Throughout my life, pain has been my greatest teacher.

Thanks to pain, I found myself and broke through my own limitations. Without it, I might have lived in comfort, wrapped in a false sense of security. Somehow, I was fortunate to have pain by my side so often.

Pain has taken many forms. There has been physical pain—like relentless migraines. But more than anything, it has been emotional pain, present since childhood.

Yet, of all these, the pain of the soul has been my truest guide.

For the longest time, I didn’t recognize it for what it was. It was simply a constant presence—a feeling of disconnection, of being in the wrong place, living the wrong life. That feeling followed me until the moment I finally chose to face it.

I stood at a crossroads: logically, I realized that since death is inevitable and therefore not truly an option, I owed it to myself to explore the alternative.

In the first part of my life, I searched externally for answers. I changed countries, jobs, relationships, hobbies, and ways of being. None of it made a difference—nothing could touch the pain.

So, in the second part of my life, I turned inward. And there, within myself, I found my way home.

Now, I understand that without pain, I would have remained lost—a child wandering without direction. It was pain that pushed me deeper into myself, and for that, I am grateful.