Good Old Emotions.

Brand 2016.

On the way back home from Brand on Friday, I had this conversation with someone, who has studied Philosophy, about how you can only come so far with rational thinking. You cannot really make sense of life with practical thinking. So what is it that makes life worth living? Something that makes us feel as if we have lived.
Emotions.
Love, anger, misery, joy, lust, greed, passion, faith...every one of these emotions give our life meaning.
We are built to feel. We are incomplete without these turbulent emotions of ours. Emotions wake something inside us, a light, a fire, something that engraves in our bones the meaning of our moral lives. Something that makes us want to achieve more, love more, give more.
When I was younger I tried to drown out my emotions, as if ignoring them or distracting myself would make them vanish. Then I realised that you are supposed to feel these things. You are allowed to feel gut wrenching sorrow, and bone deep weariness. It does not make you happier if you just pretend that everything is alright, even when it is not. There are moments or even days when you will be brimming with happiness and joy. Joy at being alive, joy at being there, joy at all the things you did and decisions you made that brought you here, to this moment.
I know things are hard sometimes, actually, a lot of the times, but every now and then, in the midst of utter chaos you will find these short moments of peace and calm, and suddenly things will not seem that bad. There will still be chaos all around you, the only difference is, now you know that you will get through it. It does not seem like much, but believe me you, these moments are everything.

These are the things that make life worth living.