“Pain (any pain--emotional, physical, mental) has a message.The information it has about our life can be remarkablyspecific, but it usually falls into one of two categories: Wewould be more alive if we did more of this and Life would bemore lovely if we did less of that. Once we get the pain'smessage, and follow its advice, the pain goes away.”

“Usually, we believe that our pain is a misfortune that needs to be fixed, but in fact, all pain (physical, mental, and emotional) is a necessary step towards becoming conscious.”

“This is the vicious cycle. When we feel pain from our physical debility, that pain amplifies our sense of hopelessness; the less hopeful we feel, the fewer endorphins and enkephalins and the more CCK we release. The more pain we experience due to these neurochemicals, the less able we are to feel hope.”

“Why does finding out someone has pain in their life make you appreciate them more as a human being? Shouldn't we all assume everyone we meet has their own pain?”

“If we believe that this particular pain is the one that will push the baby out of the womb and into our arms, we somehow try to make a place for that pain in our heart. Pain is still there: excruciating, terrible pain. But at the moment of birth, we rarely feel betrayal or rage; we somehow feel that this is simply pain that has come with life.”

“The worst pain in the world goes beyond the physical. Even further beyond any other emotional pain one can feel. It is the betrayal of a friend.”