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Remember that inadequacy is not merely a hump, not merely something you confront and get over with. There are always reasons—and valid reasons, at that—to feel inadequate for someone or for something. But don’t let it torment the soul.

What matters is the journey. It is not only that you tried, and tried your best, but it is also, above all, that you can live it embracing the gift of human life that we’ve all been given. It is to be grateful, to be mindful, to be present, to realize that none of these games we play may even matter at all at the end of the day. There is so much that we don’t understand, so much that we mistakenly perceive as truth, so much undiscovered. To act like we’ve got it all figured out works just fine for achieving these goals we’ve set out for ourselves, until it just doesn’t.

We don’t have to let our circumstances define our story. We don’t have to let our emotions dictate whether or not we can find joy out of this existence. But if we don’t take steps to practice gratitude and mindfulness, we let it.