No one likes pain, yet no one can avoid it. Many times, we try to avoid pain, but what I have come to realise is that the avoidance of one type of pain leads to another kind of pain. Are you wondering what I mean by this? Okay, let me explain this by a simple example.
When a child is young, certain immunisations are required to be given to the child to prevent certain sicknesses and diseases in the future. Does the child cry when the immunisation is given? Certainly, because the process of administering it is painful! But what happens when a mother refuses to have her child immunised, say against polio. And the child ends up contracting the disease later in life, which eventually leads to paralysis or even death? The mother will experience greater pain! This time, she will experience not only the pain of losing a child, which is indescribable, but also the pain of regret, which is perpetual, and she may end up living with that pain for the rest of her life.
There are two types of pain in life that seems to be an antagonist of each other. They are:
- The pain of discipline
- The pain of regret
The pain of discipline is when you do what you need to do when you need to do them, no matter the discomfort that arises from acting. It is doing the right things at the right time. It is confronting the obstacles or dealing head-on with the challenges before you, and not avoiding them or pretending they do not exist. Discipline requires tenacity, especially in difficult times, and it also requires to restrain from defaulting to the easy option. However, if you stick with it, the results will bring a smile to your face and fulfilment to your life.
On the other hand, the pain of regret is what you are faced with when you take the easy route and flee from any form of discomfort. It leaves you sorrowful, making you wallow in regrets of what you could or should have done.
The choices we make daily determines our choice of pain and the eventual benefits or catastrophe that comes with it. What choices are you making with the use of your time, money, or even relationships? Are you investing your time in developing yourself so that you could have a better tomorrow? Or do you consider the cost of development too high and you would rather use that time and money for some immediate gratification.
Remember that the pain of discipline usually has a time span; usually, a short period of time and the benefits will continue to perpetuate after that. On the other hand, the pain of regret could last forever, leaving you with guilt that is continually eating at you.
I will be speaking more on these pains and some others over the month, so make sure to tune in to my Facebook page or YouTube channel. I would also like to hear from you, so drop a comment and let me know your thoughts on the two types of pain discussed above. God bless you.
