Moments of darkness and pain in life are inevitable, and sometimes these moments can be consuming, appearing almost impossible to overcome. Alex Only points out that your true potential emerges through trials and pain. You can turn your pain into purpose and learn to keep moving forward.
Here are three steps by Alex Only to help you turn pain into purpose even during the darkest times in your life:
- Validate yourself
Alex Only notes that sometimes your pain and suffering result from the feeling of being alone, abandoned, and unloved. Finding your sense of self-worth can help you turn the pain you feel into purpose. It gives you a brand new outlook on who you are and what you can achieve.
- Focus on solutions
Human beings are prone to focusing on problems instead of solutions. You get stuck on what’s gone wrong rather than how to move forward. Alex Only says it is very easy to fall into this trap, but you need to resist that temptation. Work to find solutions to the issues you are experiencing, and even if you take small steps forward, they will eventually get you out of the problem. Alex Only further states that there is no point in obsessing over your problems; your energies are better spent on more productive things.
- Look into the future, not the past
Indeed, it takes a lot of time to move on from pain and the dark moments. The past is behind you, and no amount of wishing for a different outcome will change it. Alex Only recommends leaving the past behind and looking at what’s coming. If you live in the past, you cannot find your purpose in life. Alex Only understands that holding on often feels like the right course of action. However, life is about growth and moving forward.
You don’t need to get it all done at once; it is okay to take your time, says . It is, however, vital that you put in the effort to move forward.