We always associate pain with something bad.

But what if pain was our soul's only way of telling us the lesson that we need to learn?

I really debated on whether or not I should write this post.  As a doctor I am trained to keep my personal life private and maintain a professional boundary. But when I look back on the posts that generate the most conversation, they are the ones that have been a little more personal. I think the reason why they generated the most conversation is because they were the topics that people related to on a deeper level.

I then realized that maybe I could share my greatest gift without compromising my professional boundaries. And maybe, just maybe, it will be the message that someone else needs to hear.

So what was the greatest gift?

I was lucky enough to have a friend summarize it in a card that she sent to me during the time I was working through my greatest pain.

She wrote:

"You're going through a rough time and I know it's not easy. I wish there was a way to make it all go away, but then you'd miss the lesson - what you're meant to learn from all the messiness and uncomfortableness of this situation. And that is...YOU ARE ENOUGH. Not because of what you get done in a day, who you heal, or how you look. But from just being you. Period. I really believe that the moment you truly believe and embody this simple idea, you'll begin to see why this is such a beautiful opportunity in your life. In the meantime, I'm here for you. And I believe in you."

See, we all have lessons we need to learn. And sometimes they can come in really painful packaging that can be really scary to unwrap.

But what if your greatest health crisis, your greatest emotional crisis, your greatest pain, is really the tipping point that is needed to initiate the change that your soul desires? 

Know that pain - physical or emotional - is the body's way of getting our attention and letting us know that something needs to change. Know that by exploring the true source of the pain you will also find the lesson. And the lesson may be the greatest force for you to take action, move beyond it, and become well.

Now I would love to hear from you! Are there any brave souls out there who would like to share a lesson they learned from a time of great pain? Leave a comment below and I thank-you in advance for sharing. I'll be back next week with another edition of Doctor as Teacher Tuesday!