Each of us has an opinion about how things “should” be. Hence, it’s simple to engage in a struggle with life when our plans fall through and the reality we find ourselves in differs greatly from the one we’d labored for. Nevertheless, it’s our mental image of how those things ought to be rather than the actual circumstances of our existence that mess us up the most. You can regain energy that was expended fighting against what your reality isn’t when you let go and accept it for all that it is. They certainly aren’t like the one you’re dealing with right now. Nonetheless, you always manage to successfully navigate challenging circumstances. And when you reflect on them, you’ll remember that you worried you might not have what it would take at the time only to find that you did. You still have the same inclination to undervalue your resilience, after all. Just keep in mind that you are capable of overcoming challenges. You win once more because you’ve defeated them before. When faced with a challenging scenario, people typically do a terrible job of anticipating their feelings. In fact, when facing a crisis, we often assume that this is how we will always feel. It’s untrue. Gilbert clarifies, “It’s not that things don’t hurt. The reason is that they don’t hurt as bad or as long as we anticipated. Thus, realize that no matter how miserable you may feel right now, it won’t last forever. The danger of hope must be taken.
