“Pain is your best friend. It is infinitely more honest with you than pleasure. Despite what you might think, the painful experiences you have had benefit you far more than the pleasurable ones, even though most of us spend our lives trying to duck and hide from them.
But when you can center yourself and be open to look pain dead in the eye, then you have transcended the limits of your ego and this humanity. It is then that you enter into the possibility of becoming a great being.”
~ Swami Chetanananda
When I first read these words I wanted to reject them. How could pain be my best friend?
Yet, looking back on the painful, challenging and disappointing experiences in my life, I now understand.
Through dark times you find courage and resourcefulness that you may not have thought you had within you
You break open and feel into what matters
You learn about yourself and grow as a human being
You are able to see the pain in others and feel more connected to them
You become open to all of life’s experiences
You enter the possibility of becoming a great being
… and knowing this helps.
Namaste
Find Your Middle Ground 
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