High Tolerance to Pain
I love when I find inspiration in unexpected places. I expect it (and receive it) from my critique groups, my fabulous children and when reading books about improving my craft. But I ran into this blog, http://christyscreativespace.blogspot.com the July 18th entry, where Christy talks about how some harsh words about a contest entry have helped to thicken her skin. My hat’s not only off to Christy but I tossed it in the air and whooped for her. What a fantastic attitude she’s modeled. She has inspired me to look at my rejections and criticisms differently.
The irony of the situation is that I have a herniated disk. Many of you may relate to the mind numbing pain that curls you into a fetal ball. Most unfortunately, I have a high tolerance to pain; by the time it bothers me, my situation is usually critical. I have often wondered why it is that I simply deal with heaps of physical pain but the first or second layer of emotional pain crumples my self-esteem like a discarded shopping list. Perhaps it is because I’m female. Maybe it is because I’m a Taurus. Maybe my mom dropped me on my head when I was wee. Regardless, I think I’ll be doing emotional weightlifting to strengthen that part of me. God knows I can’t participate in physical weightlifting! Thanks Christy for this week’s unexpected inspiration.