Suffering and pain
Suffering and pain is not unique to an individual. It is something that we all experience in our lifetime. It is the means by which we can choose to learn and grow. The old cliché, “growing pains” actually has a lot of meaning when it comes to our mental, physical, and spiritual health. Sometimes we go through painful situations that lead to tremendous growth in all dimensions of our health.
I memorialized my suffering and pain. I gave myself a trophy for the most suffered. I set it up on the mantle and looked at it everyday. I had convinced myself that I, and only I, had suffered like this. I had been the victim of pain and suffering that no one else would or could understand. I held onto my suffering and pain. I held onto the pain of my relationship break-ups, the death of my mother, my diagnosis, the death of my pets and anything I could hold onto to stay in the victim role.
Once I realized that all suffering and pain comes into our lives to teach us a lesson, I was able to start thinking about it differently. Once I realized that we all suffer, I was able to stop making my pain special. I would not be who I am today, or where I am today, without the experience of the suffering and pain I’ve endured in my life. For that, I must be grateful. Being grateful for the suffering and pain allowed me to see it from a different perspective. Asking myself, what do I need to learn from this painful experience led me down the path of self-awareness and self-healing. For me, each situation of pain and suffering has turned out to be a lesson in being humble and an opportunity to deepen in wisdom.
According to the bible when Jesus was crucified and placed in the tomb, he stayed there for 3 days. The enlightening moment for me was when he decided to come out of the tomb and head toward the resurrection. We have a choice. We can stay in the tomb or we can come out and make our way toward resurrecting ourselves and bringing self-healing. It’s easy to stay buried in the tomb of our pain and suffering. We can feel trapped there with no way out but we must understand that it is our choice. When we come out of that tomb, we can either choose to head toward the resurrection or back to the crucifixion. Tomb time is necessary and part of the process but we must not stay there.
I hope you will come out of the tomb today and start the process of self-healing. Know that you are special. Know that you are enough. Know that you are divinity and that the one source that created us all, lives in you. Know that you are love and that you are loved.
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