Almost everything is multisided – including the occurrences that give us pain. So, we asked some of the most enlightened folks in the community to share how they have harnessed their pain to help rather than hurt them.
Ariel Jordan
When the surgeon who misdiagnosed me a year prior, finally reviewed at my charts and acknowledged the error. He looked me in the eye and said, “We got it wrong this time.” For him, it was a routine update. For me, it was the moment everything changed… and a fire ignited. Read more>>
Mrs. Kelsey Stafford
During my college years, I suffered a career-ending injury that forced me to stop playing soccer—a sport I had dedicated my entire life to. When you’ve done something for as long as you can remember, it becomes part of your identity. Suddenly being told I could never step on the field again left me feeling lost, unsure of who I was without the game. Read more>>
Ashley Sessions
After sitting with it for a while, I realized I never really hid my pain. I just learned to smile through it, to keep going, so no one would ask questions I wasn’t ready to answer. But there came a moment, standing in front of the mirror one morning, when the smile felt too heavy. It didn’t feel like me anymore. Read more>>
Laura Lerman
Even after stepping up and being honest with myself, I still found I could get knocked down pretty easily. There were people in my life who still had way too much power over me. They could take a good day and turn it bad with just a look or a comment. Some didn’t even have to say anything, just had to be in the room. Read more>>
Anna Marie
When I learned to channel my pain through art; that’s when my whole world changed. For years, I struggled with a binge eating disorder. I was suppressing some heavy emotions through stuffing my body with food. When I turned to my somatic dancing, to my singing, to using Social Media to share my life, that’s when I started to heal. Read more>>
Michele Rucker
I love this question. I stopped hiding my pain when I understood the proper perspective: that pain can become your sounding board for your breakthrough. Let me explain. There is a force that wants many to stay hidden in pain, shame, or guilt about the life they are living or where they come from. Read more>>
Jaylen Dowell
I don’t think it was a particular moment. It just kind of happened over time. Losing both of my parents at a young age was something I didn’t really know how to deal with, so I went into survival mode. I didn’t talk about it much, other than what people already knew. Read more>>
Destiny Brewton
I stopped hiding my pain when I realized the struggles of this entrepreneurial journey weren’t setbacks — they were stories, they were lessons, and most of all, they were fuel. Instead of masking the hard parts, I started sharing them — the challenges, the doubts, the behind-the-scenes reality most people don’t show. Read more>>
