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It’s all too easy to judge our past selves unfairly and dismiss our once held beliefs as delusions, as if we were blind, ignorant, and unable to see the truth. No—we saw the truth all too well. Depression, or just intense bouts of sadness, are often not delusions; in fact, the very problem is that in that state, we are too focused on certain truths about our world that make us miserable, so much so that we obstinately refuse to see the truths that can make us joyful.

There are extremely valid reasons to despise yourself, other people, human nature, the abhorrent condition of our society, and the abysmal state of the world. But there are also extremely valid reasons to embrace our blessings, our stories, and our fate that links us all together, to cherish the love and the infinite beauty that abounds on this earth.

We may think that we are seeing things “as they are,” when in reality, it is only as they partially are. The choice of one over the other does not determine right or wrong; it only determines misery or joy.