I’m sure it will come as no surprise when I say that there’s a lot of pain in this world. The reason there’s a lot of pain is because there’s a lot of change that’s necessary for our own well-being and happiness. The Universe doesn’t need us to learn through pain, however it’s the only thing that captures our attention enough to induce the type of self-reflection and surrender necessary to break out of the pre-existing unconscious belief patterns that have been running the world for so long.

Unfortunately it’s considered “normal” for people to experience pain, unhappiness and live unfulfilling lives. It’s been accepted to take mood-enhancing drugs (legal and illegal), and turn to other addictive behaviors to mask the constant levels of uncomfortability that are walked in on a daily basis.

This is why such extreme pain is necessary to induce large change. Alcohol and drug addicts are the most obvious examples of this. They “hit bottom” by experiencing a tremendous amount of pain through the breakdown of the foundational pieces of their lives. Through this suffering they are pushed in the direction of surrender and change. Some open to the change and some unfortunately attempt to self-medicate even more coming to an unfortunate end.

At the end of the day our path is to grow, become better, happier versions of ourselves. The entire Universe is expanding and growing. It’s against our nature to stay stuck, unhappy and unfulfilled. This is why we experience the pain…we are being pushed towards our destiny of happiness.

An excellent experiment to break out of this is the next time you’re feeling a painful situation, instead of saying why is this happening to me? Ask yourself – what is this trying to teach me? How can I grow from this? In what way is this happening FOR me? Assume for a moment you are loved and the entire Universe in conspiring for your benefit and happiness…look at the situation through those eyes. It may take some practice but eventually you’ll cease being a victim and begin being the victor of your own life.

After breaking out of the pain pattern we can begin to learn in a different way…one without the extreme suffering. If we would reflect on our lives and make the necessary adjustments when we felt slight levels of uncomfortability, there would be no need for so much pain. Also if we would put more consciousness to what felt good and why it felt good, we could learn tremendous amounts from our successes.

It’s exciting and fun to learn and grow…it’s our nature so of course it’s enjoyable! When we get in the flow of what brings us joy, we can learn through pleasure instead of all the pain. I often pray: teach me my lessons easy. I want to keep my head on a swivel and constantly be making slight adjustments while living healthy and making expansive, conscious choices in my life. This way the pain is minimized, the joy is maximized and life is actually the happy, fulfilling experience it should be!