When Being Strong Becomes a Burden

Is there a monopoly on pain? 

One of the biggest problems in our society is the inability to love unconditionally, and allowing only certain people to have pain. 

We tend to look at others who are higher up on the hierarchy of pain and challenge, and say, who am I to feel emotional and physical pain when this other person has it so much worse? 

As my friend and beloved neighbor once said to me, 

Pain is Pain

To dismiss your pain as any less significant than another person's, you are denying yourself an opportunity to grow. You have to fully accept what is going on in your life in order to move on. 

By not allowing yourself to be tired, to feel downtrodden, to feel hurt by someone, by not accepting your plight in this world...

You will hurt more

Stuff it down and down and not deal with it, hide it's magnitude, and it will only overcome you at some point.

Photo Credit: Gerardom, CC0

Don't let anyone tell you you can't feel disappointment, or you have no right to complain. Life is a balancing act.

The trick is to take a short while...the trouble begins when you take too long with it. You grasp it too closely and start to like the feel and texture of it. 

Do not become a habitual complainer, but be sure to be aware of your pain. Aware enough to let it go.

Face it head on, then and only then, let it go.

You are human, afterall

6 Quick Tips for Living a Positive Life TODAY

    Photo Credit: Gerd Altmann CC: 



1) Change some of your passwords to a recent achievement or one of your best qualities.

For instance, I am an aspiring writer. I have used passwords like "best author eva" to keep belief in myself alive. If you are like me, you have to type a password in many times a day. What an awesome way to reiterate the good in you, or to create even more good.

2) Turn Negative thoughts into opportunities for positive thinking.

If a negative thought comes to mind about anything at all, gently remind yourself that you will not be thinking this way anymore. Try to come up with a positive spin on what you were just thinking about. You will notice that the negative thinking will diminish day after day.

3) Make a music playlist with upbeat music, or something with a positive message. 

Recent popular examples are, Pharrell's "Happy" from Despicable Me 2 the movie,  "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors, or "Brave" by Sara Bareilles.

4) Be aware of how well you are balancing different aspects of your life. 

Make sure you are in control of the amount of stress in your life. Make time for yourself,  and your loved ones, get enough exercise and eat right. Pursuing your dreams is noble, neglecting your health, and people who care about you is decidedly not.

5) Show goodwill towards others. Even those who do not appear to show the same love in return. Sometimes those people need you the most. If you are religious send a quick prayer to someone you can't seem to get along with. If you do not pray, you can imagine something great happening to them. I believe this can actually help you heal. This is a karmic action, and I am convinced that it is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

6) Remember to Smile. Even if you force it the first time, you can't help but smile more and more after that. Smiling is contagious, create a domino effect in others. You could turn someone else's day around, even if yours began on a challenging note.