Pain & The Gain

What do we do with ourselves once we are in painful situations? Who knows? I have something you can try.

There’s pain and heartbreak everywhere. There’s uncertainty. Things we never expected to occur end up happening. People who we relied on let us down, make us insanely mad, forget to care for us, refuse to care for us, drive us to a breaking point. It kills us.

Friends and colleagues may become frustrated over an election, poor voter turnout, lack of volunteerism, or party infighting. Division is everywhere. Then, there’s others who are sadly suffering with heartbreak from a significant other who never made it to the altar on the big day. So, so very heart wrenching. Then, we have those who are bored and look for something to absolve them of pain, boredom, idle time, or maybe they simply seek a reaction. How about those who are not social, but must force themselves to be so in order to function and hopefully succeed in this great, big, disappointing world? How about those who do nothing to improve a situation and choose to blame the world’s problems on everything and everyone but themselves?

How do we let life’s devastations impact us? Well, sometimes they are debilitating, whether temporary or permanent. Some of us are sensitive, while others are not. Others may be just so damn good at distracting themselves and numbing the pain, distorting any confusion, and giving uncertainty the finger. Good for those people. I’m not talking about them here. What about the rest of us who are overwhelmed with feelings?

We can turn up the music to our favorite songs, even if it is just to get through a tough moment. Then, Doodle. Scribble. With something sharp and strong. A sharpie marker or a regular colored pencil. Take your pain, anger, frustration, hopelessness, sadness out on that piece of paper. Do it a few times, until you feel better.

You can cry it out. It’s ok. You can grow from your painful place.

Don’t let it get the best of you. Save the best for yourself today, tonight.