We’ve all been there. In our darkest moments, it can seem like an impossible task to find our way back to the light.
Pain is a powerful catalyst for change, for yourself and others. Physical pain shows us that there is a problem in the body that needs to be addressed. Like a broken bone or a stomach ache. Emotional pain does the same thing. This is a good thing. Our bodies and minds show us the pain to protect us from what’s bad. Pain makes us uncomfortable and eager to do something about it. This is how growth works, making a change because we want to get out of the pain.
Sometimes though, there’s no easy fix to alleviate the pain. Sometimes the pain is deeper than that, lodged in our hearts. When we lose someone, nothing that we do will make them come back. That pain will stay with us forever.
This pain is like a flame, forever burning. If we dare to welcome it, to nourish it with love, the flame can light our path in life. Bring us out of the darkness and into the light.
This is exactly how aweik was created. Both of us have lost our fathers and we carried this pain like burning flames in our hearts. But we hadn’t dared to look at the path that was lit up for us. Sharing our stories and pain with each other made us realize just how powerful the flames were. The pain of seeing people we love not getting the help that they needed was so powerful, that once we started walking down the path there was no turning back. We are so convinced now, that our path in life is to change the way society views and talks about health.
Health is not the absence of disease. It’s you, all the parts of you, living at full capacity. Health is talking to someone when you need help. Health is taking care of yourself today because you want to still be here tomorrow.
Going through something extremely painful can break us into a million pieces. When we finally manage to put the pieces of ourselves back together, we realize that something has changed. We’re not the same person that we used to be. This can be scary at first, but if we dare to look closely in the mirror, close enough to really see this new person staring back at us, we can discover how beautiful she is. Maybe even more beautiful than the one that broke in the first place.
This new person has experienced hardship, but she now knows that difficult times are part of life too, and she’s not afraid of it anymore. She has fallen down, but she has picked herself up again. She is beautiful in all her complexity. Her scars make up a unique landscape of experiences. She knows that living a full life means experiencing ups and downs, with both laughter and tears, good and bad, the full range of emotions. That’s the human experience. After the darkness of the night comes morning light. You can awaken yourself from within if you dare to follow the light.
If you feel stuck with your pain, but you have trouble tapping into its power, here are three things that can help you see the light:
Breathing: Equal ratio breathing, inhale for 4, hold at the top for 4, exhale for 4, and hold at the bottom for 4. Then repeat for 5-10 minutes.
Meditating: Download a meditation app like Calm or Headspace for guided meditations.
Journaling: Write down your thoughts in your journal or on a piece of paper. Braindump all that comes to your mind. This helps you to let go, release and see things from a clearer perspective. Write down three things you are grateful for. Gratitude is a powerful tool to counteract fear, anger, and sadness.
Don’t be afraid of the pain, it’s here to show you the way.
