I am writing to you today with a pretty intense headache.
And I know exactly why I have it.
I’ve been drinking coffee at 3pm-ish every day since I was 14 (which is when I’m usually getting ready to teach Martial Arts for the rest of the evening).
…But, today, like I do every now and again, I didn’t.
Now, I could have poured a cup or popped a pill to make it go away… but, working through this experience is also a part of the inner work journey.
I want to truly feel what my body feels when it doesn’t get that substance… I want to learn how to receive the pain and keep moving forward… I want to learn how to think with clarity even when there’s a throbbing pulse blanketing the circumference of my head.
I’m not going to cold turkey coffee and I’m not advising you to skip taking substances in your life per se.
I’m simply reminding you that not all pain needs to be erratically avoided. Sometimes it’s the pain we’re so avidly trying to avoid that we need to learn how to lean into before we can (finally) grow what strength is required for our next evolved version.