I hate pain. Who likes pain??
It’s painful for me to go a long time on the Elliptical machine in my gym. The best I can do usually is 10 minutes. The hardest part is when I hit the 8 minute mark and have 2 more minutes left. (For those of you who run 30 minutes at a time, I know what you are thinking :)) I’m building up to it.
For me, there is something about that 8 minute mark - it’s a mental block. It seems like a huge hurdle I have to get my body over. It feels like my body cries out in pain telling me “I can’t do this! I’m done. Stop…. Quit….Enough Already!"
Pain is a signal for the body. It is a warning sign to tell us, “if you keep doing what you are doing, you are going to break something.” We learn as children if you touch the hot stove, you will burn your hand. If you run out in front of a car, you will be killed. Pain is a great protector to keep us in the safety of healthy boundaries.
However, pain can keep us from pushing through to a new level of achievement. It occurred to me recently that part of the process of losing weight is learning to manage pain. When I start eating clean and cut out the destructive habit of snacking at night, my body cries out in pain. I deal with feelings of loss, like I am losing a close friend. I deal with feelings of irritation because I can’t have what I want... when I want it. I deal with feelings of depression because sugary food and starchy food makes me happy. I try to find the diets that are the most tolerable so that I can eliminate the pain of cutting out bad foods; but I have found that there is no diet pill, no work out machine that will eliminate the pain. but I am realizing that pain produces the power to achieve my goals - There is no getting around it.
Pain produces power to achieve your goals.
Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
In life, we deal with painful issues all of the time. Whether it’s diet, exercising, taking a class to improve, putting in hard work that is necessary, relationships…we experience great pain. It’s why we run to food, alchohol, drugs, sex, material things for comfort. We do anything we can to reduce pain in our lives. What we need to understand is that in order to overcome in the tough areas of our live, we must embrace the pain that comes with tackling the tough issues.
Push through the Pain
Are you struggling with an ENDING in your life? You don’t want to admit it, but you need to let go of a relationship, a material possession, a job or title that you cling to - but you are having a tough time letting it die? Death is painful - but death is a necessary part of the cycle of life. You must first allow something to DIE so your NEW LIFE can spring up. Are you willing to let something that you have loved die in it’s natural life cycle so that something new can come to life?
Are you struggling with a FAILURE in your life? You have a weakness that continues to trip you up causing PAIN for you AND for those closest around you.
an Addiction
a Blindspot
a Hot button
These weaknesses cause failure which cause tremendous pain. Why not USE the PAIN to PUSH you to GROW OUT OF THE WEAKNESS. You say “I am weak” - GROW STRONGER! The great thing is, when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ, He lives in you and helps you get stronger!
Are You are paralyzed by FEAR? Does the unknown cause anxiety for you? Let me coach you: don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from moving forward to grasp the dream God has placed before you! Stop asking the “WHAT IFS??” and start declaring the “I WILLs”.
I WILL become the person I dream to be
I WILL begin TODAY with pursuing my dream
I WILL push through the adversity and the pain to reach the higher level that I want to be at
Don’t let fear grip you! Embrace your future.
If you are wondering if you might have to experience pain to achieve the next level, the answer is YES. But pain produces growth in us. The pain is the river you must swim through. Embrace the pain - it is the process that will get you to your destination. Don’t look for the diet pill. Don’t look for someone to pay the price for you.
Get up! Begin! Push! Press! Reach!
I WILL accomplish what I set out to achieve!
