In an article by Jeff Goins titled The purpose of pain, his final comments are; “Something transformational happens when we go to places of deep pain and let our hearts be stirred. Compassion, a word of which I am quite fond, literally means “to suffer with.” It would make sense that compassion needs pain to grow. Until our hearts ache for the world’s pain, we have yet to experience true compassion. Maybe there’s an easier way, but I’ve yet to find it.” It has me thinking about the value of our own pain, and its impact on one’s life. If we ignore our own pain by working too hard, exercising too much, drinking too much, loving too much, taking drugs to mask it too much, and so on, what is the negative risk to us. Does it mean we won’t become enlightened, or we become trapped in bodies with minds and hearts that refuse to grow? I’ve been into helping others since I was a little kid, as growing up in the country, my parents and grandparents were the types of people who were very community spirited, and always rolled up their sleeves to help those in need. They always volunteered on committees and for their sporting clubs, and for their Church. They didn’t give out to the more marginalised groups like the homeless as there was little evidence of groups like that in our community, but they gave endlessly of their time for things like working bees, and ‘money’ by way of goods like food, or services, to their communities. This attitude of giving to others has served me well, as I get a lot of inner strength as well as humility helping others. But even volunteering too much can be a way of not accepting or of masking your own pain. Acknowledging and then accepting one’s own pain can be helpful as it allows one to have compassion for self which can then flow onto compassion for others; important I think in then being able to look beyond yourself, and therefore put your own inner pain in perspective. I’m not talking only about medical or physical pain, but the type caused by traumas and personal crises. Using narrative as therapy can help people suffering from all kinds of pain to cope more positively. If you are someone living with pain and feel like sharing your personal story with others, feel free to share it. Your story can be a source of inspiration and strength to others, and in sharing it you may also lighten your own load. I blog about what is like living with dementia, the good, the bad and the downright ugly, and it definitely helps me rise above the pain of the diagnosis. One of my blogs, titled ‘What the hell happened to my brain’ is private, and is the one where I ‘let it all hang out’, and as a form of therapy for pain, it is truly medicinal!!