Purpose in Pain
I’ve been working on my book, Catalyst, and honestly it hasn’t been the easiest journey. Although I’ve never known an author to say writing a book is easy, the type of book I’m writing has a depth to it that adds to the difficulty. Writing can be time consuming and of course we all struggle with writer's block more often than we’d like to admit, but when it comes to writing about the darkest time in your life, it’s easy to want to close the laptop and avoid thinking about it.
Sensitive topics bring up an array of emotions: sadness, grief, anxiety, anger. It’s normal to want to run away from these so-called negative feelings all together. But what if the difficulty is precisely why we need to process them and perhaps even share our stories?
As I’ve launched into LifeStories, I was inspired by hearing others’ stories and felt that I should share my story. Afterall, I can’t expect my LifeStories participants to openly share their stories if I myself am shying away from vulnerability. We are all scared of sharing some parts of stories. Maybe shame, sadness, guilt, regret, or pain still live in that story. We fear that if we open our hearts to others and share our stories that they will judge us, leave us, gossip about us, or think differently about us.
The truth is, we are all afraid of something. What if all we need is to open that door, allow the light of someone else’s eyes and heart in, and look at the dark scary place together? It’s like when a child is scared of a monster in their closet and they need the bravery and reassurance from a caregiver they trust to open the door with them and make sure there’s nothing lurking. I know for me, when I was little, and sometimes even still, I had nightmares about spiders in my bed. I would wake up terrified but once my grandma peeled back the blankets to show me that no spiders were counting sheep with me (and sometimes even shooed the imaginary spiders away for good measure) I was able to fall asleep again. All of that to say, we all need someone safe we can go to for help with life’s fears and darkness.
Wherever you are, no matter what you’re going through, there is purpose in your pain. The purpose of my perhaps silly spider nightmares is that it gave me a fond childhood memory of my grandma. I remind myself of that through every painful chapter I write of my book. The purpose in this pain isn’t emotional processing for myself, it’s sharing a message that you are not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
About Brooke’s Babbles
Brooke’s Babbles is a podcast and blog where storytelling meets soul. Hosted by marketing consultant and professional babbler Brooke, Brooke’s Babbles offers honest conversations, insightful tips, and real life stories. Whether you're here for storytelling, connection, mindset shifts, or a dose of inspiration, you’re in the right place.
