Matt I respectfully disagree with your opinion that “Therefore, if you were someone poor who struggled with depression and you had a very slim amount of positive emotions in your life, then your life would not be that good.”

“You would be experiencing very little good value and worth in your life and towards the helping of others regardless of how much you have made the best of your life and helped others. So, basically, I am telling you that if you are a depressed or miserable human being or artist, then your life can only amount to ****.”

After returning from a year of rehabilitation to help me walk again from an injury I got in the Middle East, You cannot imagine the amount of profound depression I had. Paralyzed from the waste down for 9 months, learning to walk again took a year. Returning home from rehab in Germany I was homeless for almost 7 months. No job, poor, depressed, feeling worthless for YEARS, justifiably so, with a barely measurable amount of feeling positive. But the very small amount of feeling positive was the one thing I held on to. As a result of making a choice to not accept all the negativity I had I became stronger and stronger. It was not all those negative emotions that defined me nor did they define who I was going to be. It was I who decided who I was going to be and how I wanted my life to be. As a result of nurturing that strength, I am a very successful person both professionally and personally. I agree with you, my friend, when you said, “Therefore, if you were someone poor who struggled with depression and you had a very slim amount of positive emotions in your life, then your life would not be that good.” However, you are not correct in your assessment that “if you are a depressed or miserable human being or artist, then your life can only amount to ****.” with the operative words you chose “your life can only amount to ****.” My life did not turn out to “only amount to ****.”

@Peter…My friend would you mind helping me understand what you said about “… reality is… illusion.” During the past few years I am learning more about reality being an illusion. I find that to be an exciting concept but I have a hard time understanding it.

To both of you…recently I was in a discussion with a friend of mine about judgements. He said that judgement is based on perception and that is where prejudice is derived from. My friend did not limit prejudice to race but clarified that by saying we often times are prejudice toward something else as well. I found his comment to be interesting. I did not agree or disagree with this because for me the jury is still out. I am interested in what both of you would offer about his statement, and everyone else on Tiny Buddha as well.

Thank you both for an exciting post.

Pearce