There are a LOT of obstacles to self-improvement. It doesn't matter what type of self-improvement it is: educational, emotional, physical, business, spiritual
, whatever. They all take work. They all require overcoming inertia. They all require that you do that incredibly scary thing - change.
There is pain associated with work and growth and change. On the whole, we humans don't like pain. Thus, we tend to get into patterns that limit the amount of change we have to do. Which means we don't grow, we don't improve.
But facing the pain, working thru' pain, overcoming inertia, is the only way to improve your life. The only way to grow and become more of your ideal self.
Mundane example: I've written about my knee before, arthritis and now torn meniscus that I can't afford surgery on (and, yes, we're working on the finances, painful as THAT is, and things are somewhat better thank you for asking). If I don't do my exercises (physical therapy PLUS biking and walking) not only will it not improve, but it gets worse. Walking and taking stairs HURTS if I blow off exercising (which I admit I hate doing) for as little as 3 days in a row. And if I give in to the pain that starts when I don't exercise, then the knee continues to get worse - I could end up just sitting on a couch, my leg extended, having trouble even getting up to hit the bathroom.
That's not the life I want. So I exercise. And if I do hit times when I miss too much exercise (because I have screwed up my schedule!), then the BEST thing I can do for the pain is work thru' it. Do the physical therapy routine. Walk a mile and a half, tho' it hurts. Get 20 minutes in on the exercise bike, even if I have to do it in 5 minute segments. Because if I don't avoid the pain, if I work thru' it, then quickly I'll see improvement.
If I complain that my knee hurts, my husband will ask what he can do to help. The WORST thing I could ask for is for him to take over things so I can stay on that couch. Instead, if he handles answering the business phones while I exercise, THAT is the help I need to improve myself. Patting me on the head, saying "oh, you poor dear, stay right where you are" would SOUND supportive but would in FACT be undermining my health.
It's no different for others types of healing or growth. You don't need codependents
working to keep you where you are. You need to work thru' the pain. You need to celebrate the challenges - roar at them take them on with vigor. Make challenges your bitch.Am I able to do this 24/7 right now? Nope. Is it what I am working for? Damn skippy I am!
Join me. Rawr!
Frondly, Fern
As a migraine sufferer for 3 decades, I don't move when I'm in pain because that makes it so very much worse. Every injury I've suffered (torn or sprained muscles, ribs dislocated from sternum, carpal tunnel, etc) was improved or healed by immobility of the area. I don't know if I could force myself to move if something really hurts. (I'm not talking about the minor aches of aging; I never expected my forties to be pain-free.) Bravo to you that you can.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, this is more the pain associated with physical therapy and moving after RICE (rest,ice, compression, elevation)- with the torn cartilege I rested/iced it for 6 weeks early on. Now, however, if I rest it 'rusts' and gets bad again.
ReplyDeleteAnd while I used physical pain as an example, emotional pain or illness would have been as good of an example. Learning and practicing ways to cope with emotional pain or illness early on helps one cope with and rise above worse emotional dreck later.
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