I heard a quote recently and it spoke to me…so I looked it up and it led me to a much longer quote from which it came. It’s beautiful, articulate, but also relatable on so many levels.

I’ve experienced pain throughout my life, both chronic and acute. This helps me to remember that there is something to be gained or learned from pain. But I’ve also learned that sometimes the pain is an indicator of self sacrifice and love, and sometimes it’s the voice of your conscience saying that you are doing the right thing. If only it came with a little discipline…doing the painful and right thing is tough, especially when making a choice. And sometimes, the choice is made for us, and there’s nothing we can do but muddle through it and take control of the little things in our life.

And here are my tips on how to move through emotional pain, partly for any of you, but also to remind myself:

• Let yourself feel it
• Lean on the people in your life
• Give yourself time
• Allow for set backs, and try again
• Search for and cherish the positives
• Be grateful for what was, is and will be
• Think of others, and the impact of your self sacrifice
• Listen to the good things people tell you and believe them

I’m working through some acute pain right now, I’ve officially declared that I’m letting go of my dear friend that I’ve referred to before. I’m letting go for his sake, for the sake of his family and balance in his life, but it hurts. Especially since it’s a choice, and because he and I have had such an impact in each other’s lives, we are both richer for it. I know I’m doing the right thing, but then again, I feel like I’m casting aside one of the best people in my life when I should be holding that person close and cherishing the friendship.

My best friend died. His best friend is in jail. Shouldn’t we honor those friendships by being grateful that we are both here and able to be in each other’s lives?