Nobody likes pain. Yet, experiencing pain is all but guaranteed in life.
Be it the pain of aching muscles, the pain of a broken heart, the pain of loss, or the pain of disappointment, we don’t want to go through with it. But go through it we must.
So, what do we do?
We try to suppress our pain. Hide from it. Mask with other things. With painkillers, with alcohol, with drugs. With sleeping around, with food, video games. Everybody has a different flavor of masking their pain, but in the end, they all achieve the same thing.
You never work through the pain. As a result, you never overcome it.
The longer you keep the pain pushed down, the worse it becomes when it comes bursting out on the surface. Instead of keeping it contained within you, it will spill over and infect everything and everyone around you. You’ve probably seen it happen already.
This is how toxic relationships are born. This is how addicts are created. This is how families are broken apart, health issues are developed, and life purpose is lost.
From pain. Pain is the great catalyst of your problems.
Don’t make the same mistake. In your life, there will always be pain. No matter how happy or put-together your life may be, pain will always creep in. Accidents will happen. People close to you will die. Unexpected things will push you off your path.
Expect it. Prepare for it. So when the time comes, you are ready.
Don’t hide from your pain. Experience it. The only way out of your pain is through it. You need to feel it, as deep as it flows, and allow it to run its course. That is the only way to come through on the other side stronger, not weaker.
You can try putting on a brave face. You can try suppressing your tears and pretending everything is okay. But that’s just it—you’re pretending.
Allow yourself to cry. Allow yourself to break down, to wallow and scream. Allow yourself to feel sad and depressed. Allow yourself to go through all the motions you feel you need to.
However, you need to balance this out.
Don’t just lay in bed all day. Don’t be useless and allow the pain to become your only focus in life. This leads to a dark place that is very hard to come back from.
Go about your daily life. Do the things you need to do. Take care of your responsibilities. Push the pain down during those hours, but later in the day, when you’re alone, allow yourself to let it out.
You are suffering either way. But you can either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.