In tough moments, you might catch yourself wondering, “Is this normal?” When you look around, the lives of friends and strangers often look polished—exciting jobs, perfect relationships, fantastic vacations—so it’s easy to feel out of place when your own life feels messy, stuck, or painful. When you look more closely, a different picture starts to appear—one that can be quietly reassuring.

Some Facts That Might Surprise You

• Every year in the United States, about 4–5 million people get married—and an estimated 42–53% of those marriages will end in divorce.
  
• As of 2024, only 8% of people say they’ve landed their dream job, suggesting most of us are still navigating work that feels meaningful or like a good fit.
  
• In 2023, 70% of the workforce was actively considering a career change, reflecting widespread restlessness and reevaluation around work and purpose.
  
• More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness, underscoring how common emotional and psychological struggles are in daily life.
  
• A study conducted by Amerispeak and WebMD found that 57% of Americans have been grieving the loss of someone close in the past three years, meaning grief is far more widespread than we tend to acknowledge. In other words, grief is far more common than we tend to acknowledge—inviting a little more patience and care in how we move through the world.

When you take in these facts together, even if the challenges we face feel deeply personal, they’re not unusual. Whether it’s the relationships that don’t go as planned, a career that feels like a grind, or the ongoing presence of mental health struggles, most of us are walking similar terrain. 

Instead of asking yourself, “Is this normal?” it might help to ask,
“How can I meet this moment with more kindness?”

When you do this, you may start to feel less alone and notice your experiences as part of a path many others are walking too.

Consider

As you think about your current path, ask yourself some of these questions:

• Is there anything in my life today that doesn’t need to be fixed?
• Can I let this be part of my life, just for now?
• “How can I meet this moment with more kindness?”

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