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A addictions coach shared this and I’d like to pass his words along to you. Every bit of information helps.
Much love❤️
🌟 As we enter 2024, I want to share something profound that eventually transformed my life. I found my path to recovery and awakening because I stopped running from the Pain, as these four powerful quotes insightfully suggest:

“Whatever you do, do not try to escape your Pain. BE WITH IT.” – Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.

“The cure for pain is in the pain.” – Rumi.

“The question is not why the addiction, but why the pain.” — Dr. Gabor Maté

“Addiction begins with pain and ends with pain.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

I had mastered the art of avoiding Pain, using addiction as my escape. But, eventually, even that stopped working, leaving me with a choice: succumb to the Pain and continue living in misery or learn to sit with it and be okay. 🤔

In truth, we can’t eliminate suffering until we face it head-on, cradle it, and embrace it. Only then can we observe it and learn the healthy ways to heal, and whatever you do, do not try to do it alone.

Remember, there’s a distinction between Pain and suffering. Pain is a message from our bodies, while suffering is our interpretation. Suffering can be optional, as Pema Chodron wisely says, “It isn’t what happens to us that causes us to suffer; it’s what we say to ourselves about what happens.” 🌈

And let’s not forget these perceptions and interpretations are the way we make sense of what happened to us, especially in childhood, where most of the survival stories began as a way to deal with our trauma.

The purpose of Compassionate Inquiry is to drill down to the core stories we tell ourselves, what those beliefs are, where they came from, and guide them to the possibility of letting go of those stories or letting go of the hold those stories have on us. That is what trauma does; it keeps us in the past even when we believe we are present.

And because of my trauma, I had attached my identity to my Pain, turning it into suffering. Buddha’s wisdom echoes, “The root of suffering is attachment.” So, let us not run, numb, or deny; instead, let us be with our Pain and suffering in 2024. Trust me, I’ve tried it all to avoid it. 🏃‍♂️

Ten years ago, I stopped escaping through addiction and faced my Pain and suffering so that I could reconnect with my authentic self. Nothing is as hard, painful, and important as facing ourselves without running. By undoing my Mistaken Identity, I found my recovery and meaning. My worst nightmare turned into my greatest gift. 🎁

Compassion became my guiding light and will always be my guide, and I hope everyone who reads my post will practice compassion for themselves in 2024.

“Only when compassion is present will people allow themselves to see the truth.”
― A.H. Almaas

In 2024, let’s embrace the power of LOVE, which is beyond all the Pain, and suffering, and transform our lives. We face our Shadow Side through HEALING🌟

Warmly,
Paul Noiles and my little dog Sharona