Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You

One minute everything is smooth sailing, and the next minute, you are neck-deep in hardships that make you question everything- that is life. I have been there, and if you are reading this, the chances are you have probably been there too. However, the thing is: even though it doesn’t feel like it now, someday the pain will be useful to you.

Pain as a teacher

For the most part, we are wired to avoid it at all costs because pain, whether it is physical, emotional, or even spiritual, feels like the ultimate enemy. However, when I look back on my life, I realize that some of my most painful experiences turned out to be the ones that taught me the most.

Of course, it was hard then to see that anything good could come from them, but with time, I see that pain had shaped me in ways comfort never could.

“Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor.” — FDR

This is one quote I love from the 32nd president, who led the country through the Great Depression and WWII, that rings true for life. Pain conditions us to navigate through rough waters of life and it makes us stronger and more capable of facing whatever comes next.

Hanging in there when things go south

When you are in pain, you want it to end immediately. Who wouldn’t? However, I can tell you that one of the hardest lessons I have learned is that rushing through pain doesn’t help the way you think it would, and it can actually prolong your pain. Patience is the key.

When I was going through a particularly rough patch in my career when things were not going the way I wanted them to, it seemed every step forward was followed by two steps back. Naturally, I was frustrated and at times even ready to throw in the towel.

Luckily, I didn’t and over time I came to realize that the lessons I was actually learning from the setbacks were far more valuable than any lessons success would have taught me at that point. Remember, patience is the key and trust that this too will pass.

What doesn’t kill you makes you tougher

When I say tough I don’t mean invincible, I mean, for lack of a better word, durable. Life will knock you down there is no doubt about that but your getting back up every time is all that matters. I have had my fair share of knocks, and there have been numerous times I felt like I couldn’t get up again, but I did, and so will you.

Toughness doesn’t mean you are unemotional either and you are free to acknowledge that you are going through hard times, but will come out the other side stronger.

If you have ever faced a major health scare like I did a few months ago, you would understand when I say it felt like the end of the world. Today, I see that experience made me tougher mentally: it gave me a new appreciation for life, for my health and, most importantly, for the people I have around me. I don’t think i would be who I am today without that challenge.

“I have had my fair share of knocks, and there have been numerous times I felt like I couldn’t get up again, but I did, and so will you.”

The lessons we should gain from pain

Personally experiencing hard times should make you more compassionate toward others. When you have experienced pain, you can recognize it in others and offer them genuine support.
Pain builds toughness like nothing else, that is, the ability to bounce back, to adapt, and keep moving forward when our lives don’t go as we hoped.
When you are in pain, you feel like it is going to last forever, but it doesn’t and once you make it through, you will realize how strong you actually are and how capable you are of handling future challenges.
Nothing makes us appreciate the good times like going through the bad times and so everything should come into perspective, making you thankful for even the smallest blessings in life.

“Today, I see that experience made me tougher mentally: it gave me a new appreciation for life, for my health and, most importantly, for the people I have around me.”

The bottom line is, whatever you may be going through right now, is not for nothing. It is shaping you and preparing you for something greater. I know, of course, it may not always feel that way at the time, but trust me someday this pain will be useful to you.

Maybe you will be able to help someone else going through a similar struggle, maybe you will look back and see how much stronger you have become, or maybe, just maybe, this pain is the very thing that will lead you to your next breakthrough.

So, be patient. Be tough. Trust that this too will pass, and when it does, you will be a better version of you.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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