Feel the Pain

When we won’t accept that our lives will have moments that are hard or painful, we try to get rid of all pain. How is this done? Usually by manufacturing “good feelings.” We eat icecream, spend money, make someone else feel bad, get lost on our phones, or engage in a whole host of other vices that bring us pleasure.

This isn’t always a problem, but sometimes it gets to the point where it is keeping you from where you really want to be.

For example, if I want to save money and every time I look at my bank account I feel hopeless, my brain goes to work to help me feel better. It might be by ignoring my budget and spending money or perhaps by telling myself that ‘once I make more money; all the frustrations will go away.’ In this example, I never take a moment to fully embrace the pain of spending within my means. I never embrace the pain of accepting where I am right now.As soon as I feel any bit of the pain, I quickly go to work to get rid of it. This keeps me feeling these little pieces of goodness, but I never get the whole pie. I never get the ultimate joy of having the bank account balance that I want. This is a problem we don’t need to have.