In pole dancing, the greatest joys and successes come with great pain.

After my first pole fitness class, it was actually the pain that fueled my desire to return for more.

For the first time in a very long time I felt every muscle in my body. It wasn’t in so much pain that I was wincing and whining every time I sat down or took a step. Just the perfect amount of pain to let me know that I had worked out. A pain that, in a way, felt good. I felt alive. And I wanted more!

The next few classes brought some different forms of pain. Not just muscle soreness. But now there were bruises (also known as “pole kisses”) resulting where arms, legs, feet, etc. connected with the pole. I was told I would have bruises, but that eventually my skin would toughen up and these “tricks” wouldn’t hurt as bad and the bruising would lessen.

The pain makes you tougher. The pain is a sign you are becoming stronger.

I think it is like that in all things in life. When the pain is great, the reward is greater.

And I love that I am part of a community that is always celebrating their pain. We post pics of our bruises and callouses followed by pictures of us nailing the most recent nemesis trick, pose, or move.

How many other people do you know that celebrate pain as much as, if not more than, the actual achievement itself?

Too often we paint smiles on our faces and hide away the pain we are feeling. We don’t acknowledge how deeply we are hurting.

But by hiding the pain we neglect to show others around us how we are becoming stronger. We also reduce the opportunity for others to celebrate when we conquer the thing that has hurt us.