There is no Birth of Consciousness without Pain; I recently stumbled upon this quote by Carl Jung. It profoundly resonated with me. As I reflected on this, I realized how deeply it spoke to my own life, the lives of those around me, and indeed the journey of so many seeking personal growth and enlightenment.
Looking back over my life, I see a consistent pattern. Every significant leap in consciousness was preceded by some form of pain or struggle. This seems to be a universal truth, not just for me, but for many people. The levels of consciousness we achieve often correlate closely with the levels of pain we've endured. Yet, despite knowing this, we naturally resist pain. We shy away from discomfort, seeking solace in the familiar and the comfortable. But what if, during these dark nights of the soul, we could remember that this is part of our transformation? That our pain is birthing a new level of understanding and consciousness within us?
Consider the story of the Buddha. Born into a life of luxury as the son of a king, he was shielded from the world's harsh realities. Yet, something within him yearned to explore beyond the palace walls. When he finally did, he encountered death, illness, and suffering. These experiences spurred him to seek enlightenment and understand the profound suffering inherent in human existence. It was only by confronting these painful truths that he could sit under the Bodhi tree and find enlightenment.
Isn't this true for all of us, in a way? Only when we are pushed into pain, loneliness, loss, and separation, do we begin to ask the big questions: "What is the purpose of all this? Why am I here?" Pain often drives us to explore personal growth, leading us to seek something bigger than ourselves.
In my life and work as a teacher and coach, I repeatedly see this pattern. People come to me in crisis—relationships on the rocks, family issues, work stress. It is usually pain that propels us to seek growth. And as we heal, we realize that the resolution of our pain has less to do with external circumstances and more to do with finding something within ourselves. This journey often leads us to reconnect with our own Divinity, realizing that we are much more than our physical bodies and current life circumstances.
Interestingly, this profound understanding usually dawns on us only when we are pushed to our limits. I can't think of anyone who has embarked on a deep process of self-development without being propelled by some form of pain. As much as we resist it, pain is a powerful catalyst for growth. If we could take a step back and witness our transformation, embracing the discomfort as a part of our journey, we might move through it with more grace and awareness.
A teacher once shared a metaphor with me that perfectly encapsulates this process. Imagine stepping into a dark bathroom with a light switch far from the door. You have to fully step into the darkness, letting the door close behind you, before you can reach the switch to turn on the light. This is much like our journey through pain—we must enter the darkness to find the light within.
We often seek light and love outside ourselves—in our relationships, our achievements, our possessions. But true enlightenment comes from recognizing and nurturing the Divine light within us. Even in our darkest moments, if we can hold onto the belief that the light of God is within us, we begin to transform. This internal light can heal our deepest wounds and soften our hardest struggles.
As we move through our pain, embracing it as a part of our growth, we become emotionally sovereign. This doesn’t mean we don't need others; human connection is vital. But it means we approach our relationships from a place of wholeness, not seeking others to fill our voids but to mutually share our Light.
Thank you, Carl Jung, for inspiring these reflections. I hope these thoughts resonate with you. If you want to explore this journey further, you can find more of my work on my website, MariaToso.com.
I offer courses like The Heal What Hurts course, yoga teacher training at Minneapolis College, and coaching sessions to help you reconnect with your true self.
May we all find the Light within us and embrace it, even in the darkest times.