I have always been one to have a pretty high pain tolerance when it comes to outside things like getting hit, or cut or something similar. Of course, there are certain things that hurt more than others but for the most part I like to think I am pretty tough. That showed last year when I broke my hand and continued playing in our softball game. It also showed again this week when a foul line drive caught my leg during practice. It hurt for a moment but I didn’t cry and immediately started walking around to get the feeling to go away. My trainers came to check on me but didn’t even make the complete walk to the other side of the dugout before I shooed them away and practice continued. When I came home, I found myself with a nasty bruise where I had been hit and it’s still there.
Not everyone has a high pain tolerance and that’s completely okay. I chalk mine up to being raised in a small town where we grow up outside and being a little more rough than kids elsewhere. But even with my lack of dramatics when things happen, I’m not immune to having scars or bruises. There are things that may leave their mark on us even if we don’t feel their effect right away. Those things are amazing lessons to learn from and tools to use to further your self growth, but only if you pay attention to them instead of turning a blind eye. Just because we may have a high pain tolerance in everyday life doesn’t mean bad things don’t affect us. In your reflection of such events, take notice of the marks left behind and understand how those made you feel in order to get a better grasp of your emotions and thoughts in the long run. Don’t let your high pain tolerance keep you from growing on your journey.