Change Without Pain

 In emotions, Life

I’ve been in the process of dieting for the past several months. It’s going really well, but it is full of ups and downs a-plenty. For one thing, I think my body has a natural instinct to balk at the idea of any kind of pain or discomfort. Somewhere inside of me, a sense of protection kicks in when I am faced with any ill, and it urges me to seek comfort. The problem with this instinct, though, is that there is some discomfort involved in dieting at first. You will feel hungry as you change from a larger intake of calories per day to a smaller one. Some hunger is just part of the change, and, though my mind knows this, my body always protests.

I think the same is true of any worthwhile change. Though we know the outcome will be beneficial, our hearts and minds will still balk at the first sign of discomfort. This can come when we’re trying to break an addiction, or even just when we’re attempting to form new, healthier habits in our daily lives. If you have never known a life of disciplined Bible study or prayer, there will be some growing pains when you’re first adjusting to this new lifestyle. Let me tell you that it eventually becomes not only easier, but life-giving, and you’ll feel much more uncomfortable when you don’t partake.

Breaking addiction can be painful on all levels – mentally, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. It wasn’t through the course of one or two days that the habit was formed, and it won’t break that quickly, either. It will hurt to break your addictions, but the results will be more than worth it. It’s the actual breaking, however, that will tempt your resolve to move on in the first place.

The bottom line is that change can, and often does, require pain. Instead of fleeing the pain, however, and immediately trying to find something more comfortable for yourself, how about keeping up with it? If you push through, the pain begins to subside, eventually becoming replaced with a brand new lease on life that you will be thrilled with. Pain is unpleasant, but not changing is much more unpleasant in the long run.

 

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