Tag Archives: Pain

Cut and Paste

20 Jan

Life brings us all kinds of experiences.  Whether they are good or bad depends on what’s happening and where we are.  We learn something new with everything we experience and decide as we move forward what we’ll take with us.  We don’t have to carry everything along as we go and can cut the things we don’t want.  If we experience something that won’t benefit us we can simply leave it behind.  However, if we learn something that helps us get to our goals we can hold onto it and incorporate it going forward. The trick is to accurately discern between the two.  Sometimes there may be things we’ll want to forget, especially if there are moments we don’t feel we did our best, but there will be other things we learned that strengthen us and give us additional courage.  We can hold onto new behaviors that help us or make us more confident.  As each challenge comes and goes, if we’re careful and pay attention, we will find things to take with us that enrich us and deepen our understanding.  Life is a great educator.  There really isn’t anything we’ll go through that won’t teach us something and no matter how much we’ve learned, there will always be more waiting for us.  Learning to cut and paste the things we experience will help us get the most out of each lesson and move us forward more effectively.  We are capable of changing and learning many things and as we travel through our journey can find our way to where we most want to be.

Some experiences stick to us because of their intensity or difficulty.  If the experience was very painful, even after it changes we may have trouble letting go and moving on. If the process created a permanent change in our lives or our relationships have been affected, we may grieve for what has been lost and it may be difficult to find our footing again.  If we’ve been hurt deeply we may need time to heal.  Even very good changes that are intense may take time to adjust to but we have everything we need to manage our lives well and no matter what happens we’ll find our way.

Life changes constantly and no matter how we may want things to stay the same, everything will eventually change.  If we are attached to keeping our lives in stasis, if we are intimidated by the process of change or are afraid of what the changes will bring, we may struggle to let go.  But we can cut what is no longer useful.  We can leave the baggage behind that we don’t need to carry.  We can let go of anything that is holding us back.  There is a long road ahead filled with promise and expectation and we can walk forward unencumbered by pain from the past.

Today if you’ve experienced something that has changed you in some way and you feel different than before, move forward with confidence.  You can let go of the things you no longer need, hold onto to what is helpful, and find success.  You’ve learned so much already and you know where you want to go.  You are courageous and wise enough to create a brilliant future filled with happiness.

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Topping Off

25 Oct

Sometimes when someone offers us something delicious to drink we want a full glass and ask them to top it off. We want them to go all the way to the rim to get the most out of the experience. It’s great to get a full measure of something we really enjoy. Each drop is delightful and having a full glass is pleasing. But there are other times when things aren’t going well and we feel overwhelmed. When we don’t think we can handle any more complications and something else goes wrong we may feel like we’re tapped out. Topping off our glass of misery isn’t where we want to be. We may think we can’t handle any more problems and are at the point of breaking. However, no matter how hard the challenge we’re facing becomes or how many disappointments we must endure we have reserves equal to our needs. Even if we feel we have nothing left and are pressed further we will find the courage and strength to get through. We are really much stronger than we think we are. Hard times come to us all and even when we don’t think we can face them, we march through them. And as we overcome each obstacle and carry the heavy weight of endurance we become stronger and learn more about ourselves.

Serious disappointments, extreme loss, and acute sorrow are difficult burdens to bear. We may be stunned by the situations we must face and feel there is no way we can survive them. At the beginning of an extremely difficult challenge we may be sure it will overcome us and have no idea how to navigate through it. But as we take each step forward, moment by moment, we will find our way and gain more strength to face the problem. Desperation may fill our minds from time to time but we can calm it by reaching for the reserves of courage deep within us. There really is nothing too difficult for us to overcome and time is on our side. We can face any problem step by step and unravel our way back to peace of mind.

The old saying, “No pain, no gain” is often true. Resistance brings strength. Each time we face and overcome something difficult we become stronger. Although we don’t look forward to facing hard times and nobody wants to suffer, the pressure it takes to overcome difficult challenges is what clarifies our strengths and defines our courage. We are capable of facing anything that comes to us. We can reach deep inside ourselves and find all the determination and fortitude we need to overcome any problem we must face. There is nothing too difficult for us and we can be successful in every challenge.

