Pain

Anyone remember this line?

"Life is pain. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something." - The Princess Bride

I've been thinking a lot about pain the last few days since I punished myself lifting weights. I am seriously so sore that it hurts to walk.

So, here's something - I know that in order to build muscle I have to work harder than I have before. I also know that by working this hard it's going to create a time of pain in my life while my body rebuilds muscle and regenerates itself. I know these things and I use them to create the body I desire.

How does this relate to life in general? Well, a couple of things come to mind. First off, I'm the one who creates the pain in my life. Sometimes I know what I'm doing to create the pain (like going to the gym - physically/ending a relationship - emotionally) and other times it just seems to sneak up on me (playing volleyball for 6 hours on the beach - physically/figuring out that what I said or did was harmful to someone - emotionally). Either way - I'm the one who's always in charge of my joy or misery. Second, the pain comes before the new growth; the new strength. The pain is my indicator that I'm working, stretching and growing.