Nice. For Zen Buddhists we look beyond the natural rollercoaster of emotions - what lies in the "background" perhaps. Resting there we discover the superficiality of emotions and see the seeking of "good" ones like happiness or joy or cheerfullness, enthusiasm etc in preference to "bad" ones as a folly, a pointless resistance to life. ...unhappiness et al doesnt need to be fixed, in fact its required otherwise how can happiness be recognised? ...so its silly to expect "positive" emotions all the time when "negative" ones are *required* to be able to experience them! Let emotions ebb and flow and see them perhaps like the weather and dont bother to try and "fix" them. The silence in the background somehow speaks..."everything is okay". Meanwhile I dont mean letting go of ones life, but rather play it as a game so ambition, goals and having a happier level of living can still be sought but realise its a game , an activity and doesnt change "the background" which the good Doctor Weil calls "contentment" here - which is a nice way of labelling it. Peace
