The Heart of the Matter: The Pain-2-Power Principle

Today is the official launch of the Pain-to-Power website. So, today seems like a good day to write about the central idea of Pain-2-Power.

In order to become truly powerful, despite any level of adversity (even facing the immense stresses associated with Coronavirus), you have to be working with the non-fiction, authentic version of your life story—from the early chapters like childhood and adolescence, right through the pages unfolding today. The pain you lived through actually contains the code to unlock major sources of power. The trouble is that the code is often hidden by the mental process known as denial and other ways we candy-coat or cover up the truth about our lives.

We all have buried truths. Most of us fear revealing them, even to ourselves. So, we leave them buried and do whatever it takes to keep them there, sometimes forever. That’s a bad strategy because coming to grips with those truths, once and for all—especially the uncomfortable ones—is our greatest untapped source of power.

To find the self-esteem to get past today’s hurdles and live full and successful lives, we have to look back and figure out when and how we were deprived of it.

To find the courage to confront today’s trouble, we have to learn what in the past made us believe we weren’t strong.

To find the creativity to change our lives or companies or relationships dramatically, we need to see clearly who or what made us lose faith in our creativity.

Pain-2-Power is all about tracing the roots of your pain, in order to turn it into power—the power to choose who you want to connect with (not be drawn to the same disappointing type of person you keep ending up connecting with); the power to leave a job that confirms someone else’s impression of you and, instead, choose one that speaks to your internal sense of self; the power to take reasonable risks with your business so it can become more profitable; the power to make your marriage flourish in ways your parents’ marriage might not have; the power to make genuine friends who support you, even if important ones in the past let you down.

The authenticity that comes from facing the truth about what you’ve lived through—getting to the non-fiction version of your life story—will make you a stronger, happier and more successful person, parent, spouse, lover or friend. It will utterly change your life.

If you take this journey with me, whether as my 1:1 coaching/counseling/mentoring client, or by reading my Insights here, or by watching my videos on YouTube,

I believe you will be on your way to your true self. And that means you will be unlocking your true potential for happiness, love and success.

I believe deeply that you matter. Your story matters. And I feel privileged to be in a position to help you make the most of your life.

Dr. Keith Ablow

Founder, Pain-2-Power

info@keithablow.com