Leading
(In the section Leading 11 reasons are given that might lead one to question if there is a 'beyond and above.') This is number 7.
7. Pain as a motivator
It is not popular to think this way, but I find it close to the truth. I trust the pain I have more than anything else. It is the obstacle holding me back from where I’m supposed to be. It is what keeps me from feeling well. Mind you, I am not for dwelling on it or drowning in sorrow, but one’s constant dilemmas and traumas are what constitute your makeup and from where you emerge. As the pressure of the sea makes the pearl what it is, your deepest pains produce you. They are larger than you, and your symptoms are an indication of this. These pains make you seek relief and answers. As these answers fall short one keeps on seeking. Avoiding the pain is a great motivator.
There is a place for feeling good, for escaping pain, for running from it or “faking it until you make it.” All is part of life. Staying busy and active and alive has a place, but it does not replace the pain of this existence. Busyness will only work for a time. Yes, it is the game of life. One might 'have game' and posture when single to find a mate, but then when successful does one reveal who one really is? One might 'up' talk and use positive thinking to overcome negativity. This is a valid tool. However, all these actions should have as a backdrop humility. Otherwise they cover the real pain of life, providing solace for a time, but they are not long lasting. They allow us to absorb in digestible doses the distress we experience. Getting through the day, playing the game, having distractions are not running but absorbing our distress in doses we are able to take. At some point though we have to slow down and not run and face the pain and dig for deeper answers.