Hands up if you’ve never experienced pain in your life! Well, yeah, mine isn’t up either.
We all experience pain in life, whether it’s physical or emotional.
Pain can be a difficult emotion to process and many of us have been taught certain beliefs about how we should handle painful experiences. But after reflecting on my own journey with pain, I realize that some of these beliefs have become limiting for me, keeping me small, scared and sometimes feeling paralyzed, unable to grow into the person I desire to be.
So, here are five things I no longer believe about painful experiences:
Pain is always a negative experience
We often associate pain with failure and bad experiences, but I’ve come to realize that it can be an opportunity for growth. It has the potential to bring you closer to you purpose in life and make you stronger than you were before. Instead of looking at your painful experiences, turn these times in your life into a question and the possibility to rise from them. Allow yourself to see these times as a new beginning, a road to transformation, a second chance or a sign that this is the time to make a completely new decision.
Avoiding pain will keep you safe
While it’s natural to try to protect ourselves from hurt, avoiding it won’t make things better. Isn’t it better to go out into the feel, have adventures, love, fail, get back up and try again, instead of sitting at home, worrying about what the big, bad world out there will do to you? THAT sounds pretty painful to me and will lead to even more suffering while what you want is to live your life to the full!
It should be suppressed or forgotten
Of course, pain can be a difficult road to navigate and often times we try to ignore it, push it away, or even pretend it doesn’t exist. But it can also serve as messenger and an invitation for us to explore our inner landscape and make changes where needed. When we allow ourselves to feel it, we can often gain valuable insights about ourselves and our life.
So, instead of pushing your pain away, invite it into a conversion: What does it want to tell you? How does it try to serve you? Where does it come from and how can it help you reach the next version of your best self?
It should be kept private
Pain is very personal and it can be difficult to open up about it, but it is also essential for growth. Keeping it to yourself can prevent you from fully understanding your experiences, and you may even begin to feel ashamed of your feelings. I’ve been there, trust me. But pain is never ever ever something to be ashamed about as it is part of the human experience.
And even if you think that, well, yeah, but my pain shameful because of XYZ… don’t! Just don’t. Comparing your circumstances, your pain and life to that of other’s will leave you coming up short. You deserve to open up about it in whatever shape and form you desire.
Pain will never leave
You may think that the pain you experience today will remain with you forever, but this isn’t necessarily true. By taking the time to process and heal, you can eventually move beyond the pain and towards a brighter future.
It may take time to challenge your beliefs about painful experiences, but it’s important to do so if you want to create positive change in your life. By recognizing that hurtful experiences don’t have to be an obstacle, but rather an opportunity for growth, you can explore you full potential and achieve your big-ass goals.
So don’t be afraid to challenge what you’ve been taught about pain – it could lead to some amazing discoveries!
