For years folks have believed that if there’s no pain then there will be no gain…..that the only way to get fit and healthy is to experience physical pain…….that the only way to grow emotionally is through painful experiences and heartbreak. Well, for me, that perspective is all NONSENSE! Growth and change can occur without pain, maybe not always, but certainly often.
Personally, I detest working out in a gym. Exercising with weights and doing repetitive motions bores the tears out of me. Plus, every time I do it I am in pain physically to a certain degree. Why would I want to continue to engage in behavior that causes me pain? I want to be Happy, Joyous and Free! If something fills me with joy, sings to my soul and lights me up, then I’m going to want to do it more. If something causes me pain and heartbreak, then I’m going to want to avoid it like the plague. It’s pretty simple.
Life is full of choices. We have the freedom of choice in most of what we think, say and do here in the great United States of America. Today, I choose to be happy and pain free. That is why I walk my dogs, dance, or hike for exercise. These activities bring me peace and joy and happiness. They are certainly not painful. Yet they bring about great change in me both physically and spiritually.
Choosing joy over pain extends into our social lives as well. Today I choose to be around people who encourage me and feed my soul. I avoid individuals who are full of negativity, who zap my energy selfishly – folks who judge me, attack me personally, are jealous of me, intimidated by me or dislike me for some reason. Why would I willingly place myself in a position to be harmed when I can just as easily surround myself with people who light up my spirit? Know this, my spirit is nourished and my heart can sing just as much when I’m volunteering at the shelter in Camden, NJ as when I’m having dinner with loving friends and family. It’s all about the energy of the experience – mine and theirs.
I believe we can and do grow more from joy than from pain. Joy opens me up to a new aliveness and new awareness of life’s experiences. It gets me excited to experience more and motivates me to keep searching, keep growing and keep learning. I truly love meeting new people and interacting with folks from all walks of life. Those experiences allow me to fulfill my purpose, which is to be of maximum service to Big G (God, Great Spirit, etc.) and others. It is these types of experiences that truly make my heart sing!
So I challenge you let go of some of the pain and find the joy in your everyday life…..search for that song in your heart and let it roar with joy as you grow in love and happiness!
Be well and be transformed.
Maria
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