I'm coming to believe that everything that happens to me is intended for my spiritual growth. Inside every problem there is a message just for me. Usually the message is "let go." Without the associated pain that problems bring I would not be motivated to let go, change course, develop faith, and grow as a consequence.
For most of my life I drank through everything uncomfortable so I never heard or understood the messages. I became hardened and insensitive and developed a great tolerance for pain. Things had to get down right awful before I would try to change anything. I'm grateful this tolerance for pain didn't kill me before I was given the grace to see I had reached my bottom. Many of us aren't so lucky.
Since I began trying to live life on life's terms I have become increasingly more sensitive to internal turmoil. Now I try to pay attention to what's going on with me. I ask myself: Where is that fear coming from? Why did I lose my temper? What is this worry about? I use 10 to find my part, 11 to reconnect, and 12 to get out of myself. Taken together, these spiritual actions have helped me overcome many problems large and small.