We go through lives seeking the path of least resistance. This is not unique to humanity, electricity, water, and herds do the same thing. Much of the time there is nothing wrong with this. If the familiar fields are green, the herd eats and waters well. But for the lemming, that comfortable journey has a less than pleasant ending. Safe is ultimately an illusion in this world. No matter how much we insulate ourselves, helicopter parent our kids, or GPS our lives, there is pain.
And that is not always a bad thing. Pain isn’t death. Pain is a message we’re stretching our limits. Pushing at boundaries we haven’t crossed before. Now if we incur pain through acts of stupidity, then it may rapidly be accompanied by actual injury. But the life lived on the couch avoiding pain and contact with the world is wasted.
Nothing worth having is easy. Nothing worth doing comes without risk. Growth does not come without pain. Without stretching our muscles to build them up. Our hearts to cut away what holds us back and make room for something new. Our beliefs to adjust them to the world that is and adapt to new experiences. I doubt there is anything profound in this, except that we have inured ourselves to that message. Inoculated ourselves against pain, and in doing so, stunted our growth.
No life worth living comes without pain.
