The Purpose of Pain

Pain is not a punishment. 

It is a symptom of choosing to stay where we do not belong. It is a (usually unwelcome) reminder that we are not in control. 

If something brings pain, I believe our focus is being redirected.

We found ourselves on the wrong path, and this is the electric shock to get us back on the right one. Like bumper lanes in bowling. 

However, we rarely take pain for the call to action that it is. We tend to live our lives under the premise that we decide for ourselves what is good for us, and what we need. So why would we need to adjust course? 

Even when we know we need change, sometimes we intentionally stay in pain to allow ourselves to act undisciplined and avoid growth. We fall into victimhood, thinking pain occurs because we are cursed, and we act out in rebellion like a child throwing a tantrum. We throw our morals to the wind, reacting without careful thought. We hurt other people and ourselves. 

When we focus on the pain itself, we create more pain. And yet, this is largely normalized in society. 

Pain is not heeded as a direction, it is thought to be something we must accept and “push through.” Therefore, the better we are at hiding the pain, the more pain we take on until we break. Drug addicts often receive help quickly, because they act obviously erratic. However most people experience tremendous pain and are able to carry on with their normal life as if it weren’t so. This prevents us from addressing the pain, and so the pain gets worse. 

We are not meant to live in perpetual pain, because that achieves nothing. We know the pain cannot be ignored, either. 

So, it’s clear that the feeling of pain is something to be immediately addressed. 

The Window to Joy

Understanding the pain should become a main priority. But understanding will not lessen the pain. We must process it. If we do not find the path, the pain will increase until we do. In this way, pain lingers. 

Pain’s purpose then, must be to motivate us to find the solution. I’m not sure we would listen to it if it wasn’t as unbearable as it is -  it is meant to bring us to our knees. It forces us to ask for guidance, to ask for help in finding the answer that resolves our pain - admitting we do not know this ourselves. This also means, however, that there must be a specific answer. 

This would confirm that we do, indeed, have a destiny. We must submit to the pain, give up any perceived control, and allow the redirection to manifest within our lives as it is laid out for us. 

You are called to do something. You are not here merely to sit back and have beauty thrown at you. You are part of the concert. You must play your part. And it is in doing so that you find happiness. 

Pain is an opportunity to find out who you really are. It’s a crack in the facade. The biggest opportunities for growth and expansion come in times of complete tragedy. 

Pain then, must merely be a window to joy. As long as we choose to draw the blinds.