If you knew that the pain you are going through was going to become your greatest learning and would set you free if you could just be with it, would that make it easier? Ok then.
Somewhere along the line, our culture decided we should do anything we could to avoid pain. Take a look at the pharmaceutical industry, for example. Got a headache? Take an aspirin.
What if that headache had some information to offer you about something you are ignoring or unwilling to be with? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a back pain that disappeared as soon as I sat with my grief around something I hadn’t taken the time to feel.
Our bodies are trying to communicate with us at all times. If we could just listen, we could increase our range, our resiliency. Being with the pain instead of pushing it away can be so transformative.
If we keep pushing down the feelings that pain brings up, life will continue to present us with situations to get our attention — and it will get louder and louder until we listen.
This is your reminder that the next time you are confronted with someone who is triggering an old wound, or your body is screaming at you, I would encourage you to invite it to help you know yourself on a deeper level emotionally rather than ignoring it. It’s all connected.
Enjoy the process. I promise it gets easier and easier, the more you do it. The idea of pain is far more scary than actually feeling it.
