We don’t often think of our pain as precious. More often, we see it as something we wish wasn’t a part of our lives. But our emotional and mental pain can become an avenue to greater understanding and deeper living.
There is sanctity to what we feel and how we feel it. Our pain and purpose are ultimately glued at the hip.
When pain is present in our lives, our default is often to try to avoid or numb it. This often takes a lot of effort on our part and can keep us from living our lives fully. Avoiding pain tricks our brain into thinking that if it can’t touch us, it can’t affect us. But as the temporary escape from pain wears off, we often find that more pain is present in our lives. As a result, we inevitably feel increased anger, sadness, despair and confusion and increasing distance in our relationships.
Instead of making our life about making pain go away when it knocks on our door, we can invite it in. This allows us to show up to what is already present. By doing so, we can look more closely at it and find its message.
We can redirect our energy and propel ourselves in a different direction.
This may sound backwards. After all, our strategy to address physical pain is most often to find the source in order to decrease it or make it go away. Finding the source of our emotional pain may require skills and strategies that don’t come to us naturally or automatically. As we utilize the wisdom of those around us, turn to therapy or learn more about ourselves through evidence-based self help books, we learn to give our pain a purpose.
This move toward acceptance allows our pain to be present while also having the space to focus on other things we value and care about.
If you feel you’re ready to confront your challenges and move past your anxiety, I encourage you to find your power and feel free to reach out to set up a consultation.
