Perhaps the default of living is to be present in this moment in gratitude. To be grateful that our life is safe, healthy, happy and peaceful. Most of us in the 1st world countries have this luxury and privledge.
Then we have versions of our inner child- our inner children. These may be children who are bored, anxious, feeling guilty, burdened under obligations and critical of ourselves. They resist everything that shows up and suffer due to this. We are humans then turn away from the present moment gratitude and suffer- for no reason.
I always bring this back to the zebra and the lion. The zebra sees a lion close by and knows to run away and hide. When the lion is further and not a threat, the zebra will relax, trusting the distance and its instinct to protect itself when needed.
As humans we have forgotten this process, we believe (our inner children) there is a lion (danger) lurking at every corner, and are constantly running away, or putting out fires that do not exist, in our mind or with our external world.
In reality, everything is ok, just the way it is. No lion. No fire. No running away or suffering needed. In reality, we can stay present in gratitude and accept that our inner children will be bored, anxious or critical and with that acceptance, we continue to go on about our life with love and trust, dropping the resistance, dropping that which brings about suffering.