Is pain the true enemy?


Recently, I reread the Goggins book, Can't Hurt Me; I did it once the last year and finished reading it at the beginning of this year; I found some interesting lines on this occasion that maybe I omitted the first time I read it.


One of the best parts is written in the last chapter, 'What if.' where the author explains how avoiding discomfort and denying hard days can be dangerous to our lives. The book illustrates how difficulties can sharpen our minds and bodies and carry us to better scenarios in the future.


He is conscient that without difficulties and troubles in his life, he wouldn't have achieved everything he actually did. He explains how the harsh conditions put him to the next level and how they made him go forward in his life.


He defines pain as a constant in our lives; when we avoid it, we reject a natural part of ourselves; the true enemy is conformity because it makes us numb to reality; this reality that, like it or not, is the one we live in.


The Buddha famously said that life is suffering. I'm not a Buddhist, but I know what he meant, and so do you. To exist in this world, we must contend with humiliation, broken dreams, sadness, and loss. That's just nature. Each specific life comes with its own personalized portion of pain. It's coming for you. You can't stop it. And you know it.


Maybe I stopped my personal growth by avoiding suffering instead of facing it. I don't know. Society and life harm so much that you are not prepared to face everything it has prepared for you. As always, the reward is hidden in the final of the path where only the strongest can find it.


~S.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"OK Boomer"

Image
Working life has introduced me to a whole spectrum of folks, spanning different ages and backgrounds. It's fascinating how age can influence the dynamics within a group. Back in college, my peers were typically within the same age range as me, roughly 20 to 25. But stepping into the workforce erased that age barrier entirely.  In my interactions, I've noticed some distinct patterns. The younger crowd tends to wear their hearts on their sleeves, valuing ideas and relationships above all else. On the flip side, the older and mid-life crew often prioritize climbing the career ladder and accruing material success. Bosses come in all shapes and ages too. Seasoned veterans bring a calm, empathetic vibe to the table, having seen it all before. On the other hand, the millennial bosses I've encountered can be a bit more... fiery. They're quick to react and slow to forgive, making them a bit of a challenge to work with. Sure, millennials might be shaking things up and spearheadin...
Read more

Another trip twelve years later

It has been a while since I finished high school, those were some of the best moments I have ever lived, my high school had a vast surface extension, many buildings and sections, and many classrooms crowded with hundreds of students. There, I studied for almost six years, I met good friends, some love and splendid moments that bring me a smile each time I recall. I never thought I missed my time there, when I was a teenager I swore I'd never turn back my sight to that place, now twelve years later I come back to the place that built me as a person. Last weekend, I had to work as an assistant for the referendum election in my country, as the last time I worked in the same position, I already knew what that job meant. To my surprise, the place was my old high school. I felt a nostalgia mixed with foreignness, I was part of that place for many years, but I felt like a stranger when I came back, many places were stagnant in time. I could visit my first classrooms just to find they were...
Read more

Prioritizing my to-do list

Since I started to document and follow my routine, endless things undone have reminded me that I need to make them time because they are also important. This feeling generates a guilty sentiment and anxiety for not giving them enough attention. But how do I prioritize among many significant things? Doing exercise is important, eating healthy too, studying and applying for jobs are equally important, but what receives more attention? what is not essential? This situation of deciding what requires more attention has put me in a challenging situation. Do I need to sacrifice my exercise routine to study more? What if I focus only on one thing at a time? While I worked my English routine decreased, and my motivation to study too, because as I mentioned before I was putting more time into either working or exercising. I thought I would have more time to do many things when I was younger, but the reality was different. Being an adult means you need to put some dreams aside if you want to avoi...
Read more