The Empowered Mind 18: Letting Go of Pain

The Empowered Mind and Letting Go of Pain

The idea of pain always frightens people, and most people do not look to understand pain, even though pain is a hurtful feeling. It is a familiar, natural, annoying, and uncomfortable feeling. The feeling of pain may increase or decrease, but we do not think about its size. What matters is that it continues; it may last a long time or come to an end. It may also return for a different reason. The cause of the pain may be clear, or it may be hidden.

Thinking About Pain

Thinking about pain is tied to an earlier memory or a new situation, and the degree of pain is determined by the source of the pain or by the nature of the person's personality. Each of us needs to start taking a clear stance with ourselves. What matters is to know that we need to look at the reality of the situation: is there pain or not? Denying the existence of pain does not cancel it, but makes the condition worse, whatever its causes, so the pain settles in even after its causes are gone.

The Empowered Mind

The Empowered Mind is the mind that directs the attention of the mind toward the source of the pain, and the most important question is: can you acknowledge its existence and accept it? Accepting pain, for the Empowered Mind, means acknowledging that it exists, with the purpose and aim of letting go of the pain, whatever its source, even if the source is constant or renews itself with circumstances. It means letting go of the thinking that accompanies the feeling of pain, by thinking about what matters most: health, comfort, and calm. Most importantly, it means acknowledging the priority of the self, or thinking about everything related to caring for yourself or to valuing yourself.

Letting Go of Pain

Letting go of pain does not mean that the causes disappear. It means getting free of the feeling of pain as a permanent, continuous state, as if you were letting go of any feeling, or giving it up. With persistent thinking, the best feeling to hold toward yourself, since it serves as an alternative, is the feeling of self-love or kindness toward yourself.