I'll lay myself bare: I often struggle with resentment. Resentment of circumstance, comparison to others. Not truth—just an ugly perspective that shows up uninvited.

And yet...

With the help of mentors and loved ones who reflect back what I can't see alone, I'm learning something: these emotions are opportunities. When things get bad, that's when the work begins.

Every emotional flare-up is a chance to learn—to grow. Not a punishment, but a curriculum.

A caveat worth naming: sometimes the flare-ups are beyond our capacity. There's no diminishing the severity of mental affliction, from bipolar to schizophrenia. What I'm describing here is for those of us with the capacity to ask, to bear awareness, to treat difficult emotions as a compass pointing toward something we need to learn.

Here's the thing about emotions: they're not logical cogs you can reason with. They require tending—practice, soothing, reorienting. They're like children who need to be taught how to be in the face of difficulty. You can't argue a child into calm. You hold them. You guide them. You show up, again and again.

So when the emotional challenge comes up, we can ask: What is this trying to teach me? What is this calling me to become?

Not easy. And not something I recommend doing alone.

Trusted friends, qualified coaches, trained therapists—they can be your mirrors and your aid. Because while the emotion is yours to feel, growing through it is best done as a team sport.

The tough emotion is the opportunity. The right company helps you transmute it into something greater.