Finding Power in Pain

What‌ ‌can‌ ‌pain‌ ‌do‌ ‌for‌ ‌us‌ ‌vs.‌ ‌TO‌ ‌us?‌

Finding our Power in Pain.

We‌ ‌have‌ ‌explored ‌the‌ ‌power‌ ‌of‌ ‌music‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌it‌ ‌helps‌ ‌us‌ ‌navigate‌ ‌our‌ ‌difficult‌ ‌emotions,‌ ‌and now it is time to look at pain. Finding our power when in pain and finding the power of pain.

Push through it! You got this!!

Some of you may be old enough to recognize the expression from the 80’s – “No Pain, No Gain“. Meaning, without a little physical pain you’re not going to get the body transformation that you are seeking.

The process of lifting weights is quite intriguing to me. As you lift you are actually tearing the muscles just slightly. The process is to wait at least a day in between your next session of weight-lifting to allow the muscles time to heal.

When‌ ‌you‌ ‌push‌ ‌through‌ pain ‌and stretch‌ ‌yourself‌ ‌out‌ ‌of‌ ‌your‌ ‌comfort‌ ‌zone‌ ‌the‌ ‌pain‌ ‌becomes ‌an‌ ‌opportunity‌ ‌to‌ ‌grow‌ an opportunity for a transformation.

You must push‌ ‌through‌ ‌the‌ ‌muck‌ ‌and‌ ‌allow‌ ‌the‌ ‌good‌ ‌inside‌ ‌of‌ ‌you‌ to ‌come‌ ‌out.‌ ‌

And then, allow time to heal.

The Journey

If‌ ‌you’ve‌ ‌been‌ ‌following‌ ‌along‌ ‌since‌ ‌the‌ ‌beginning‌ ‌of‌ ‌my‌ ‌journey‌ ‌to‌ ‌“the‌ ‌best‌ ‌version‌ ‌of‌ ‌me”‌ ‌which‌ ‌has‌ ‌now‌ ‌become‌ ‌our‌ ‌journey ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌best‌ ‌version‌ ‌of‌ ‌us‌; you‌ ‌may‌ ‌recall‌ ‌that‌ ‌I‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌“bad‌ ‌back”.‌

You should know that ‌my‌ ‌reiki ‌specialist‌ ‌does‌ ‌not‌ ‌like‌ ‌it‌ ‌when‌ ‌I‌ ‌refer‌ ‌to‌ ‌any‌ ‌part‌ ‌of‌ ‌my‌ ‌body‌ ‌as‌ ‌“bad”‌ ‌since‌ ‌it‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌only‌ ‌one‌ ‌that‌ ‌I‌ will ‌have.‌ But‌, ‌I‌ ‌slip‌ ‌every‌ ‌now‌ ‌and‌ ‌again‌ and ‌that usually happens ‌while‌ ‌I’m lying ‌flat‌ ‌on‌ ‌my‌ ‌back‌ ‌-‌ ‌literally.‌

My current situation? Sitting‌ ‌is‌ ‌impossible‌, picking items off of the floor is a challenge ‌and‌ ‌walking‌ ‌well,‌ ‌simply‌ ‌put,‌ ‌I‌ ‌just‌ ‌look‌ ‌silly!‌ ‌

Well‌ ‌enough‌ ‌about‌ ‌me‌ ‌-‌ ‌let’s‌ ‌get‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌real‌ ‌topic ‌at‌ ‌hand‌ ‌-‌ ‌finding‌ ‌our power‌ ‌in‌ ‌pain.‌

When‌ ‌we‌ ‌have‌ ‌physical ‌pain‌ ‌it‌ ‌will‌, ‌most‌ ‌often‌, ‌also affect‌ ‌our‌ ‌mental‌ ‌well-being.‌ How‌ ‌can‌ ‌it‌ ‌not?!?

We‌ ‌are‌ ‌stuck.

Stuck‌ ‌indoors,‌ ‌stuck‌ ‌in‌ ‌bed,‌ ‌stuck on the floor or‌ ‌worse‌ ‌stuck‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌hospital.‌

All the while, we feel out of sorts because we are unable to carry out our basic day to day chores and maybe, more importantly, our daily routines.

And for the record, I fully support a visit to “Pity City“, but please, please, do NOT build a house there!

Pain is Personal

Too many are well aware that pain comes at us in many different forms and from all sorts of different angles. And we each have our own tolerance level – pain is very personal.

Sometimes I think that physical pain is “easier” to deal with than mental pain because we are given an end date. Johnnie’s cast comes off on Wednesday, Mary is having her hip operated on Friday and the like.

When we have mental pain such as a loss, we are told that time will heal all wounds. The waiting is agonizing, you can hear the loud tick-tock from the clock on the wall and it feels as if we have been sucked up into a black hole – with this pain we are not given an end date.

And the best part?!? When that physical pain becomes so unbearable the negative gremlins begin to sneak into your mind and bring on feelings of self-doubt and bleakness.

Be Strong

I believe in you.

You feel lost, separated or the pain is literally so excruciating that you just cannot think.

I get that, I really do, but we need to use this pain to our advantage, we cannot let it get the best of us. Use the pain, use this opportunity to stretch ourselves out of our comfort zone, reach deep inside of us and let the good come out.

We need to push through the pain and let that beautiful light shine out into this world.

How? Let’s start with the basics!

We need to create a positive mindset and exercise mind over matter.

Our minds are powerful. Our thoughts are powerful. We have power over our pain. Our positive thoughts have power over negative thoughts.

Determination

A firm or fixed intention to achieve the desired end result.

Merriam-Webster

Motivation

A motivating force, stimulus, or influence

Merriam-Webster

To push through we need to incorporate a driving force of determination along with our motivational tools.

I could feel the heaviness of the gremlin’s feet on my chest and I knew that I needed to snap myself out of it. At first, I really had a tough time of it. Wasn’t it simply easier to just watch TV and sink into my newly created black hole? Sure, but how does that help you?

The decision was made, I wanted out! Sought after positive folks in my social media circle and motivators with Podcasts and YouTube videos. It helped, it wasn’t easy, but it helped.

I started feeling like me again, mentally anyway. My back? Well, we have a ways to go there, no end-date, but each day is a new day.

Find balance.

We cannot take our bodies for granted, we just can’t. And, we cannot take our minds for granted, we just can’t.

Carve out a little time for mental and physical care each and every day.

• Daily meditation – 10 minutes
• Daily stretching – 10 minutes
• Daily walks – 15 minutes

I’m serious and that list is just the bare minimum! If you want, get a little fancy – add yoga, pilates or cross-fit – maybe even prayer, too?

Remember, allow time to heal – take care of your body when it needs it and take care of your mind when it needs, too

OH, and please don’t get all snarky with the “I’m only 30, I don’t need to do that!”

Nonsense – I was 30 once too.

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge

Until next time … Peace and Blessings, Friends!