I️ went to a pain specialist recently about my chronic neck pain. We talked a lot about my story and how I️ got to were I️ am today. One of the big takeaways I️ got out of the visit was the question: “What’s keeping your body from healing?”
After working my muscles and posture for an hour, my neck felt great. The pain didn’t vanish, but the posture of my head neck and shoulders fell into a thoughtful alignment. Before I️ came in, I️ was actually holding myself up from keeping my body from slouching over, like It wanted to do. After I️ left, no effort was required. Gravity did all the work. But, unfortunately, by the end of the day, my neck discomfort was back to it’s old self. (hello old friend)
The real problem isn’t my neck, it’s my lifestyle. Everything I️ do for work involves being on a computer, and the majority of activities I️ do involve looking down. Reading, writing, piano, hiking, cooking, drawing…
The first thing you need to do when facing down the barrel of a health problem is
Accept the Challenge.
As much as I️ would love to take the pain and stress that comes along with It, I️ can’t.
Most of the time pain isn’t out to get you — It just happens. Maybe it’s your fault, maybe it’s some one else’s. Pain doesn’t care. Pain just wants you to either give in or become better.
Sometimes unfair things happen, big bad wolf problems that we all think ‘that will never happen to me’ until It does.
Sometimes we put ourselves in harmful situations — for good, or recklessly — and get hurt.
And often times the pain is our body’s way of telling us to pay attention to something we are neglecting.
Are you listening to what your pain is telling you?
That goes for mental pain too. If you’re in a constant state of negativity or fatigue or anger, or undesired stress, or rush hour, or fear, or thousands of other negative pressures, something in your life is not aligning to who you are, your core values and what you envision for your life.
Again, what is your pain telling you?
I️ do believe you were put on this earth to be let pain rule over you. Pain is an opportunity to thrive, all you have to do is shift your perspective from pain to gain, and take on the challenge.
Stay BOLD, Keep Pursuing,
— Josh Waggoner
