Cheryl Strayed, author of the memoir “Wild,” built her writing around the idea that hardship can become a source of strength and self‑knowledge. This advice appears in “Tiny Beautiful Things,” a compilation of her online “Dear Sugar” advice columns, in which she urges readers to face painful experiences honestly rather than avoiding them or feeling shame. Strayed emphasizes that claiming our difficult and traumatic experiences as part of our story allows us to use them for growth and insight. “Feed it to yourself even if it feels impossible to swallow,” she continues. “Let it nurture you, because it will.”