and examine it. Is it serving any Purpose? Is the process of grieving comforting you or is it making you feel miserable? The moment you realize the futility of clinging on to grief, you will set it down. This will set you free. You will then be happy despite the circumstances.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingGriefAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalThe HappynesswalaLife Coaching Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Whatever be your current reality, you are never in conflict with it. Life is happening to you. And you are going with the flow. A health challenge, a break-up, the loss of a loved one, a career-related complication, a messy financial situation, whatever you are dealing with, you are doing pretty fine living with what is. However, the moment your mind plays up an expectation that your Life must be different from what it is now, suffering kicks in. So, clearly, suffering comes from expectations. And you cause your expectations. The solution, therefore, to avoid suffering is to drop all expectations. Embrace your current reality, do what you can do in the given context and keep moving…” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingExpectationsAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Companionship is truly about being loving – in the present continuous. It means being available, being present or just being a good listener. You may not really be able to solve your companion’s problems or be able to reduce their pain. But being there for them, being loving, is all that you need to do. Or, in some cases, if being left alone is what they want, respecting that need and staying away from them is also a way of being loving.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityCompanionshipAvis ViswanathanAvis On HappynessGood ListenerThe Happynesswalas Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Slowly, very slowly, that is how you learn to cope with trauma, grief and pain. It always seems to be a never-ending process. The coping doesn’t quite cease; it always appears to be in the present continuous. Then, over time, when you begin to accept the pain and see the pointlessness of grieving endlessly, you slowly learn to move on. Your Life will never be the way it once was. But you will slowly learn to co-live with the pain while setting down the grief. You will slowly, eventually, learn to be happy despite what happened and despite the circumstances.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityGriefAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswalas Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“The process of Life is to make us, break us, and to remake us. From birth to death, this process endures ceaselessly. Our lived experiences then are integral to how we are shaped – to how we are remade each time that we are broken. We emerge stronger, calmer, content and happy from each upheaval that we go through. That’s how we awaken to the sublime realization that the journey is indeed the only reward.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityCrisisAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswalas Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“No matter what you are going through, the process of Life is beautiful. It may be challenging, painful and, at times, agonizingly slow. Or it may flow freely, generously, bringing you all that you want. But, unfailingly, Life never ceases to amaze or surprise. It is this inscrutable quality of Life that makes the process beautiful. When you accept the process of Life for what it is, for the way it is, unquestioningly, you see its beauty. That’s how you learn to be happy despite the circumstances.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityAcceptanceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Grief has a lasting, and often transformational, impact. It pervades every pore in your body and settles in your soul. You may surely find Happiness over time. But it will be a very different experience being happy again after you have experienced what grief is. What grief does is that it makes you understand contentment as the truest form of Happiness. And that’s what Happiness really is – it lies in living each moment fully, gratefully, with what you have, with what is.” PainHappinessLife LessonsLossGriefContentmentAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“You cannot negotiate with pain. You simply have to accept it. When you accept Life for what it is, and accept pain for the way it is, you discover inner peace, contentment and Happiness.” PainHappinessLife LessonsFaithSpiritualityAcceptancePatienceAvis ViswanathanAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“When you learn to stop resisting pain, you learn the art of acceptance. And it is only through accepting what is that you learn to be happy despite your circumstances.” PainHappinessLife LessonsAcceptanceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“No matter what, Life has to be lived through. Every facet of Life has to be experienced. And pain is non-negotiable. The art of living is truly the art of co-living with pain. Doing this daily, continuously, living in a non-complaining way, you learn the art of being happy despite your circumstances.” PainHappinessLife LessonsAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe HappynesswalaNon Complaining Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“When someone causes you pain, agony or frustration, an immediate response is to react, rebuke, reprimand. Don't do that. Quickly reason whether the person is ill-informed, ignorant, wanton or just plain devious. Every which way, a calm and fitting response will be to forgive that person and wish them well at all times. When you respond this way, watch how relieved and happy you actually feel!!” PainHappinessLife LessonsForgivenessAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“How will you ever learn that you had an option to deal with a situation differently, unless you deal with it one way and realize – and understand – its futility? This is why pain is a great teacher. Pain teaches you that Life must be faced and that you must always choose for yourself, for your Happiness…which is why pain, eventually, always, makes you strong, wise and happy!” PainHappinessLife LessonsAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“The nature of Life is that at least once in your lifetime, if not more times, the unexpected will come and sock you, it will defy logic and it may even hang you from the edge of a precipice. You will not know what to do. You will be engulfed by darkness. The pain will be unbearable and you will imagine you can’t go on. That’s when Life will send you a lifeboat, a raft…a shepherd may arrive, a door may open, showing you the way forward to last one more day…surely your problems won’t get solved overnight…they may even endure and so will you…such is Life…” PainHappinessLife LessonsMiraclesAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Living a Life of Purpose is a great blessing. And Purpose finds you when you learn from your pain, when you resolve to take your pain and employ your lived experience to make the world better, so that another person does not have to go through what you went through. There is an act of selflessness, of service here. You see, the whole world is looking at every opportunity and constantly asking what’s in it for me; they say they want this and they want that…but those with Purpose look for ways to give, to share…they ask, how can I serve? Ultimately, only when you live purposefully, do you live a meaningful, happy Life.” PainHappinessLife LessonsPurposeAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“There will be times in Life when you will find yourself in a deep, dark, hole. And you will not see any way out. Every idea you believed in will be challenged. This includes your faith in yourself…and you may even end up asking if there is really a God up there who still values ‘goodness’! In such times, know that you are not the first person to experience darkness in Life and you are certainly not alone. This is how Life works. Everyone has to bear their cross, everyone has the go through their spell of darkness – feeling clueless, helpless and hopeless…these are part of the process of Life. Realizing this truth, that such is Life, that you control nothing and you have to go through what you have to go through…this awakening, this is what enlightenment is all about. It is through experiencing darkness and pain that you see the light, soak in grace and learn to be happy despite the circumstances.” PainHappinessLife LessonsGraceEnlightenmentAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“The ability to “take Life as it comes” is a blessing. This wisdom can only come from having experienced pain and from understanding the power of acceptance.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSpiritualityAcceptanceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“Pain is not a monster that is out to annihilate you as is popularly believed. Pain is a great teacher. While you can’t avoid pain, it teaches you, through your acceptance of any Life situation, that suffering is optional; that there is a lot of Life during and after a crisis. Truly, acceptance of a painful situation is the only way to deal with it.” PainHappinessLife LessonsSufferingAcceptanceAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan
“A painful situation arrives in your Life simply because it was meant to. It is never because your “energies are negative” or that you are being “punished for past sins”. Your pain is here to teach you Life lessons. Which is why extraordinary pain is a sign of grace, of a great teacher arriving in your Life to transform you, to make you resilient, wise and happy!” PainHappinessLife LessonsAvis ViswanathanFall Like A Rose PetalAvis On HappynessThe Happynesswala Author:AVIS Viswanathan