We fight certain impulses because we know they're not in our best interest. There's one major aspect of our selves that I don't think gets enough credit as something we should be actively avoiding despite its magnetic appeal: emotion.

And the having thereof. Think of the last time you were particularly happy about something. That felt good, didn't it? Well, what happened immediately afterward? You became overconfident, slacked off, and made some decisions you now regret.

How about the last time you felt devastated and sobbed uncontrollably into a pillow? Boy, did it feel good to let it all out, to grieve in your own way! But get this! What if you could just… not be sad at all? Has your fit of rage ever been advantageous? Has pure elation been anything other than addictive?

Live your life not as someone to whom things happen and cause emotion but as an observer of things that do happen and are best responded to with equanimity.