Pain is...

This is a happy time of the year for most, but there are those who sadness engulfs them and emotional pain overwhelm them. If a person is in physical pain, there are medications that they can take that allow them to minimize the pain. But many who are in emotional pain, do not want to or do not know how to minimize their pain. The pain cannot be denied, physical or emotional pain is real, but many will  deny the emotional or physical pain by trying to gloss over it, 

"turn that frown upside down"

"hat doesn't kill us makes us stronger"

"look on the bright side"

"the sun will come out tomorrow"

At this time of year, everyone appears to be in positive spirits, those in pain may convince themselves that we don't want to hear about their struggles, which is not true. So social media posts are light and funny and serve to mask the pain.

If you are in pain don't try to push through the pain quickly, because that just leads to repressing the pain and that just causes a world of other problems. I want you to feel the pain so that you can learn from and can heal from it. Not just take an aspirin and throw a band-aid on it. I know that there are gifts inside of pain. You just need to allow yourself to feel the pain whenever it naturally comes up.

But there's a danger to this approach.  I know that we can easily fall into the abyss of pain and suffering and allow the "poor me" version of self to take over and run the show.  And when "poor me" takes over then that "melodrama me" isn't far behind. And then things just get really messy!

My challenge to you is to feel the pain when it shows up but remain grounded.  To look past the surface hurt and see what lies beneath. To find the gifts. Ask yourself what is there in me that is really trying to speak right now?  That's the voice you need to hear. That's the gift you have for yourself.