Thoughts do not have to be terminated through meditation; they can be simply observed. Disturbing emotions do not have to be excluded; they can be doorways into an aliveness that is as vivid as a moment of spontaneous laughter, or irritation. By learning to be with these emotions in a new way, we can, in fact, energize our lives and enrich our personal relationships. They give us access to ourselves, precisely because they challenge our attempts to keep ourselves together.
Mark Epstein, M.D.
Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart