The key to peace is within. The opening for being free of suffering is within. The opportunity to be happy comes from within. Once you accept that neither people or life need to be a certain way for you to be happy, you have taken the first step to living a peaceful life. It’s normal for our ego to demand people and life meet our expectations. And when those expectations are not met, we experience suffering. The ego tells us the other party or life is responsible for the suffering we feel. That’s not true. It’s our ego and our thoughts that inflict suffering. Once you understand this, you can begin the important work of minimizing ego so consciousness can emerge more fully.

Note: For the Rick and Keith’s conversation about pain and suffering, check out podcast Episode 26: Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is Optional.