It was the first exercise set of the class. I’d finished the first rep and decided I could do heavier weight. Before I could pull up the heavier bar, the trainer stopped me. “That one is too heavy.” He looked over to the right and said, “Try that one.”
Rest time was almost up. I rushed over to grab that bar but my friend was right in front of me. I simultaneously grabbed the bar and jerked out of her way.
That was all it took. One careless jerk. One mindless movement, and I heard something “snap.”
And that is how I messed up my back.
It’s incredible how one thing can disrupt everything. The pain that has ensued for the next seven days has been all-consuming.
My creativity shut down.
My productivity stopped.
My fuse got shorter.
My habits disappeared.
Even though I knew better, I turned to comfort food as I wallowed in my pity party.
I didn’t even recognize myself.
Pain is good because it is information. It shows us where we hurt ourselves. It tells us what we did wrong. It helps us understand if we’re in misalignment. And it reminds us of what’s most important in our lives. Pain teaches us, humbles us, and strengthens us.
I believe this experience is doing all these things for me, and I will come up better and stronger than before.
And yet one thing keeps gnawing at me. The pain I am enduring is temporary, but some people live with constant, chronic pain. If this has consumed my life for a week, how can you thrive mentally, emotionally, physically, financially, and spiritually when pain is a primary player in your everyday life?
I have a lot of experience working with people who suffer from mental and emotional pain, but physical pain is a different animal — or is it?
Today I want to turn the tables and invite you to share your journey with me.
If you are a person who currently lives with chronic physical pain or has overcome it, please write back to me and share your experience. I want to know how you get through each day, what are the things that make you feel the best, where do you turn to for support, and anything else you want to share with me.
If you overcame the pain, how did you do it? What didn’t help in your process? What did?
Sometimes the best moments of clarity happen within the collective — and that’s why I’m reaching out to my collective as I seek clarity on this burning question.
I am eager to hear from you and thanks in advance for being a part of my world.
