Whenever I find myself in emotional pain, I call it "tuition"... the price I am paying for my "education". I have two choices: I am either going to get the education, or I will need to pay the tuition again. The education can be any number of things. For example: "That person is unsafe", or "I need to look at my motives", or "I need to think before I act". Sometimes, as when someone I love has died, the pain is inevitable: the grief I feel is a reflection of the depth of my love. But most times, that emotional pain is something I had a part in creating. The only things in this world that I can control are my behavior, my attention, and my intention. So, thinking this way strengthens my agency.