Pain = Expansion

Do you have any idea how effective Pain is in making us do things we tend to resist? Severe Pain can force you to make decisions you've put off or show us how we've neglected or abused our bodies. It shines light on relationships that need more love or forgiveness. But most of all, Pain wants to shift us into a level of faith that we didn't know was possible. In other words, Pain will bring us to God faster than anything I know. And don't be fooled by the "quick fix" pill or treatment to take away Pain. If you didn't do the deep inner work that Pain requires, it will return to you in a different form later in life. So don't put off inner work you need to do unless you are a fan of Pain.

Over the last couple months I have endured some of the most excruciating Pain of my life. I can't say which was worse, the physical or emotional part, but the good news is, I have finally crossed the threshold (and whatever other cliches suggest that I've seen the light and I'm on the mend). I now understand why those who have endured the most pain will often say "this diagnosis was a gift..." I used to call BS on people like that, not anymore. I have a renewed respect for pain. <----- That's a huge breakthrough for a number Seven on the enneagram (read "The Road Back to You" if you haven't been introduced to the enneagram before). Sevens seek out fun and excitement and new adventures; their "deadly sin" is gluttony. "Ooooh, shiny things!!! New experiences! Unicorns! Pain? Hell no!" Are you getting the picture? I hated Pain more than the average person. But apparently, there is no escape, so I pulled up my big girl pants and started  g o i n g  w i t h i n.

Remember the Hero's Journey? This is belly of the whale stuff. The metamorphosis. It's when you can't go back to the way things were, but the future is a huge question mark. It's what I call, the inescapable time of reckoning. If you escape it by ignoring it or getting some kind of quick fix, Pain keeps returning for you until you are ready to be broken open. I guess this was my time. Time to level up. Pain in the form of a scary diagnosis sought me out to deal with some skeletons in my closet. Some were character flaws that needed an upgrade. Some were judgments I've made that were incorrect. Some were very personal, but Pain has been shining a spot light on all the sh*t I've buried and resisted. It's also giving me glimpses of the incredible future. I know my stage may change, my audiences may change, and my content will get richer. This is expansion. Pain = Expansion.

Last week I had a dream that packed a powerful message. The road to powerful leadership is NOT smooth, NOT easy, and often feels unrewarded. But it is the only way because No one will save us. We are the change we've been waiting for. Let me know if you can relate to the following:

______THE DREAM______

I must have been angry with God because He showed up in my dream recently. Just Morgan Freeman and me in the middle of a stark white room. I was in excruciating Pain and looking for sympathy from the creator.

Me (resenting the fact that God has not relieved my misery): "What does it take for you to hear me? I've been begging and pleading for you to take this Pain away! Didn't you promise to help people move mountains? This mountain hasn't budged!"

God (sweeping floors and smiling): "Believe me, I heard you! You asked me to move the mountain and I gave you a shovel."

Me (exasperated): "Are you kidding me?! That's what you meant by help?!" And in a last stitch effort to gain his sympathy, I took a jab, "I never imagined that the big powerful God I worshiped was actually a torturer of man!"

God (still smiling, puts his arm around me): "Torturer of man? No. Creator of Gods? Yes."

With that I woke up. Creator of Gods. WHOA. That tiny message put a whole new perspective on my pain. God trusts me to get through this, who am I to argue? It made a huge difference in my mood and even my Pain level. It sparked my determination to manage the pain, forge ahead, and envision an incredible future. And my faith in God, as well as my body to heal, has multiplied ten-fold.

How has pain changed your life for the better? If you are currently in physical or emotional pain, what might that pain be requiring of you? Is your faith faltering? Are there relationships in your life that need healing? Are there character flaws preventing you from leveling up your leadership? 

Lynette Landing | www.HumanizingTheWorkforce.com