Navigating
Pain is an inevitable part of life. It comes in many different forms and dictates the paths that we take in life. Pain is something we can’t escape and it’s something that can reside within us for eternity, but only if we allow it.
For me, pain has come in the form of self-criticism, grief, failure, loss and so much more. Pain has been a force in my life that has propelled me into experiences that I never thought would happen. It’s taught me to confront myself and how to heal. It has also humbled me beyond belief. Dealing with painful situations sucks, let’s just keep it real.
As we are in the moment and experiencing hardships, it’s difficult to see past the pain. It’s all encompassing and suffocating. You can feel a literal weight on your chest and body as the pain sinks into every bone in your body. Sometimes a million thoughts will flood through your head and other times there is not a single word that comes to mind.
From my experience, the worst thing you can do with the pain is ignore it and push it down. I’ve seen what ignorance and blindness to pain can do to someone’s life. You begin to lose your connection and meaning to life when you disconnect from the pain. The more you numb yourself to what is coming up in your life, the farther away you move from yourself. Anytime I have felt emotional pain in my life, I allowed it to consume me. I made sure to feel every part of it and understand it.
Pain is actually what triggered my spiritual awakening. The first glimmer of my awakening occurred when I experienced the loss and death of people very close to me. Over the course of two years, I experienced tumultuous change in my life. Foundations that I thought were meant for me began to crumble. People, places and things that were not meant for my life, started to fall away. I felt so much pain during this time because I identified so strongly with these facades. It stirred up so many emotions within me. It triggered a new way of looking at life and how I was living my life. The pain made me realize how precious life truly is and made me question the path that I was on. To this very day it still makes me emotional to think about because I’ve come so far.
The most important thing to remember when navigating pain is that it is temporary. The hurt and sadness doesn’t last forever. The more you try to understand it and heal it, the quicker it goes away. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Everyone handles pain differently and there is no right or wrong way. It is about healing in a way that is healthy for you. During your healing process you might encounter people who try to criticize you or tell you how to heal. Pay them no mind and allow them to continue on their own journey. Don’t feel obligated to do or say things that you feel will keep people in your life while you are trying to heal.
Navigating pain is on your terms and the people who are meant to be in your life will always respect and honor your healing. Pain is where you start to rebuild your life, belief systems and habits.