I’m learning pain is a valuable teacher. It’s a physical response, alerting me to danger or informing me that something is out of balance. I’ve spent a lot of time with it lately so we’re becoming quite close.
I’ve always known that I’m a practical learner. Applied statistics was my favorite math subject. I never liked proving theories. Just the facts Jack. Give me the formula to solve the problem.
This is why pain works as a lesson for me. It’s direct and straight forward. If something hurts in response to me taking an action, then I should stop that action. It’s logical and linear.
Of course everything is more complicated in practice.
First, I must accept pain as my teacher.
I followed the standard instructions of “managing” my pain to make it go away. Treating pain as a problem has only layered more pain on top of pain.
Lesson learned, pain is not a problem. I respect pain now. I’m even comforted by it.
What will happen when I treat pain like a mentor?
Today I’m deciding to live with the pain and see what it has to teach me. Teachers have had great influence on my life in the past. I learn more when I settle in, read the syllabus, attend class, and do the work.
I’m taking it pass/fail. There’s really no in between.
