Sometimes we need to Ponder the deeper things of life.

Sometimes, in the melancholy of the winter blahs, it is a good time to ponder things we sometimes would like to avoid. One of my all time favorite books is "The Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck. Not because it is a fun and easy read, but because it is not. The first sentence of the book tells it all. If you continue to read this book after that first sentence you are a brave and smart person.

• "Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."

Peck’s book begins with the profound truth that "Life is difficult". We must attest to the fact that life was never meant to be easy, and that it is a battlefield of problems. We can either moan about them or solve them. It is here that the vital role of discipline assumes significance.
More from the book-

• "So if your goal is to avoid pain and escape suffering, I would not advise you to seek higher levels of consciousness or spiritual evolution. First, you cannot achieve them without suffering, and second, insofar as you do achieve them, you are likely to be called on to serve in ways more painful to you, or at least demanding of you, than you can now imagine."

In this great book, Peck talked of the importance of discipline. He described four aspects of discipline:

• Delaying gratification: Sacrificing present comfort for future gains.
• Acceptance of responsibility: Accepting responsibility for one's own decisions.
• Dedication to truth: Honesty, both in word and deed.
• Balancing: Handling conflicting requirements. Scott Peck talks of an important skill to prioritize between different requirements -- bracketing.

So there it is. Life is difficult. The sooner we realize that fact, the easier it becomes. And of course, the difficulty of life is easier with the knowledge that we have a good and loving God . He is always there for us as we go through this difficult journey called "life".
Ahhh! Or should I say Ah Ha! as a good friend of mine says. An Ah Ha moment - Discovering and realizing how God is working to perform something very profound and opening our eyes to the wonder of his plan.
~bekuyps