All feelings, be they demoralising, shameful, saddening, are valuable. They are pieces of intelligence. They show us the parts of us that need more love and teach us how to love ourselves better. They also point us to distinguishing reality from the stories we tell ourselves about it. Certain feelings—grief, loss, loneliness—are our natural response to the reality of the flow of life. They are unavoidable. Others—shame, guilt, resentment—are the result of the false beliefs we have about ourselves or life. They are fictions. Lies. Avoidable.
