At some point in life you will be in pain, whether it be mental, physical or a combination of both. However, you need to remember that pain is temporary regardless of how long it may seem to last. Stop trying to avoid pain and disappointment, they’re life’s best teachers. A lot of people decide against pursuing their true passion in life because an increase in passion causes an increase in potential disappointment when things do not go as planned. I say, “… when,” because nothing ever goes exactly as planned. There are always going to be obstacles that you didn’t prepare for, but the difference between a winner and a loser is that a winner sees those newly found obstacles as another challenge they can overcome and a loser sees those newly found obstacles as another reason they should quit.

Obstacles, like pain, cannot be avoided – they are everywhere, and in everything we do. If you’re inevitably going to face obstacles in your life, why not choose to face the obstacles that will lead you down the path of attaining your true passion? Why let society dictate what you should be passionate about, or what you should pursue? Pursue the things in life that you’re intrigued by, the things no one tells you to do, the things you spend hours doing regardless of monetary gain. Pursue the things that make you happy, the things that set you apart, the things you’re good at.

You need to be completely honest with yourself. How do you view obstacles? How do you handle disappointment? Do you have a winner's mentality or a loser's mentality? If you aren't happy with your answers to those questions you need to change your mindset. Don't let the fear of pain and disappointment stop you from being great - it exists in all of us.