#Pain December 28

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If you have ever coached you probably have uttered the phrase “No PAIN-No Gain“. This week I was thinking of all the PAIN that 2020 has delivered. Has there been any gain?

The past year has seen the PAIN from loss of life, work, routine, a business, and social interaction with others. Some have encountered PAIN from well thought out plans having to be altered because of the pandemic. Learning to accept that PAIN may come from a source beyond our abilities to alter it is difficult. Having the pandemic restrict our ability to see family members in failing health is one example.

PAIN can deliver us gifts including memories, self awareness, and reminders about what we truly have control over. How can we unwrap these gifts when we cannot untangle the packaging of PAIN?

First we need to realize that PAIN will cause stress. One gift is to learn how to better cope with the anxiety that PAIN brings. Exercise and mediation are two well know strategies for minimizing stress. Another way to discover the gifts that PAIN attempts to mask is thru gratitude. Gratitude feeds our brain a message that the PAIN is not the only thing. I have also found that gratitude often reminds me of the gifts I have not opened or fully utilized.

The PAIN of 2020 has resulted in me elevating value and importance on having a fulfilling life. It requires an appreciation for simplicity. The simple gifts of faith, family, and friends always provides an effective antidote against PAIN.