We go through experiences that are sometimes difficult and painful. When we are in the situation, the burden feels too heavy to handle, and yet when we look back and review our life, we will realise that in most cases we may have come out stronger. Pain has a way of touching our core, and in the process opening up something in us which often leads to a better future.

Our pain forces us to reflect on why we feel it. It makes us go deeper into aspects of ourselves and relationships we may not have been aware of. Pain makes us realise how much we care.

Sometimes we may well be partly responsible for the situation we find ourselves in, and the pain we feel. Our pain forces us to review our own actions and behaviour, bringing to our conscious awareness the changes we need to bring about. Pain helps us make amends and change ourselves to prevent making similar mistakes in the future.

While it lasts, pain eclipses our joy. And through the pain, even though we can see that we may have much in life, we are unable to derive the happiness we otherwise had. Pain makes us realise what is really important and what we need to truly protect.

Pain makes us look at our life from a distance and we often start realising and seeing things we may have completely missed out and may have been blind to. Pain gives us perspective.

And when we allow the emotion of pain to pass, and we pick up our lives with a clear mind, most times we come out stronger, a bit wiser, and even though we may not realise it, we come out knowing ourselves better. Like a chrysalis that struggles, but turns into a beautiful butterfly, we too grow through our pain. Pain transforms us.

But if we don’t deal with our pain correctly, it can leave us bitter. It is not the pain, but how we handle it and grow from it that matters. And we will only be able to find the strength, resilience, and optimism to go through our pain if we remind ourselves of a simple fact – our pain is an opportunity to open up something within, and after the pain there’s always hope.

(Picture – Installation at Yaletown, Vancouver)