Pain is a part of life we cannot escape. It shows up uninvited, disrupts our plans, and tests everything we believe about ourselves. Most of us want to run from it, but I have learned something different. Pain is not the enemy. Wasted pain is.
Every hardship, no matter how overwhelming it feels in the moment, can shape us into who we are meant to be. Here are three truths that pain has taught me.
1. Life is short. Be bold.
We will all die someday. The frightening part is we do not know when. Since we cannot prepare for the exact moment, every dream and every idea God gives us is worth acting on now. Waiting is too costly.
2. Work on yourself with urgency.
Becoming the person you were created to be is not something to put on hold. It is urgent work. If we leave this world without becoming all we were meant to be, we rob our loved ones and the world of the gifts inside us.
3. Love deeply and build relationships.
Life is too short to take people for granted. Love hard. Forgive quickly. Build meaningful connections because no matter how strong you think you are, there will come a time when you need people.
Pain will never feel good, but it can still be good for us. It can sharpen our vision, deepen our love, and give us the courage to live fully.
Do not waste your pain. Let it become the fire that shapes you into the person you were born to be.