“No Pain, No Gain”

By: Vince DiPasquale

“April showers bring May flowers”; “No pain, no gain”; “Struggle is part of life”; “In each life a little rain must fall”; clichés that teach us the basic lesson of life. We have to work and invest in everything life offers that is worthwhile. We are asked each day to do a daily inventory of our life. It’s so important to realize that for every hurt there is a chance to grow. Please don’t be afraid of your history. History is our past teacher. There are so many lessons we can learn in life. We are never done. Did you ever think you would be able to look at each event of life and be grateful; and to become thankful for the lessons you were taught?

Let’s ask ourselves some questions that will help us to look at life with positive energy and with the gift of gratitude.

1. Did you ever think the word dysfunctional could be positive and looked upon with the spirit of gratitude? Dysfunctional is normal. At the moment of our birth we are all little angels created with all we need for life. We enter into different dysfunctional families. Remember that all families are somewhat dysfunctional — because we are humans. The secret of life is to face our dysfunction so that we can grow and learn from them. Each of us has our own story. Each of us is unique. If we are able to struggle through our pain and accept the reality of each situation with an open mind we will come out on the other side in a positive way. The secret is to face each event in life with the hope that one day we will be able to see where we are being led on our journey. My hope is that all our struggles will be a gift for us to rediscover the beauty within us. Please remember that we are never done.
2. Are we willing to look at the sunny and rainy days as God’s way of watering our personal garden? Nothing can grow without a little rain. My father, who came from a farming family in Italy, always taught me to pray for the slow, steady rain because it will nurture the crops. The cloudburst will destroy them. The great lesson we can all learn from this is that whatever happens in life growth and learning is a slow process. Don’t rush to process or look for magic answers. Everything that is worthwhile requires work, investment, and patience. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. We are all a work in progress that takes time. Life is such a gift. Easy does it, my friends. My hope and prayer is that we grow a little bit each day. Remember that the gentle rain will bring the flowers.

This month also ushers in that wonderful time of the year called spring. Once again we are reminded of the gift of new birth. Everything around us begins to come to life, including us. April showers feed new life into our world. Let it be an example for each of us. We all have had and will have growing pains. Remember, “No pain, no gain”. Don’t be afraid. There is no situation in life that can’t be dealt with. We are always experiencing new births, new starts, and we are never too old to grow. Once again, my Dad would say, “you don’t know what it is to get up until you have fallen down”. The secret is to live a balanced life. If we are healthy we should be 50% negative and 50% positive. For each negative there is an assist. Please don’t be afraid to struggle. Just be open to the journey of life. Remember, don’t fear the rain. It will cleanse, nurture, and help each of us to blossom into the beauty of our potential. Remember, also, that we are not accidents. Each of us is on a personal journey. Discover your beauty and potential as you continue your life’s journey. My prayer is that each of us will rediscover the spirit of that little child within us.

Enjoy this beautiful season of spring. Get out and enjoy each day of your life. Live your life to the fullest.

May God bless you in all that you do!!