Problems are not something to avoid or bemoan but something to confront and expect. They are part of a great and meaningful adventure called the Hero's Journey. And you are the main character.
The Hero’s Journey is not fiction. It’s meta-truth. It describes the universal human story: encountering the unknown, gaining something of value, and transforming ourselves and our communities in the process.
It’s a story humans have been acting out since time immemorial. It’s a journey each of us takes in various forms in our own lives whenever we:
• Learn to love again after a breakup
• Carve out a new career path after losing our job
• Go to therapy to deal with the death of a loved one
• Work on a failing marriage
• Have an uncomfortable conversation to improve a relationship
• Collectively confront the chaos of a pandemic
...and countless other scenarios.
There is a stage in the Hero’s Journey called The Road of Trials followed by The Ordeal, where The Hero must face great difficulties. Slaying dragons, etc. These are necessary steps on the way to the achieving The Ultimate Reward.
When you know how the story goes, you can set your expectations properly. If you learn to expect problems and prepare for them, you take away much of their negative impact. But the opposite is also true: if you expect nothing but good fortune, you amplify your suffering when life doesn’t go your way.