We Suffer More in Imagination Than We Do in Reality Life can feel heavy. We move through life facing obstacles, adversity, brick walls, and hurdles. Sometimes we’re asked to climb mountains when all we want is a place to sit down and catch our breath. Many people believe what they’re going through is too much. So they look for ways to escape—numbing, running, distracting—anything to avoid facing reality. But here’s a hard and freeing truth: Most of what we call suffering isn’t as bad as we think. Our imagination adds weight that reality never asked us to carry. The mind is powerful. When it’s undisciplined, it becomes a storyteller that exaggerates pain, predicts disaster, and convinces us we’re trapped—when we’re not. Let me give you a few real examples. My niece, Victoria Meza, was murdered by her boyfriend. I recently found out that charges will not be pressed against the man who took her life. Did that hurt? Yes. Deeply. Did learning that he will walk free cut even deeper? Of course it did. But am I suffering? No. I’m hurt. I’m grieving. I’m angry at injustice. But suffering is something different. Years ago, I wouldn’t have known the difference. The old version of me would have reacted from rage and impulse, driven by imagination and emotion instead of truth. Today, I don’t have that desire—because my mindset has changed. Pain no longer controls my direction. At the same time, life kept piling on. A storage company took money from my bank account after agreeing to wait until I got paid. That put me overdrawn by $200. I couldn’t pay some bills, including my auto insurance. Because I’m buying a car, full coverage isn’t optional. Without it, the vehicle can be taken. Will that create stress? Yes. Will it make life harder for a moment? Absolutely. But does that qualify as suffering? No, because there is still a way through. Suffering is not about circumstances. It’s about whether you believe you’re powerless. Leonard Peltier spent nearly 50 years in prison for a crime he maintained he did not commit. After decades behind bars and declining health, he was granted clemency so he could spend the rest of his life with family—under strict conditions.

Systems thinking The Iceberg Model Learn about the theory and practice of systems thinking. The Iceberg Model Systems thinking is a way of approaching problems that asks how various elements within a system — which could be an ecosystem, an organization, or something more dispersed such as a supply chain — influence one another. Rather than reacting to individual problems that arise, a systems thinker will ask about relationships to other activities within the system, look for patterns over time, and seek root causes. One systems thinking model that is helpful for understanding global issues is the iceberg model. We know that an iceberg has only 10 percent of its total mass above the water while 90 percent is underwater. But that 90 percent is what the ocean currents act on, and what creates the iceberg’s behavior at its tip. Global issues can be viewed in this same way. Levels of Thinking 1. The Event Level The event level is the level at which we typically perceive the world—for instance, waking up one morning to find we have caught a cold. While problems observed at the event level can often be addressed with a simple readjustment, the iceberg model pushes us not to assume that every issue can be solved by simply treating the symptom or adjusting at the event level. 2. The Pattern Level If we look just below the event level, we often notice patterns. Similar events have been taking place over time — we may have been catching more colds when we haven’t been resting enough. Observing patterns allows us to forecast and forestall events. 3. The Structure Level Below the pattern level lies the structure level. When we ask, “What is causing the pattern we are observing?” The answer is usually some kind of structure. Increased stress at work due to the new promotion policy, the habit of eating poorly when under stress, or the inconvenient location of healthy food sources could all be structures at play in our catching a cold. According to Professor John Gerber, structures can include the following:

​The Architecture of Reality: Imagination over Fact Let man disregard use of imagination can man accept “Nothing stands between man and the fulfillment of his dreams but facts (the evidence of the senses). And facts are the creations of imagining. If man changes his imagining, he will change the facts. Neville Goddard ​At the heart of Neville’s philosophy is the belief that imagination is the ultimate reality. Most people operate under the "evidence of the senses," believing that what they see, touch, and hear dictates what is possible. If your bank account is empty, you believe you are poor; if you are alone, you believe you are unloved. Neville calls these "facts," but he argues they are not permanent truths—they are merely the solidified results of past imaginings. ​The Illusion of "Facts" ​The essay suggests that "facts" are not obstacles but mirrors. When Neville says "facts are the creations of imagining," he is suggesting that our dominant thoughts, feelings, and mental images eventually "harden into fact" in the physical world. Therefore, looking at a current "fact" and feeling defeated by it is like looking at a photograph you don't like and blaming the paper. The "negative" was created in the darkroom of the mind long before it appeared in the physical world. ​The Power of Revision ​The most empowering—and perhaps most difficult—part of this quote is the bridge to fulfillment: "If man changes his imagining, he will change the facts." This implies that we are not victims of circumstance, but architects of it. By consciously withdrawing our attention from the "evidence of the senses" (the current problem) and focusing entirely on the "fulfillment of the dream" (the desired end), we initiate a change in our external reality. ​In this view, the only thing "standing between" a person and their dream is their own insistence on believing that the current physical facts are more real than their internal vision. ​Reflective Questions ​These questions are designed to help you examine where your "facts" might be limiting your potential:

A memory with my niece. She was brave, kind, pure and now she's gone. Thank you all for your prayers. I appreciate you all. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1376619546897044/?mibextid=9drbnH