“Pain is temporary. It may last minutes, an hour, a day, or even a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place.”
I got this quote from a Lance Armstrong book.
(Yes, I know he’s a cheater and lied to the world about taking performance drugs… He’s probably not in a good position to be offering life advice. But he certainly does know a thing or two about enduring pain.
And this quote has helped me a lot… Pain is temporary.
I feel pain when I work out. But it only last 45 minutes. I can do anything for 45 minutes.
I feel pain when I have a long and rough workday. But it only lasts 1 day. I can get through 1 day of anything.
Now, the world is going through a very painful time. We are all feeling it. People unemployed, dying, negative news around us, being “stuck” at home, etc…
I don’t know how long it will last, but we WILL get through it. It may be months or years, but eventually the pain will subside. Pain is temporary! In the meantime, we just need to stay in the game and keep trying our hardest.
Hang in there! And let me know if you need to chat about anything or share your pain. I’ve got extra strength today – happy to share some around!
– Joel
PS.. don’t take drugs like Lance.
*Pic by John Cameron
You’re totally right about short term pain, but what about the days that blend together into weeks and months? Do you apply any of the stoic philosophies when that comes about?
Let’s compare ‘physical’ pain and ‘mental’ pain for a second… Most people plan and train for physical pain – especially when they know they will up against long-term challenges (like doing an iron man challenge or like trekking across the US). It’s no secret that if you want to survive physical pain you must work out, train, exercise, and do it consistently.
Mental pain is the same. But a little harder… Because a) people don’t train or exercise regularly for it, and b) most mental challenges hit us by surprise. We might think we’re in for 1 hard day, but it might carry on every day for 2 weeks. (or in our current pandemic, it might carry on for months/years)
Anyway, my theory is this: The people that survive mental pain the best, are the ones that regularly exercise their mind. Exercises include: daily gratitude, creative thinking exercises or creative outlets, reading or learning new stuff, helping others less fortunate, and seeking uncomfortable situations. Sometimes exercising isn’t fun, but if done consistently and in small doses, you are mentally strengthening yourself for long term pain.
Please note – I’m no genius or mental health guru. Just a regular guy sharing my own experiences here. The reason I’m so positive all the time and can endure long term mental pain… is because I’ve been training for it, daily.