pain: a sensation accompanied by the motor response to withdraw

A man stands in front of me with a cigarette in his hand. "I'm fearful of rejection" he tells me as a deep inhale exits his lungs. The cool evening provides us the comfort to be vulnerable as he begins to verbalize the realization he's gaining of his fears. "I am the only limiting force of Christ," he says, "and I must step outside my box." We are investing in each other because of our worth. Specifically placed as the dial of a thermostat, we are not a waste of time. But so strong as to break through the status quo. These are the first steps to personal freedom as defined by the understanding of pain.