Pain vs. Change

by meditative - April 20th, 2020

Part of our ‘human condition’ is our innate tendency to avoid pain. It is often desire for ‘avoidance’ that prevents us from starting or sustaining new habits in life. The energy behind our desire to avoid pain tends to be stronger than the motivational force underlying our intention to make positive changes in our lives.

In our minds, we tend to inflate the transitional pain associated with making a change- we tend to identify with it as being more painful than not changing at all. More often than not, we remain ‘stuck’ and stagnated by habits that may be counterproductive and unhealthy.

To move forward with positive change, we need to empower our intention. We need to overcome our RESISTANCE by stepping out of our relative comfort zone, and begin to reap the potential benefits (rewards) in making the change. If we are soon to directly see & feel the benefits of our change… the rewards for ‘doing’ can become pleasurable- and a new motivating factor may replace our existing desire to avoid.

Consider the pain that may be necessary for disciplining ourselves to make positive change in our lives… does the price of this discipline outweigh the potential suffering we may ultimately experience from the pain of our regret?

“To do or not to do”- we all have this intrinsic ‘freedom of choice’. Is the discomfort associated with the transitional pain for change greater than the pain of having lived a life without genuine fulfillment or happiness?…

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