Today if you’re facing something very hard and feel you can’t manage it, you can. You are much stronger and more capable than you imagine. You have everything you need to face whatever comes. You are invincible and powerful. Reach deep for the courage you need. Walk forward and look ahead. Success is waiting for you.

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Today

26 Mar

Every day we live we have the chance to do anything we want to do. Every day brings with it the promise of happiness. Even if today doesn’t not turn out to be the best day of our lives, it is the only day we have. Yesterday is gone and will never return, and tomorrow is out of our control. All we have is today. We can decide how we’ll live it, what we’ll do, where we’ll go, and what we’ll learn. If we make the most of it, today may bring untold blessings and countless benefits. If we squander it just going through the motions it will pass, and nothing will be gained. We cannot stop the march of time. We can’t make it last longer or slow down. We can only navigate it as it comes and do our best to make the most of it. It’s easy to close our eyes and drift through the hours, mindless of what we’re doing and oblivious of what’s available. But our chance to live right now is fleeting, and the hours will be wasted if we don’t pay attention and live wide awake.

Today is a good day to start. If we’ve been thinking about something we want to do, somewhere we want to go, or someone we want to see, today is the perfect day to begin. We can take the first step on a new journey, or begin the plans we’ve been making and putting off. Sometimes just taking the first step is the hardest but once we’ve set our foot in the direction we want to go we can be off and running. Every dream is a possibility. Every goal is achievable, and today is a good time to start making them happen. We can set time aside and really begin to move in the direction we want to go. We can reorganize our priorities to make sure we continue moving forward, and we can succeed. If we aren’t quite ready, today is the day to start making a plan. Unrealized goals often bring with them frustration and unhappiness. If we are consciously working toward where we want to be and actively pursuing what we want to gain, we will find contentment even before we reach the goal. When we’re on the road moving forward we will gain the confidence we need to succeed.

If we’ve been grieving or hurting from something in the past, today is a good day to start letting go. No matter how many tears we’ve cried, no matter how many sleepless nights we’ve endured – it’s enough. Maybe we can’t let go of all the hurt but today we could look up and let happiness creep in just a little. Pain sometimes has its own timetable and we can’t rush it, but we can give ourselves a breather. We can take a day off from the worry and sorrow. It will still be there tomorrow if we return to it. But if we’ve had enough, we can choose today to let it go and move forward. Happiness is a gift we give to ourselves. Nobody else can give it to us. We have to decide to take it and make it a reality in our lives. This life flies by in an instant. We can choose to be happy and make the most of each day, and today is the perfect day to start.

Today – if you’ve been wanting to do something and haven’t begun, start. If you’ve been suffering and are ready to move forward, let it go. You are worth more than you know. The world is blessed because you are here, and your presence brings light to us all. Choose today to move forward and be happy. You deserve every happiness. You can have it. Today is the perfect day to get it.

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No End

23 Mar

There are times in all of our lives when something terrible happens and we don’t think we can survive it. It may be the sudden death of a loved one, a crushing professional disappointment, the betrayal of someone close, or other things that are extremely hard to face. Nobody has a blissful, perfect life all the time. Things go wrong and sometimes they go very wrong. When we’re in the throes of these experiences we may feel so overwhelmed we can’t see the end. We can’t imagine how to navigate the situation and we may feel sure it will overcome us. But then a day goes by and we are still here. And then another day goes by, and then another. And as time passes and we find our way through each moment, we get a little stronger, and a little braver. There isn’t anything we can’t face. Even if we are convinced we can’t face it, we can. We are far more resilient than we believe we are, and as strong as we need to be. We don’t have to see the end at the beginning. All we need to do is get through today. We might have to take it one breath at a time, but we will take it, and we will manage. Each moment that passes moves us along a little bit. And bit by bit we will overcome.

