In order to cope with our pain, we create addictions and self sabotaging patterns, we wound others so that we don’t feel isolated in our own suffering, we project our shadow onto others and judge them so that we don’t have to face our own self-neglect. This all simply comes down to our inability to understand and cope with our own pain. If each and every single one of us could commit ourselves to just one thing – understanding the true essence of our pain, we would radically transform every facet of our lives.
Let’s look at the archetype of The Wounded Healer.
It goes back to antiquity with the Greek god Chiron. In Greek mythology, Chiron was a centaur who became known as a legendary healer. Chiron was accidentally struck with a venomous arrow from Hercules, and being immortal, he did not die, but rather lived out the remainder of his existence in insurmountable pain. In order to alleviate his own suffering, he became an incredibly skilled and versatile healer, finding relief and solace from his own pain through the healing of others.
In Greek mythology, Chiron’s wound became a tremendous source of healing for the entire world.
The archetype of The Wounded Healer is one to keep at the forefront of our thoughts, for it is intimately woven throughout the unfolding of our unique life’s purpose.
Within your pain is embedded the process of transformation. And through your process of transformation is the distilling of your medicine, which is the greatest gift that you could set before the world’s altar.
When you find yourself in despair, hopelessness, depression, anxiety, etc., bring into your mind the true purpose of pain – that it be transmuted into medicine for the healing of others. You are never alone in your suffering. You are never alone period. And as you surrender to your pain, you surrender to your purpose, which is the salvation of the world.
May you celebrate your pain by surrendering it to your purpose.