There is no growth without change, no change without fear or loss and no loss without pain. – Rick Warren

Have you ever been in so much pain that all you do is lie in bed staring up at the ceiling as tears run down your face, crying out to God (or whoever) for Him to change your circumstances? And then a few minutes later – when the relief and comfort don’t come, you turn over on your side, curling up in the fetal position and really go into the ugly cry – you know, the kind of cry that has tears pouring out of your eyes and snot running out of your nose – all at the same time.  You need two separate tissues just to deal with it.  This is the kind of upset where your mind starts thinking crazy thoughts like wishing that you would just fall asleep and never wake up – until you’re in heaven.  Yep, I’ve been there too.

Pain is pain. Loss is loss.  None of us will go through this life without experiencing pain.  And if you live long enough, you will experience loss and disappointments.  The reason doesn’t matter – pain HURTS!  Whether the pain is physical or emotional we can sometimes find that the challenge to overcome it seems like it is too much for us to bear.  So what do we do when the pain of life feels like it’s too heavy a weight?  Do you try to escape it by running away or finding a distraction?  Some people try to numb the pain through drugs, alcohol, food, sex, shopping, work, you name it.

Well now might be a good time to seek the advice of a professional (therapist).

God doesn’t intend for you to handle all the pain and stress in your life by yourself.  We were wired for each other.  We need each other. – Rick Warren

Maybe we need to have a different perspective on this whole pain thing.

“What if in skipping the pain, I was missing my lessons?” – Glennon Doyle Melton, author

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos in the personal development category.  Two that stuck out for me talked about pain.  We usually want to run and hide from pain, but what if we were to lean into that pain, to go deep inside our mind and look at that pain – can we use that pain to propel us forward?  Time and time again as I watch these videos, I see how people overcame their circumstances and transformed their lives.

You can either break down and stay broken down and shut down, and you can break open, and it’s, it’s a decision you make, it’s a commitment – I’m not going to waste this opportunity to become the best me.  You’re always given these opportunities to either break open into the mystery or to shut down. – Elizabeth Lesser (Co-founder of Omega Institute; Author)

 

“Accept that their actions hurt you deeply. Accept that this experience taught you something you didn’t want to know. Accept that sorrow and strife are part of even a joyful life. Accept that it’s going to take a long time to get that monster out of your chest. Accept that someday what pains you now will surely pain you less.” – Cheryl Strayed, author

Glennon Doyle Melton – How Letting In Pain Can Make You the Person You’re Meant to Be

 

Emotional Mastery: The Gifted Wisdom of Unpleasant Feelings by Dr. Joan Rosenberg

 

Mandy Saligari talks about feelings