Pain Holds Invitations

Pain often comes before change. For example, we may find ourselves out of breath after an activity we once did well, and feel low for having let our fitness slip. We may dread going into the office and well up with frustration for having become stagnant in our careers. We may suffer in a relationship that was supposed to be loving yet feels anything but that. What does the low feeling, the dread and frustration, the suffering have to say to us? It’s time to make a change. 

Rather than bury the pain in perpetual business or indulgences or avoidance, let’s face it just for a moment. Maybe the change it beckons comes in small steps — a commitment to take a walk in the neighborhood, updating a resume, or reaching out for support from a friend. The important part is that we listen to the pain. We honor the message it is trying to deliver. We appreciate the flag it raises in an effort to bring us back into balance. 

Let’s take an inventory of our pain and welcome the invitations it holds for us. Let’s be brave enough to look at it, knowing it won’t be fixed all at once… yet realizing if we never dare to address it we’ll be choosing to stay stuck or, even worse, we'll be inviting it to come back stronger. 

We can value the role pain plays in getting our attention and make one simple move at a time to improve our situations today. 

May you be inspired!

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