Feeling alone helps me appreciate the times when I have people around me who care about me... and pushes me to reach out to people.

Feeling misunderstood helps me feel grateful for the people who try to understand... and makes me more willing to forgive people who don't seem to understand me.

Feeling hungry makes me grateful for good food, science to help guide my decisions, and the discount at the health food store when I buy a case... and pushes me to help people find joy in healthy eating (though with a diet like mine, that's complicated).

Feeling tired makes me grateful for the things I can do... and gives me empathy for the people who are tired in life.

Feeling anxious makes me grateful for the things inside me that push me to want to be better... and lets me understand the stress of wanting to be better.

Feeling worn down, broken, frustrated or futile helps me appreciate the times when I feel like I'm making a difference, and when I catch glimpses of a place where I belong... and helps me forgive people, love them, and try to start over when I've made mistakes.

Feeling depressed makes me appreciate the things I usually love in life... and pushes me to be there for people who need a friend.

Sometimes I wish I could find a way to avoid negative feelings. To make it so that I could fix all my relationships and find ways to meet my needs. But, in the meantime, living with imperfect (and sometimes grossly dystopian) feelings is a blessing. It helps me appreciate life, and pushes me to make life, and the world around me, better.