No pain, no gain

No pain, no gain. So reads the wall of many high school locker rooms. The application is obvious - if you do not push your body in practice to the point that it hurts, you will not be getting any better. On the track and in the weight room, there is no gain without pain.

Then we step into the real world. There is no slogan about pain in my home. Or my office. Or in my corporate handbook. Does that mean it does not apply?

Afraid not. Pain is the prerequisite for gain. If I want to lose weight, I suffer the pain of hunger. If I want a promotion, I suffer the pain of long hours. If I want a retirement fund in the future, I suffer the pain of present-day deprivation.

There is no gain without pain. There is no growth without pain. A pain-free life is only possible through stagnation, which may be the worst pain of all.