How to Turn Pain Into Your Advantage

Dear Legend,

As I sit here typing this letter to you, my quads are on fire and my glutes are burning. Why? I’m training for a 100 mile ride coming up in June. You’re probably nodding along and thinking “makes sense to me”. But here is the thing, we all understand physical pain, but when it comes to “mental pain”, we look at it differently:

• I’ll do it tomorrow.

• Let me check my Instagram for a few min.

• How about doing this simple task to check it off my list.

We are wired to avoid discomfort (like how it’s been soooo challenging for me to put my Medtech Brand Academy together, hours and hours of seemingly never ending work. It’s mentally exhausting!)

Here is something your brain will hate, but your future self will worship you for:

❤️ The success you are seeking is in the pain you are avoiding.

You are looking for a hack, a shortcut, a dopamine hit. (So do I BTW!)

But it’s the discomfort. The uneasiness. The thing you always run from. That’s where the treasure is hidden.

If you stay with the pain, your whole life will start to change. THIS is the biggest influence hack - influencing yourself to stay with the pain.

A podcast interview with Eliud Kipchoge inspired this letter. He says "Pain is nothing. Pain is in the mind. It's not out there. Once you know pain is in the mind, then it's just a matter of managing it." (Eliud is the G.O.A.T of marathoners, he is the first human to run a marathon under 2 hours in 2019, clocking 1:59:40.2. That’s a mindblowing pace of 4:34 per mile for 26.2 miles!)

So, the mindset shift you need to make?

🧠 Pain is not something you run from, it’s a signal that says you are one step closer to success. If you can make the choice to stay in the discomfort long enough, you will find success. (The key is to make sure your discomfort is aligned with your purpose, if not you will be burned out.)

How do you master the different facets of pain?

Here are the three pain-skills 🧰 you need:

1. Past Pain → Use It As Power + Connection

We all have wounds. But only some of us (you legends!) turn those wounds into weapons of connection and influence. People don’t care what you know until they know what you’ve survived.

If you’ve gone through something—own it. Speak it. Build from it.

🧰 Tactic: Write your Pain Moat Statement
Something only YOU can say because of what you’ve lived through.

Examples:

• “I teach what I had learned in-order to survive.”

• “I don’t fear rejection. I built my life from it.”

• “What nearly broke me is now my superpower.”

Past pain makes you relatable, credible, and unforgettable.

So don’t run from it. It’s a critical part of your story, your legend. When you share it, others find themselves in it and is more easily influenced by what you have to say next.

2. Present Pain → Reframe It to Redefine Yourself

Here’s where the magic really happens.

Most people feel discomfort and interpret it as:

• “I must suck at this.”

• “Something is wrong with me.”

• “I should stop before it’s too much.”

But legends interpret pain differently:

• “This hurts… because it matters.”

• “This is hard… because I’m growing.”

• “This resistance? It's the rep that builds the muscle.”

🧰 Tactic: The “Reframe the Burn” mantra
When you feel that ugh moment, when you really want to check your social media feed or email inbox, say this to yourself: “I stay. I don’t run. Just a few more minutes. My success is on the other side of this pain.”

When you stay, you change your brain’s narrative.
And once your brain sees pain as progress? You become unbreakable.

3. Future Pain → Plan for It Like a Pro

This is the hidden genius-level move. Most people make plans for results.
Legends make plans for pain.

They ask:

• “What will I want to avoid?”

• “What obstacles are inevitable?”

• “Where will I want to quit… and how will I respond?”

🧰 Tactic: Build a Pain Protocol
Example: “When I feel like quitting, I will…”

• Text my accountability partner

• Take a 3-minute breath break

• Review my ‘Why’ statement

• Remind myself: ‘This is the cost of legendary.’

Pain doesn’t surprise you when you prepare for it.

Why does this work and why is it rare?

You already know this, but I’ll remind you:

Most people run (NOT YOU!)

They numb the pain. Avoid the truth. Stay comfortable. But here’s the twist:

The more you avoid pain, the less you grow.
The more you stay with pain, the more powerful you become.

Because the relationship with pain determines the trajectory of your life. (Want to hold a mirror to yourself and feel the squirm? I shared a LinkedIn post on Friday giving people 10 questions to expose their legendary or laziness.)

Legends who succeed? They feel it just like you. They just stay one moment longer.

(P.S. I just released a 12 minute solo episode on the Legend Effect podcast. There, I share three more tools to deal with the pain. Listen to the episode on Apple, Spotify or on the web.)

This week, for our influence psychology lesson:

The Pratfall Effect

Want to be more likeable, more trusted, and more relatable?

Make a mistake (I’m serious.)

The Pratfall effect is one of the simplest ways to build connection and influence. In 1966, psychologist Elliot Aronson conducted a study where participants listened to recordings of individuals answering quiz questions. Some recordings included the individual spilling coffee on themselves—a minor blunder ☕️.

The findings? Highly competent individuals who committed a small mistake were perceived as more likable than those who didn't. Conversely, average individuals who made the same mistake were liked less.

Why? A minor flaw humanizes high achievers, making them appear more approachable and relatable.

How can you apply the Pratfall Effect?

• Leaders: Share your own missteps to build trust with your team. "I once overlooked a crucial detail, but it taught me the importance of double-checking."

• Marketers: Highlight minor product imperfections to enhance authenticity. "Our handmade mugs may have slight variations, adding to their unique charm."

• Job Seekers: Don't shy away from discussing past mistakes in interviews. "I learned a lot from a project that didn't go as planned, and it improved my approach to teamwork."

Remember Legends, perfection can be intimidating. Embracing and sharing minor flaws can make you more relatable and trustworthy.

This week, I want to give a big shout to Deidre Davis. She left a message on my weekly poll “I especially like the information about the Pygmalion Effect, which sounds like the positive impact of high expectation and high support.  I love the optimism of: belief changes behaviors, and behaviors change results.  As always, Howie, you offer ideas and guidance that are practical, encouraging, and hopeful.  Thank you!” I want to thank YOU Deidre, I write for legends like you.

So, Let Me Ask You…

Where are you avoiding pain right now?

Where are you escaping instead of staying?

And what if—just this once—you chose to stay?

What if the discomfort isn’t your enemy… it’s your invitation?

The fire doesn’t destroy the legend. It forges it.

And remember this:

You don’t need to be unbreakable. You just need to be someone who stays in it.

Make your mark, live your legend 🤘🏽

Let’s GOOOOOOOOO!

I’ll see you next Sunday.

Howie Chan

Creator of Legend Letters

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P.S. If you or someone you know is a marketer or strategist working in the Medtech or Healthtech industry, check out Medtech Brand Academy!

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