Trial And Error:
But I don't know if it is good practice to focus on feelings and emotions a lot, since there is a lot of identification there. A lot of "self", a lot of wanting to make it "better".
Personally I think this is fine. Just note what you see clearly and non-judgementally. Self-concept, concepts of others, predictions / expectations, images, words, memories, desires, aversions, feelings, impulses, sensations. Regarding wanting to make things better, put that down when you're meditating. But in daily life, do find ways to make things better, for yourself and others.
In Zen the direction of the practice is sometimes said to be simply: See your true nature, help all beings.
Eventually you'll get very familiar with thoughts & feelings and get bored of focusing on them. At that point you can move on to more basic insight into the nature of reality.
My long term goal is stream entry. One thing I realized while writing this: If personal growth (or healing) and enlightenment are two goals I want to achieve, I can't seem to reconcile these two based on my intellectual understanding of enlightenment. One has a lot of self, one doesn't.
I think they're very compatible. They're both rooted in seeing clearly and acting skillfully.
It is true that I have a lot of doubt at this point in life.
The antidote to doubt is sometimes said to be understanding what things are skillful and what things are unskillful. Skillful: Helping yourself, helping others, seeing clearly. Unskillful: Getting attached to anger, sadness, material possessions, your opinions. Taking actions that harm yourself or harm others. Looking at the world through the lens of your desires and aversions, thinking you're the center of the universe. Being deluded as to the nature of what you are.
I guess right now my focus is personal healing and growth. And having more control over emotions. That kind of answers some of my questions actually. But feel free to add anything.
I would like to add, there is this gradual training that the Buddha taught:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/The first step is
generosity. If you're not already established in this, get established in it. Do something active to help others -- work in soup kitchens, volunteer, do nice things for your parents / siblings / coworkers / friends / any other beings. There is a lot of personal growth, healing and maturity to be found here. Truly!