Dear Ben:

I like the quote you started with because it is congruent with reality. When I hear people repeating things that are feel-good things but not true to reality, I get irritated. For example: everything-happens-for-a-reason (no, much happens randomly, like your own story on this thread!) and live-life-to-the-fullest: what does it mean??? But I digress. I like the quote: expecting fairness and justice is not realistic. Better expect life to be what life is. It is in accepting life as it is, that you are then empowered to make the best of it for yourself.

I would stay away from the Facebook and communication with the person you are jealous of- all it does is trigger you. Avoid exposure to that trigger!

Your last line- I don’t suppose you intended to include it in your post: “I need to find myself outside of art.” Yes, I believe so. There is so much more to you than the art dream you had. You sure spent a lot of time and energy on that dream but that doesn’t mean that the dream was all you had. You didn’t focus on all that you are outside the dream, outside art. Time to pay attention and focus on the other parts of who Ben is.

anita