The Gift of Chronic Pain

A woman takes a closer look at her illness with the help of Byron Katie. At the start of their inquiry, she discovers that her beliefs about herself have hardened her suffering into place. 'So, sweetheart,' Katie asks, 'You're in physical pain constantly—is that true?' Maria pauses, and when she finds that her genuine answer is no, she sighs. 'You just got some of your life back,' Katie says. 'I, too, used to believe I was in constant pain, but through The Work I got pieces of my life back that I didn't even know existed.' After examining the consequences of her beliefs, Maria discovers examples where the opposite of her belief is as true or truer. Katie then encourages her to find examples of why she is actually better off not doing the things she can’t do. ‘I look at all the reasons I'm better off not walking,' Katie says, referring to a time when she was crippled by neuropathy. 'And the whole world opens up. That's the gift of pain. Everything is a gift, when we see it with a questioned mind.’ copyright 2015 Byron Katie International, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information, visit thework.com.