What do you think of when you hear the word “pain?” Most likely, you feel apprehensive. You envision suffering, heartbreak and loss. We don’t often think of pain as a helpful emotion, but sometimes, it can be. When we experience something tough in life, whether it’s not getting chosen for a promotion or experiencing a divorce, we often turn inside ourselves. It’s easy to feel sad and let pain take over our lives, putting us into a depressed state. But what if instead of falling into a state of sadness or feeling overwhelmed, you decided to view pain in a different way? We often want to skip over feeling pain entirely, choosing instead to work toward joy or a sense of closure. But pain can lead to growth. Pain teaches us powerful lessons about resilience. Pain teaches us that although we can’t control every event in life, we can control our emotional response to any event. Say for instance you’re dealing with a broken heart. On the surface, this is incredibly painful and tough to go through. But take a step back: Through your sadness, you now have an opportunity to reconnect with yourself. What made you feel joy in your last relationship? What things do you wish you could change about your relationship? Take your answers and feel empowered by them. When you feel ready to start dating again, you now know more about what type of partner you’re looking for and more about your relationship ideals. Utilize feelings of sadness and pain in order to create a positive change in your life. Yes, pain is difficult to experience, but if you accept that the feeling is temporary and that you could learn from it, you’ll be able to handle it with much more grace and humility. Decide today to experience pain in a new way. Instead of letting yourself feel like a victim, change your story. Become empowered by feelings of pain and suffering, and turn this sense of loss into renewed energy to learn more about yourself and your relationship to others.
Unleash the Power Within
