Happiness Is Not a Lack of Pain

My entire life prior to hiking the Camino de Santiago I believed happiness was achieved by eliminating pain. If there was pain, I would wait it out or try and solve it.

Day 1 of my hike I set off on my first 13 mile stretch with ignorant, hopeful bliss. Mind you, I am NOT a hiker. Not surprisingly, though surprising to me at the time, my feet were in remarkably extreme pain that night – and the next morning. I wasn’t sure I could even hike the next day. But I pushed forward nonetheless.

Half-way into my next 13 mile stretch I convinced myself I’d get used to it – the pain would go away eventually. But Day 2 ended just like Day 1. So did Day 3. And 4. At this point I started to realize that the pain was consuming the majority of my focus. Preventing me from connecting more deeply with the amazing people I was meeting along the way. Preventing me from truly soaking in the beauty of Northern Spain and my surroundings.

It was Day 5, a shorter, but completely uphill 8-mile trek, when I heard that still, subtle voice that had lead me to Spain in the first place. “It doesn’t go away.” The words lingered. I had to stop and sit. After a few minutes of self-dialog and lawyerly negotiation I submitted to the voice. There is always pain. There is always beauty. Sometimes one or the other is more prominent, commanding our attention in the moment, but they’re both always there. Ebbing and flowing as they do in life, there is always perfect balance between pain and beauty. I have found it’s a matter of focus, not avoidance.

Embrace the pain. Focus on the beauty.