One of the underlying messages from yesterday’s post was, “pain is temporary, but the strength you gain is everlasting.”
…That is, if you lean into the pain appropriately.
The idea isn’t to be masochistic.
The idea is to do hard things… to not fear what’s difficult or what comes with some risk… and to learn how to deal with and move through painful things when they occur.
Because the bottom line is that life is painful. But if you can learn how to confront the pain head-on… you gain a strength that makes your later life easier. But if you avoid the pain… or numb the pain… or exacerbate the pain… then you lose strength which will make your later life harder.
Had I chosen to not play basketball at all (because it’s ‘too risky’)… I would’ve lost the immense health benefits (and strength) that came with 3-5 hours of intense cardio and coordination training each week. My ankles are actually significantly stronger as a result of basketball vs where they’d be if I opted out of playing altogether.
And 3-5 hours of exercise pain faced head on give me at least 10x that in feeling good, accomplished, and strong in my life thereafter. Versus skipping, which might’ve given me 3-5 hours of no pain… but then at least 10x that of feeling bad, lethargic, and weak in my life thereafter.
Like I said, life is painful.
The inner work question is… will you flex your courage muscles to face it head on?