There is a great deal of pain in life and perhaps the only pain that can be avoided is the pain that comes from trying to avoid pain. ~R. D. Laing
How we can number the days we were pain-free! What glorious days were these! We wonder when and if they will ever return for more than fleeting moments at a time.
However, if we ponder these thoughts for too long, we become vulnerable to hopelessness because no one’s life is pain-free all of the time. In spite our mental illness and amidst the pain, we can have useful and meaningful lives by being open to possibilities not yet revealed to us.
Could it be possible that our lives can be more useful and worthwhile because of our pain? That because of our pain we can offer the light of hope to others going through the ups and downs of their mental illness symptoms?
Today, I will be open-minded to unknown possibilities and trust that my pain may be necessary to experience a more useful and meaningful life. The quality of my existence need not be dependent on the pain I feel in the moment but rather on my level of acceptance of the moment being exactly as it should be. I will lessen my pain by accepting it and I will know peace.
Turtle Way 