12.1 Meaning-Making in Suffering

12.1 Meaning-Making in Suffering is about learning to ask, “What is this asking of me?” when life hurts. When underdeveloped, people may feel crushed by suffering, see it as meaningless punishment, or disconnect from life. When cultivated, they can hold pain honestly, separate it from automatic negative meanings, and discover significance that can be carried forward into purpose, depth, and connection. Using the Transformational Meaning Cycle — Feel → Name → Ask → Discover → Carry Forward — you’ll practise the anchor phrase: “This pain is not meaningless. It is a signal, a teacher, a doorway.”