Specific outcomes

We can mourn for the things we don’t have. And it can be tough when we think we are entitled to specific outcomes. Safety, security, affection…for example, are things all humans deserve. Except we don’t always get those things. Again, we can be sad that the thing we think we deserve doesn’t work out. But a better alternative is to look at things you do have. Celebrate them. If you don’t have the family you think you deserve, make one. If you don’t have the career you think you have earned, create it. And on and on. Focusing on the things you can control is a much more productive use of energy than focusing on the things you cannot.

In the end, specific outcomes are tied to our expectations of the world.