To suffer is to be human, but this is a tricky question which might provoke an immediate "No!" for some or most people. Resisting or avoiding pain is understandable and perfectly natural!
However, it's something I can explore with Baruch Zeichner who describes his life as a growth journey. After gaining a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from college in New Hampshire, US, Baruch began his own practice and teaching. A part time job as a DJ on local radio sparked his lifelong passion for broadcasting and lead to the creation of his podcast/radio show Paradigms - "inspired by the recognition that humans need to know there are things that are working, that there are possibilities".
But then the unthinkable happened.
He received a call informing him that his mother had died, but what is more, she had met a violent death. Although not a stranger to loss during his life - his father died when he was young and later on he lost a close friend - her murder shook him to the core. It proved a profound turning point which propelled him into extensive travelling around the world, soul-searching deeply along the way. The long (ongoing) healing journey found him working as a volunteer counsellor in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as teaching in Israel and around Europe.
So, going back to the question, can suffering be a catalyst for positive personal growth? Baruch says yes and explains why.
Find Baruch: www.paradigms.life