Perks of being a human: having fun, experiencing true love, learning from your mistakes, living to see the world change and advance before your eyes, witnessing yourself grow and change as a human, witnessing your children growing up, etc. Cons of being a human: witnessing death, experiencing sickness, watching friends slowly drift away from you, watching your loved ones hurt you, i.e., pain.

Life is such a gift that many people overlook and take for granted. I've watched many people throw their life away and curse a higher being for creating them. It is a sad thing to watch happen, it truly is. Being a human means several things; we will flourish in the right conditions and we will often fail. There are good things and there are bad things. Most people recognize that the good aspects of life usually outweigh the bad parts. But, the tough part about being human is dealing with these bad aspects.

Dealing with pain is probably one of the worst parts about being human. But, you are not alone because every person who lives on this earth will deal with pain at some point in their lives. Where things tend to get murky is how we choose to deal with this pain.

There are two types of pain, physical and emotional, and are often dealt with differently. Physical pain goes away with time, unless you sustain an incredibly terrible injury. Emotional pain, on the other hand, that can last an entire lifetime. Dealing with emotional pain can hands down be the worst part of being a human. Having to face the fact that all of us will inevitably die can be hard enough, but when you actually experience death firsthand, it is a sobering experience.

Many people deal with emotional pain in different ways. Some people turn to rigorous exercise in order to clear their mind, while others choose more degrading tactics. Emotional stress can cause people to become something that they are absolutely not, like an alcoholic or a drug addict. I have witnessed the downfall of an incredibly intelligent and charismatic man who turned to stealing from a vet clinic in order to obtain drugs. The sad aspect of this story is that he, just like many others, experienced death firsthand with the passing of a family member.

Oftentimes after experiencing intense emotional trauma, many people lose their sense of purpose. The pain that they feel is not one that will heal easily, so we as humans often turn to ways of numbing the pain instead of dealing with it head on. It is during these times that addiction has a way of creeping into one's mind and telling them lies. Addiction will promise you relief from your pain, when in reality it will only cause more pain for you and for your loved ones. I have personally seen addiction take the brightest of futures and paint it completely gray. That is why it is so important to have safe ways to deal with your pain.

All humans will experience death firsthand. We have yet to discover the secret to immortality and I do not think that we ever will; that just isn't how life works. This is why it is crucial to have healthy ways to hash out your emotional distress. It is never a bad thing to simply talk to someone about what it is that you are feeling. You would be surprised how good it feels to have someone's ear during a time of trauma or distress.

Think about what it is that you are doing to relieve your mind and body of pain. By no means am I saying that it is wrong to go have a beer or two, or even a six pack when you're not having a good day. What I am saying though is to never use a substance regularly for the relief of your pain. You do not want to be the person who wakes up in a jail cell and wonders how in the world things got this ugly this fast. Addiction has a way of doing that to people, it takes a hold and ends up stripping you of everything you once had. Don't let a bad circumstance turn your life into an even worse tragedy.

Go out and find healthy ways to relieve yourself of pain. Find someone who is willing to listen, pick up a new sport or exercise regimen, or find a new hobby. Go out and live while you have the chance. Never turn to drugs or alcohol to solve your problems, because chances are, they will only make things worse. Life is full of ups and downs, but living is all about rebounding the right way from hardships. Take a bad situation and make it into a good one. We can never control what happens around us, but we can control how we react to it.