An instrument of discovery

PAIN IS A FILTER

Pain is not just a sensation, it is not just a feeling, it is a gift, it is a refiner, and it is a sieve. It separates the temporary rubbish from enduring valuables, the superficial effects from the essential necessities. When people go through pain, they are almost certain not to come out the same, some break, some bend, some melt, and some emerge sharper, refined by the fire of suffering, and pain. The response and reaction people give to pain always determines whether it will make or mar their journey.

We think of pain as an enemy, an intruder to be avoided at all costs, what if we see it as a gatekeeper? Pain filters out those who lack the resilience to bear its weight, leaving only those who can carry the lessons it brings. The things we value most, love, growth, strength, are often forged in its crucible. Without pain, we would not recognize joy; without struggle, we would not appreciate triumph; without chaos, we would not appreciate peace.

Pain strips away illusions, and forces honesty. When everything else is burned off in the furnace of distress, and discomfort, what remains is the unshakable core of who we are. Not everyone gets to see that version of themselves, not every actually becomes refined, only those who endure the filtering. Do not curse your pain, do not resent your process. It is not there to destroy you, rather it is there to reveal your most valued self, the most needed and awaited version of you.

Julius Caesar once said, "It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience." Some men would rather die than to go through pain. As much as this can be seen as bravery, it is actually denying themselves the privilege of rising again. Pain is never easy to go through, but when endured, it produces something that becomes a force that can never be ignored, it leads to the birth of an enigma. Life is all about pain, for it is in pain that we can appreciate the value of comfort, and the result of efforts.

To a better you, Kamikun John.