Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

July 11, 2016

Open your heart to pain.

When we open out heart to our pain, we make it safe for life to reinhabit our body. –Stephen Levine

When we are numb, we are not truly living.  Granted, it is more comfortable to be numb than to feel pain but, like eating ice cream after a dental procedure, we make a mess and cannot truly appreciate the good things that come our way.  Pain is an important part of living.  It guides us and helps us make fewer messes.  We can truly live when we are open to pain because we are open to other emotions as well.

When have I avoided pain?  What messes have I created in my life by avoiding pain?  What gifts await me if I open my heart to pain?