Pain can be a great teacher

I know this to be true. Some of the people I admire the most have gone through some significant pain. I have realized that how we deal with our pain makes all the difference. If we look for solace in a pill or bottle or other numbing activity, the pain is just buried and ultimately magnified. But if we take the pain to our knees and ask what we can learn from it, we can be schooled from on high and learn to have greater wisdom than we could ever develop from a pain-free life.

This is not to say that we should invite pain and worship it. If I do that then I can be susceptible to becoming a martyr and honestly attract more pain thinking it is the only way to learn. I can learn a lot from joy as well.