Advice to a friend in hard times

As far as Universe is concerned, you are perfect. With just a little maintenance (Food and Rest), your body does everything Universe expects, perfectly well. By merely existing, you do everything that is required of you by Universe.

Everything else, everything that makes you who you are, everything that defines you to others, everything that defines you to you, every action you take, is a choice. They are your choices, and no one else's.

Choices are just choices. Choosing one course of action over another is the decision you are making. Good or Bad ONLY comes with adding a value judgment on the outcome of that decision. They could be your values, they could be someone else's. Know which set of values you are allowing to determine "good" or "bad" choices, and those choices can be made with more conviction.

You have made some "good" choices in life, as well as some "bad" choices in life. In different times, or through different eyes, you could probably swap the labels on those same choices. I think you, in general, make very good choices, and it is my belief that someone who makes more "good" choices than "bad" ones is what makes them a "good" or "bad" person. I believe you are a "good" person. But then, that is just me. And besides, what I think is irrelevant because:

As far as Universe is concerned, you are perfect. Everything else is a choice.