There is more to your life than this chapter that you are stuck in. There is more to your life than the pain you are going through right now. How do I know that? Because I have been through it before. I do not give you this advice because I am some kind of all knowing expert on the subject of pain. I know how to help you because I have been through it before. I have been stuck in the middle of so much pain and chaos that I didn't think I would ever make it to the other side of all of that, but I did. There is always another side to all of the pain you are feeling. Don't get so blinded by the pain around you that you can't see there is more to life than that.
Now, I know this might sound like a slap in the face to hear but if you want to start growing from pain then this is what it takes: a choice. Healing from pain always starts with a choice to let go of the pain you are sitting in. Now let me be clear here. I am not telling you that the pain you are feeling is your fault, but I am telling you that it is your responsibility to choose how you are going to deal with that pain. You can choose to stay in the pain around you or you can choose to let it go.
Letting go of pain is never easy, and sometimes it is important to grieve when you find yourself in pain for a little bit, but eventually it will be time to sink or swim. You do not want to stay in pain forever. Eventually you will need to leave the pain behind so you can grow in your life and get closer to the person you want to be. If you want to be happy then you have to work at it. You will not just wake up happier one day. Joy is something you have to discover. Peace is something you have to find and protect. These things don't come for free. It takes time to find and protect your peace.
I want to be clear that I know how hard it can be to let go of pain from your past. Pain, sorrow, and depression can all become addicting over time. Eventually the depression turns into a routine of feeling sorry for yourself in your life and that becomes a lot easier than actually working on yourself. And again I am saying this because I have gone through it. I know how tempting it is to be the sad guy who feels like the world gave up on him, but I can also promise you that that is not who you want to be.
If you want to grow from pain then you have to start choosing peace and you have to be willing to let go of the sorrow that has been holding onto you.
It all starts with you.
