The purpose of this study was to explore the daily routines of persons with chronic pain, to analyze the role of occupations in the chronic pain experience, and to develop a grounded theory on the role of occupation in the lives of people with chronic pain. The participants were ten individuals with chronic pain who lived in four northeastern states. Data collection tools included demographic sheets, one openended question, the Assessment of Occupational Function (AOF), an occupational configuration, the Rand 36-Item Health Survey 1.0 Questionnaire Items assessment, and the Mankoski Pain Scale. The data was first reduced into ten separate case studies. The case studies were then analyzed via closed and open coding. Closed coding was conducted according to four occupational risk factors (Cronin-Davis, Lang, & Molineux, 2004). A grounded theory emerged from this coding process. The researchers named this emergent theory the Paradigm of Life. The Paradigm of Life clarifies the relationship between occupation and pain, and it may be useful guide the development of worksite injury-related secondary and tertiary prevention programs. It also shows how occupational engagement can enhance quality of life in persons who live with chronic pain.