Why you should chases your pain
You have so much to gain by facing your pain rather than avoiding it.
Around eight years ago, I put myself through an eight-week, self‑imposed healing boot camp. During that time, I learned powerful emotional skills—some became daily habits, others I reach for in moments of distress. Recently I needed to chase after a pain again, not to indulge it, but to resolve current difficulties and to strengthen my emotional resilience. I am reminded how important it is to put this skill into practice every time a challenge occurs.
Here is the thing…
I’m not talking about masochism—seeking pain for its own sake. That would be pointless and destructive. What I mean is intentionally approaching painful feelings in a way that yields long-term benefit: building readily available courage so you can face life’s ups and downs, remain intact, and become more of who you’re capable of being each time.
Why oh why should you chase down your pain?
We all want to avoid painful emotions, but life offers challenges; since we can’t avoid them, why not use them to benefit ourselves?
The problem with running from pain is that you don’t get to resolve the cause of the bad feelings.
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- You remain in fear of them. They have power over you.
- You have to spend so much energy avoiding them.
- You are not free
It is never too late to become emotionally agile and emotionally courageous.
And besides, the same painful things will follow you until you resolve them. This is just the truth of the situation. The reasons for this are many, and it makes logical sense.
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- The problems that you don’t solve can never leave you.
- The attributes of your personality that get you into trouble, if not resolved, will cause you trouble again and again.
- Things that you have not learned will remain a troublemaker for you until you learn.
Given all of that, why wouldn’t you want to chase down your pain and learn how to kick it to the curb, forever?
Although it’s natural to avoid things that make you feel bad, facing them head-on yields immense emotional power: greater self‑confidence, deeper self‑knowledge, increased self‑respect, and the ability to move out of negative patterns that have held you back. Going toward what hurts, practiced with intention, brings true wisdom, authentic self‑love, and enduring self‑worth.
This post was about the importance of facing your pain rather than running from it.
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