cyberdog, i am terribly sorry to hear about your friend. that is an incredible story and i'm sure it has been challenging for him and even more for the friends and family who knew him before. i mean...that's just the beginning of that discussion. obviously, someone who (very tragically) has irreparable brain damage to that extent is going to experience life from a very different perspective, and one that i will not understand unless i experience it firsthand. however, if that should happen to one of MY loved ones, i know that by staying true to the very words "suffering is optional," i have the option to create positivity around the situation. with any negative experience comes the opportunity to learn, teach, and help others. rather than falling into the thought of "why does this have to happen to me?" it can be very easy to fall into a pattern of self victimization...to feel like you have to suffer over things in life that are really very insignificant when you look at the big picture. people often create dramas that wouldn't exist otherwise. what i'm trying to achieve is peace within myself so that i can reach my full potential and be a good influence to the world around me. for me, suffering is optional. but yes. we are mortal. and pain is inevitable. that's the beauty of life and it's what joins all of humanity.

we all experience things from wholly unique perspectives. suffering IS optional. as much pain any single person may experience, it is how they live through it that is optional. this is why some people go through extreme hardships and still manage to make a difference in the world, while others fall into despair. it's not about intelligence and it isn't about can or can't. if anything it is about survival. every person has the potential to live life with a positive outlook. it's also about education and the human spirit. some naturally steer this direction, others must be guided. it's the nature of life. "suffering" is not just the textbook definition...i think this might also be a disagreement in our perceived understanding of what it means to "suffer." obviously life is complicated, but that doesn't mean to give up and get stuck in a mindset of "why me?" it's not that some people can't, it's that they DON'T. we always have the power to change our reality and our future. that is the beauty of free will. most people just don't know they have that power. that's all i'm going to say about that here anymore. we could just use the quote on your page accordingly. but i do hope that you will live your own life with optimism!

oh, now you insult me! i quite enjoyed the discussion as well, so thank YOU.