Strategies for Finding Hope in your Pain
When we are confronted with a difficult situation, we are prone to concentrating on discomfort and suffering. Pain serves as an early warning system when something is amiss. While suffering refers to the time period during which we are experiencing the impacts of the discomfort. Uncertainty over the length of our suffering is what causes us to lose sight of hope or the light at the end of the tunnel.
My own personal experience with domestic violence, sorrow, and various forms of trauma has taught me that... In my experience, the most significant thing I've learned is to accept and embrace pain as a learning opportunity that can help me grow and expand. Everyone experiences some level of suffering at some point in their lives.
Follow these six steps to get started:
Write down what is causing you discomfort so that you may begin to acknowledge it.
Create an environment that is conducive to your well-being.
Make an investment in yourself.
Take it easy on yourself and be nice to yourself while you go through this process.
Be upfront and honest with yourself about the pain and hurt you're going through.
Make a concerted effort to keep your attention on your Why and Who you are.
Here's how I used these techniques to get through a particularly difficult period in my life... When I was 22 years old and going through cancer treatment, I was terrified of dying and not being able to witness my daughter grow up in front of me. Everyone around me seemed to think I was crazy since no one could comprehend the physical and emotional anguish I was experiencing. So I started writing in my diary each week that I went to Chemotherapy to help me express my feelings and to have a safe place to jot down my thoughts and feelings without fear of being judged. Writing provided me with a safe haven where I could be myself with my thoughts and words, allowing me to escape the suffering I was experiencing psychologically and emotionally. It was difficult at times to have a cheerful attitude in the middle of so much suffering and upheaval.
The only way I could lean on people who could lift me up and allow me to express myself freely without condemning me or making me feel terrible was to establish a safe and happy atmosphere for myself. When I first started my healing path, I didn't realize how important it was to invest in myself, whether it was through reading, writing, going to a spa, or simply watching a good movie. This period of introspection was important for me to actually dive deep within myself and find a balance between my anguish and my life's mission. When I was on my healing journey, there were times when I got irritated with myself and with the process. I was seeking short remedies to heal myself by avoiding dealing with my pain and instead of dressing it up as if everything was fine and nothing was wrong. I was looking for quick fixes to heal myself by avoiding dealing with my pain and instead of dressing it up as if nothing was wrong.
While I attempted to convince myself that what I was experiencing and the feeling was common and normal, the truth is that I was depriving myself of the opportunity to fully recover from my experience. I had to take a step back and be very honest with myself about what I was going through and what I had experienced, which included grieving. The fact that I was diagnosed with cancer and questioned "Why Me" was my reality, and it was good for me to be in that space. However, I needed to be honest about what was hurting me and why it was hurting me in order to make a conscious effort to start healing. In doing so, I will be able to unlock my purpose, which will then allow me to produce my Why. Although I couldn't see my purpose in my suffering, it was there; I simply needed to give myself time to see it and allow myself to heal in order to be able to deal with the pain one step at a time.