Pain

When you accidentally bite your tongue, it's hard to see "pain" as something positive. The same goes for a blister on your big toe - who needs a throbbing foot?

But what if you felt no pain? How often would you bite off bits of your tongue -or burn your backside in the bath?

Physical pain is a marvellous alarm system that prevents further damage. It tells us: "You'd better change what you're doing!"

Emotional pain gives us a similar message, eg. "You'd better change how you're thinking!"

It's normal to get angry or jealous or a bit resentful - temporarily. But if those feelings become permanent the message may be:

"Don't expect to control other people."
"Don't expect other people to behave like you."
"Don't depend on other people to make you happy!"

While we keep thinking the same thoughts, we keep feeling the same pain.
(And then we say "But I'm right!" Unfortunately being "right" doesn't help!)

A blister on our foot is a message to change our shoes.

With emotional pain - which feels like a blister on the brain - the message is usually to change our thinking.

With both physical and emotional pain, when we keep doing the same thing, it keeps hurting!