As the human animals that we are, we are generally programmed to avoid pain. Yet pain seems to be a part of the process of living, whether we like it or not. It seems that there is a higher good in it.
Even when you do not realize it, even when you are in the midst of something that seems horrible, there is some kind of process unfolding, something you may not see yet. It could be some blessing in disguise, something about the situation that is meant to teach you something, to help you grow and expand.
If you are feeling pain now, it may be an indication of something that needs to be listened to. Pain is a plea for attention. Some part of you is asking for help, it needs some assistance. What does it need? Have you been giving it? When you feel pain, you have an opportunity to ask yourself, “Where does it hurt?” When you get the answer, then start to ask, “What is making this hurt?”
If you are open to your own intuition, it will not fail you. So many people do not realize how powerful their own intuition is. They do not realize how much guidance they can get about what they need, if they only learn to tap in. Many spiritual teachers recommend meditation precisely for this reason. Meditation helps quiet the mind, and it can help you become open to new insight from a part of you that may seem covered over. The noise of daily life can give way to deeper spiritual knowledge and alignment.
We are powerful, multi-faceted creatures of infinite depth and possibility, yet sometimes it takes some digging, some work to tap into something beyond the daily pull of the physical world. When you are feeling pain, it is a part of you that is looking for exactly such a thing, because some kind of adjustment of your daily routine needs to be made, some attention put on something that needs it.
That is what pain is. Pain gives you an indication that there is an area that needs your attention. Will you listen to it? Sometimes the pain has to become so much that you feel like you will break, but then you finally start to listen. They call this an “awakening,” because you are literally awakening from ignoring or denying the source of the pain. Much growth can result from this experience, even if the path to it can be difficult.