Sadness hurts but it points us in a direction

Failure to move in that direction can lead to avoidance

Setting realistic expectations for ourselves is paramount: we do what we can, and we only do so much. Our power is limited. But we can still do what we can. Too high expectations can make us feel like we’re not going in the direction that sadness points us towards, because it will feel like we’re not actually going in that direction since it’s so small compared to what we wanted. Setting expectations can make us feel better about the progress that we make because it will feel more like progress since the denominator is smaller (encouragement = action/ expectations). We can’t lie to ourselves and set our expectations too low. We want to make the most change that we are capable of but it’s prudent to know where that limit is. We can never lie to ourselves.

At a time when I felt like a lot of my life felt meaningless, I was reminded (very strongly) how important it is to be there to support my family.

I asked life to give me something that would help me mature.

Life only gives us tribulations that it deems us capable of handling.