The Pain Paradox
Writer and personal friend Seja Brumley joins us again to share a deeply moving narrative that beautifully illustrates the fullness of life through a blend of emotion and human connection. Seja writes:
The pain began slightly and slowly, as some changes in life do. There was not one event that instigated it but a small ache building into a constant presence. My left foot began to hurt, and I didn't know why. There was no trauma, no incident that turned the pain on like a switch, but rather a slow build to a constant companion.
I continued on with my usual activities, working through any discomfort that arose. I hiked, jogged—there would be no alterations in my current life. I would go on as usual. I would not let this pain alter my days or the aspects in which I found joy. I would push the pain to the side, tuck it away in the spaces I could neither sense nor feel in any way.
The other morning, I stepped off my deck, and my foot shouted at me in its language; the pain was a sharp one, traveling to my heel and up my leg. I walked over to the edge of my workshop porch, sat on its edge, and put my hands on my foot. I could no longer ignore it. I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath. And in that moment, I made space. I listened. What is this pain trying to tell me?
I believe that when the heart is bypassed, the body will eventually become its ambassador. When the soul is unheard, the physical will become its messenger.
“Slow down, child,” my foot said. “This loving root, this foundation, needs rest. You need not carry so much; you need not carry everything. You, too, are worthy of rest.
“I know you want to continue on, push this pain aside, move it into spaces unseen, unknown. But this message, at its core, is a loving one. Can you see how this pain need not be tucked away? Can you feel the intention behind it? Can you see how this pain, too, is a gift?”
Many changes in my life have been born out of a soft knock transforming into a deep resonating bell. I consider this offering of communication from my soul, and the will to awaken and listen to it, as one of the greatest gifts of my life. It is not always easy to follow, but the more often I do move towards what it tells me, the closer I grow to the truth of who I am, the truth of the life I am here to live.
Blessings in the discovery of messages that speak to you and move through you, and the willingness to make room for them and listen.
Question
What message is my discomfort or pain trying to convey to me about my needs, habits, or life path?
Peace,
Seja