An Essential Truth of Life: No Pain, No Gain!

Emotional rhythms, physiological effects, and the meaning of small pains

Pain is one of the most significant emotional rhythms in our lives. When it strikes the heart like a knife, it reshapes and refines the soul. But there is also physiological pain.

I always keep one or two hot peppers in my garden. I believe that eating hot pepper once or twice a day provides certain benefits for human physiology. Capsaicin — the compound inside hot peppers — is thought to dilate capillaries and peripheral vessels, help regulate blood pressure, and reduce vascular blockages. It has a circulation-boosting effect.

If your health allows it and your intestinal system can tolerate it, I recommend adding some heat to your meals. When you eat something spicy, your cheeks flush, your nose runs, and your eyes water. The reason is simple: circulation speeds up, and capillaries open. Capsaicin is believed to enhance circulation and potentially support healthier physiological function; some even consider it among the elements associated with longevity.

“No pain, no gain.” If there is no pain, there is no achievement. When pain exists, there is benefit — both for the soul and for the body. Life must include small pains.