“When we frame setbacks as ‘signs’, we’re often trying to make sense of something that hurts,” says Taz Thornton, an award-winning business and empowerment coach, speaker and bestselling author. “It’s a coping mechanism. If we can convince ourselves that a disappointment is somehow part of a bigger plan, it can soften the blow. It gives us a sense of control over something that otherwise feels chaotic and unfair.” ‘Chaotic and unfair’ is a good way to describe the first few months of 2025. In the US, Donald Trump has slashed foreign aid, laid off thousands of federal workers and thrown financial markets around the world into turmoil, while in the UK, Keir Starmer’s government has tabled welfare cuts that will harm the poorest and most vulnerable in society. Meanwhile a loaf of bread costs two quid, the job market has tipped drastically in favour of employers and it remains all but impossible to buy a house. Against such a turbulent backdrop, is it any wonder that a report published by Channel 4 at the start of the year found that only 60% of 13 to 27-year-olds feel in control of major aspects of their lives? Can anyone blame us if we try to impose a modicum of control wherever we can?
