Overcoming Negative Emotions Talk by Ajahn Brahm (Mar'12)

Yesterday, I attended the talk by Ajahn Brahm on "Overcoming Negative Emotions". 

As usual the talk was packed with people and it was held in a new location. There was a complaint that the talk was disorganized and people had to sat on the floor (I sat on the floor despite arriving 15mins earlier).

Ajahn Brahm's was asked by Angie (the President of the Buddhist Fellowship) to respond to the complaint. Ajahn Brahm pointed out that there was a gap in expectation. People always assume that "we should have this or that" or "things should be like this or like that". However in life, you do not always get what you want. This is LIFE. 

Some key takeaways from the talk:

- Limits the expectation of Life to reduce negative emotions. (My interpretation: It would be a wrong interpretation to assume that we should not work hard. Instead, we should work hard and be at peace with whatever outcome. We tried our best, and that is good enough. Be at peace.)

- How to handle guilt? 

Feeling the guilt of the past does not solve the problem. Learn from it and do something good.

- I like Life as it is

- It is good enough

- Allow it (negative emotions/situations) to be. 

Learn to be at peace.

Things will change.

- How to handle difficult people (ie. Boss/Colleague/Parent)?

Call those difficult people Teachers, as they will teach you a lot of things about Life.

=)