# Pain
What Kind of Pain Are You Willing To Endure?
I've been writing a long time, which means absolutely nothing other than I've had years of consistent practice. There is only one way to get better at something, and that is to do it consistently. I write *almost* every day. I also run *almost* every day. I exercise my writing like I exercise my legs and neither endeavor feels good all of the time. Most of the time it's boring or monotonous or a struggle. But if every other aspect of my life were stripped away, I would still run, and I would still write. I can't imagine a reality in which words and movement are not the cornerstone of my life. The pain of running long and hard, or the pain of grappling with words, is worth it to me. There is no forward progress without struggle, so I decided a long time ago to struggle at something I love.
The Joys and Anxieties of Aging
For those who have retained their childhood memories, aging often comes with an emotional price. This article is free of bias, and is based on conclusions of accredited medical organizations and mental health professionals including licensed psychiatrists and psychologists. Though I myself am a former mental health professional with training in Psychology, and I will share some relevant personal information within this article, I am not a doctor and I offer no medical advice herein. Please contact a currently practicing medical or mental health professional for any potential issue that requires attention, whether age-related or otherwise. Sources for this article include Mandy Oaklander of Time, The Journal for Clinical Psychiatry, The University of Michigan, Jane Fleming for TheConversation.com, and Bill Murphy, Jr. from Inc.com.
Trying to avoid sadness is trying to avoid life
Trying to avoid sadness is like trying to avoid life. Arguably, there is no person in this world who never went through sadness. As much as we try to be happy, sadness would always come to haunt us, in one way, or another. But sometimes, people get sad for unnecessary reasons. They take things too seriously or allow themselves to get hurt from minor inconveniences. Whenever you feel sad next time, remember the following things.