There may be times when our decisions bring the walls crashing down around us and if that’s the case, we can accept our role in the disaster. We can learn from it and take all the lessons forward with us. We learn by doing and sometimes that means making mistakes. Even if they hurt deeply, mistakes teach us important lessons. We know more after than we knew before. It’s impossible to go through life without doing some things wrong. This life is all about learning, and even when it hurts, it’s important. We don’t know everything and even if we try to do everything right we’re going to stumble from time to time. We can take ownership of our actions, look at the situation clearly, learn all we can, do what is needed to make things right, and forgive ourselves. The road is long and there is time to correct our course.

If we’ve suffered a terrible blow because of decisions made by others, we may be devastated. Serious hurt takes time to heal. We have to take it as it comes but eventually it will ease and we’ll move forward. We may carry a scar with us, but a scar is just a reminder of where we’ve been, and not an indicator of where we’re going. Day by day, step by step we’ll find happiness again. There are a lot of ups and downs in life. The hard times hurt but they give us a deeper appreciation for the times when things go well. Joy is the absence of sorrow, but to feel true joy, we have to feel true sorrow. Painful days hurt but they carry blessings with them. As we navigate them, those blessings will become part of who we are.  Each blessing takes us closer to the person we most want to be.

Today if you’re going through a difficult time and feel overwhelmed, hang on. You really do have everything you need to succeed. There is nothing too difficult for you. Take it one step at a time. You have so much going for you. You can manage anything. Happiness is just outside the door. Open it. It’s waiting for you.

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Leave and Take

26 Jan

There is a famous line from the movie “The Godfather,” that says, “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” It’s given just after someone has been murdered and the killers are leaving the scene. Evidently it didn’t matter if the gun was found, but the connoli was treasured and not to be left behind. Although we will probably never be in a situation where we’ll use this same phrase in the same way, there will be times after an experience when there’ll be something we’ll want to leave behind, and something we’ll want to take with us. Every experience in life teaches us something. Sometimes the lesson is easy, and sometimes it’s hard and difficult to navigate. When we’ve been through something difficult, something that shakes us and makes us sad, worried or regretful, it helps to think about what we can learn from the experience and take with us. We don’t need to take the pain and disappointment, and can leave that behind. Every lesson we learn gives us something going forward that will shape us into who we become. Since we’re constantly changing, those lessons are continuous. If we learn all we can each time we struggle and take that with us, chances are we won’t have to learn the same lesson again.

Nobody wants to suffer or be in pain. Pain is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong. Physical pain can often be treated by a physician and medication can take the edge off and make it bearable. Emotional pain tells us something is wrong as well, or that we’ve made a mistake. Unfortunately, there is no medicine that will eliminate emotional pain, and generally we must endure it until we find a way around it. Our friends and family may try to comfort us, and sometimes that helps, or we may try to shake it off and let it go, and sometimes that helps too. But when we’re hurting, if the pain is intense, it can be hard to get through and see that it will end. During those times it’s helpful to think about what we can take away from the experience that may help us going forward. There is always something to be learned, and something to be gained when we’ve been hurt.

It seems that life would be so much better if nobody could hurt us or make mistakes that bring us discomfort. But we are human beings and we aren’t perfect. There is no way for us to be perfect and we’re going to falter. We will all hurt ourselves and sometimes we’ll hurt others either intentionally or accidentally because of choices we make. It’s unavoidable. We don’t know everything, we can’t see the future and sometimes even our very best guesses are wrong. Getting hurt is part of life and although it’s uncomfortable and we don’t want it, if we are wise and try to learn everything we can from our experiences and take all we can learn away with us when we go forward, we’ll be in a better position to prevent the same pain from returning. There isn’t anything we can’t handle. If we focus on what we’re learning when we’re managing problems, we will find something positive in the end. And finding something positive in the depths of sorrow will bring us comfort.

Today if you’re going through a hard time and you’re suffering, try to see the situation objectively and find the one good thing you can take away with you. You will leave this trial behind you in time, and all the pain that went with it. Take away the best part – what you learned from the experience. You’ll become wiser and you’ll feel stronger knowing you have gained something new. You can handle anything that comes. You’re strong and capable. Be confident and go forward learning all you can.

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