Is spiritual transformation painful or joyful for you

[Gem]

Originally Posted by John DiFool

[Durn it no polls on this board oh well]

When doing some reading and lurking I came across some posts which seemed to indicate that the posters in question considered growth and transformation to be a painful process.

Which is odd, because for me it is definitely a joyful one. I guess it can be painful when you are still attached to old habits and find it hard to relinquish them precisely because they are comfortable and thus seem like old friends. You'd rather stay with the old and familiar vs. progressing on to the new and fresh and challenging. The tension arises I think when you start to subconsciously realize that these old habits aren't working any more, but you still stubbornly cling to them.

For me I guess I find it easier to let them go once they have outlived their purpose; the subsequent sense of freedom can be exhilarating. Not to say that I don't have things I still cling to-I mentioned in another post how it took a long time to relinquish my bitterness towards women and relationships. In other cases tho it can be almost ridiculously easy.

So where do you tend to fall on this spectrum?

I usually plug this video which I pretty symbolic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l-YYqjhVi4

[Roselove]

a mix of both, the end product is beautiful if you don't end up in insane assylum in process lol