No pain no gain

I think the word "pain" is being used as a symbolism. We don't really have to endure physical pain to gain something, but it's more of working for something and to get something since not everything is served to us on a silver platter. It means that we don't just get something we badly want overnight - baby steps for a big leap.

Yes, there is some pain behind every gain, unless it is a small pain or big pain. Another proverb which has the same meaning as the above is 'No crown without cross'. I do believe that gain depends on the opportunities you get. If you don't get an opportunity you can't gain or you can't prove yourself eventhough you are talented. I can also call opportunity as luck or god's grace. Thanks for responding to my discussion.

I live by that statement as well as what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. When I used to take martial arts, especially in the higher belts, it would be hard to carry on with the class. Your legs are weak and feel like rubber, you're panting, you're sweating, and you just want to sit down, but you have to carry on regardless. To this day I still feel the effects of giving it my all in karate, even when there was nothing left to give.

I think it means if you are not willing to push yourself to your limits to achieve your goal, there will not be a goal to be able to achieve.... hopefully that made sense, because it does to me right now, but I don't know if it will make sense later on when I read it over 100 times...