Do you let past pain or heartache linger inside of you hoping it will eventually disappear over time?

What would you do if that pain does not fade away?

Will you choose to let it continue to fester within you or will you harness it and use it to become a stronger person?

Take time to think about any pain you still may holding on to from your past. Maybe there is something settled deep down within you that has built a nice, cozy home, living rent-free. It’s now time to find their residence and get it to start working for you.

This quote by Kenji Miyazawa is inspiring because we do not always look at our emotional pain as positive catalyst for personal growth in our lives.  On the contrary, that very pain can launch you in to the next level of your own evolution as an individual.

Imagine going to the gym. After a hard workout, and in the days following, you experience physical pain and soreness. Your muscles have been broken down, and although it may not be a comfortable feeling, you welcome it. You accept it because you know that is part of the process for your muscles to grow and get stronger.

However, we often do not view emotional pain in the same manner.  Emotional pain can be like that unwelcomed guest, who doesn’t want to leave after the dinner party is over and everyone else has gone.

Not only did that emotional pain never receive an invite, we certainly resist wanting to accept it.  We constantly wrestle with it like two WWE fighters in one of those steel cage death matches. Although we are the ones to either get repeatedly smashed and bloodied up against that cold, raw steel cage or pinned down in to submission.

That wrestling match goes on for days…

Weeks.

Months.

And, sometimes, even years.

What if instead of constantly going to war with that emotional pain, we embrace it?

We choose accept it with open arms. Harness it. Turn it in to an energy source. Use it as that fuel to become a stronger, more resilient person.

For me, I was not actively embracing my pain. I let it slowly simmer over the years. I played the longest game of hide-and-seek and my pain was either a master at hiding or I just wasn’t going out of my way to find it.

Over time, the accumulation of life’s little disappointments, personal failures, and sour relationships built up. Enough that when I acknowledged it was time to embrace my pain, my fuel tank had been topped off, and I took off like a rocket ship.

When I embraced my pain instead of avoiding it, I took accountability of my life and my actions. I was able to see exactly what it was that I had been trying to bury for so long and why it came to be. To experience those feelings fully and completely, I allowed myself to learn from it.

I cleared the debris from my path and was able to start moving forward in my life.

I’m still a work in progress. Life is a journey. I’ve managed, however, to now embrace my pain with love instead or war.

It’s not always easy to do, especially in the moment, but being more aware will let you accept it before you get a chance to take out the shovel and start digging that hole inside you with hopes of hiding it away.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been holding on to some sort of mental turmoil for a while or if you recently experienced it.

You can choose to embrace it now and start using it to your advantage.

Don’t allow your past pain or heartache to hold you down anymore.

Now it’s your turn.

How does this quote inspire you?

Tell me about some pain or heartache, you either experienced or are still battling with, that you can now use to ignite that spark to begin your personal growth.

Don’t be afraid to embrace it. Yes, it will hurt but, trust me, it will be worth it.

Contact me or share your thoughts below in the Comments section.

Let’s get the discussion going.

Remember, you are not alone on this journey. Together we can become stronger individuals.

Educate. Engage. Evolve.