Anecdote Of The Week: Is Your Pain Self-Imposed?

Here's an anecdote that invokes some reflection. It was written by author Dan Millman in his book, "Everyday Enlightenment":

"While coaching gymnastics at Stanford University, I walked into a workout one day and found Jack, the team captain, lying on the mat, stretching- grasping one of his legs and pulling it toward his chest. As I walked by, I saw him grimace and heard him groan, 'Oh, I hate this- it hurts so much!' I didn't know whether he was talking to me, to himself, or complaining to God, but I felt as if I'd wandered into a Mel Brooks movie [SIDEBAR: I don't quite understand the analogy, since I don;t think I've ever seen a Mel Brooks movie.] I wanted to ask Jack, 'Who's doing it to you? If it hurts that bad, why don't you just let up a little?' This holds true for your life as well: If it hurts so much, why don't you just let up a little?

The moment we recognize the degree to which our difficulties are self-imposed, we begin to heal them."