We often hear about stress in general terms, but not all stress is the same. One powerful distinction is between controllable and uncontrollable stressors. Understanding this difference can help us not only navigate our own lives more skillfully, but also build deeper compassion when we’re in the presence of those who are facing stress they can’t easily change.

What that experience taught me—and what I saw mirrored in the Kardashians’ stories—is that our harshest judgments often stem from within. We tend to criticize in others what we haven’t yet come to terms with in ourselves. And when I watched them navigate their own challenges—balancing motherhood, relationships, business, and self-identity—I saw them wrestling not only with public perception, but with their own inner narratives.