Why the pain #7 - The unexpected gift of pain

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Every week I receive a few emails from people who engage with the thoughts post. These people take the time to tell me about how it impacted their lives - and to tell you the truth, it would be much harder to keep going without these encouraging messages. 

 

Today I want to share one of these emails with you. I asked for permission and changed her name to protect her identity. I gave her the name Susan The Brave because being so honest takes courage.

 

Dear Francois.

 

I'm not sure how I ended up on your email list and with a busy life (where I barely have time for myself), I've never read any of them. Tonight something inside prompted me to read your last email. I was in tears, it was as if you were writing to me. I went back to all the emails you already sent to me and I'm going to take the next few days to work through it.

 

I suffer from depression, I am addicted to sleeping pills, I drink pills to help calm me down, pills for anxiety, antipsychotics and antidepressants every day and I’ve tried to commit suicide twice. I am now with a very good psychologist and a psychiatrist, together we are going to get me right. But on top of that, I am terribly grateful for your emails and from now on I look forward to reading them weekly.

 

Please keep investing so amazingly in those of us who you don't even know - you are saving lives, I promise. Thank you very much!

 

Susan The Brave

 

Now you might be asking what does this have to do with the unexpected gift of pain? Well, when you embrace Grow Pain (pain that you go through when you do something important) and take steps towards a bigger goal or dream - you give something unique to the world. Something that only you can give. If I did not embrace the Grow Pain of creating this content Susan The Brave would not receive my unique gift and I WOULD NOT EVEN KNOW THAT SOMEONE IS MISSING OUT ON WHAT I HAVE TO GIVE. This is the unexpected gift of Grow Pain. To me, that is reason enough to keep going even when it is tough. 

 

I will think of Susan The Brave every time I hear the voice of Doubt and Fear tell me to stop. And I will keep going, keep learning, keep trying and I will keep growing.

 

My question to you is: “Do you have dreams and goals that will help others, inspire others, heal others, make others smile or laugh? You can fill in the blank. Can you start with one small step today?”

 

PS: If you identify with Susan The Brave or you want to encourage her please send me an email and I will make sure she gets it.