The man of renunciation, intelligent and with doubts dispelled, does not hate that which is disagreeable neither is he attached to that which is agreeable.
Bhagavad Gita 18:10
People of today regard suffering as a negative quality and look to happiness as a positive force. Yet surely by taking a closer look we can see that life must be seen as a whole and not in segments which are created by the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell.
Suffering comes to us to turn our thoughts and actions towards higher consciousness and away from the pleasure-seeking ego which can never be satisfied.
Why is this so? It's because within us all is the spark of divinity which, once realized, fulfils all our innermost desires for wholeness. Yet the more we pursue happiness from the ego centre, the more we suffer for we are being drawn outward from our inner self. We are accumulating inhibitions, complexes and neuroses which take us further and further away from inner peace.
Become aware of the functioning of the mind and watch it as you would a movie. Realize that our sufferings are the stepping stones to inner growth and evolution, to the source from whence we came.
Develop detachment, and suffering will become the manure of life, making you grow strong and sturdy, and enabling you to strive ever forwards.