Chubmeister 5000

Follow the link in our bio to read our Art of Fiction interview with Ha Jin in issue no. 191 (Winter 2009).

There is no escaping pain in this life. Or at least I have never met someone who hasn’t felt the pain of being alive and being human. It’s a part of this incarnation we took. So instead of trying to not feel it or numb it, we can transmute it. Turning something that hurts into something that brings forth light. For me, pain has taken the form of weird bodily sensations, feelings, and intrusive thoughts. I can feel energy trapped in my body. In my stomach and chest mostly. Sometimes in my head and face. And a tingling feeling throughout my skin. An overall feeling of discomfort. That’s just how pain has manifested in my life. It’s different for everyone. But we must see this pain not as a curse, yet something to work with. It’s just energy. That can be transmuted in so many different ways. We can literally move that energy. Turn it into something brand new and beautiful, although that process doesn’t always look pretty. We can go on walks and move that stagnant energy in our bodies around. We can journal and release the thoughts that have been keeping us stuck. We can write poems and sing songs about the feelings and thoughts that are present. We can call a friend. We can laugh and cry and release. And my favorite as of lately is service to others. By stepping outside of my own pain and perceived problems, I can be there for someone else. Making the moment less about me me me and more about serving and loving someone else. And by doing this, it brings me back into my own heart. Reminding me that there is so much more out there than just the narrative in my own head. A whole world actually. So let us be hopeful knowing that this pain is temporary. This pain is here to teach us. This pain is a part of being a human. I know it hurts, but it’s not a curse. Pain can be used to create the most beautiful things in the world. Bringing about a complete transformation. Allowing ourselves to turn something that hurts so bad into light. Into hope and inspiration. Into this post. Into love.