According to Tolle, love, joy, and peace are the deepest states of our being.

These emotions are the foundation of our inner connection to something greater that’s beyond the mind itself.

In other words, happiness is actually our natural state.

It’s how children exist before they’re molder (or, in many cases, polluted) by society’s conditioning.

Jesus even said, “The kingdom belongs to them.” But as we grow up, we absorb these cultural fears, pressures, and limiting beliefs. And that’s when things start to spiral out of control.

“It is no measure of health” says Jiddu Krishnamurti, “to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” But I digress.

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“Emotions are the body’s reaction to the mind” Explains the spiritual teacher Eckhart. Or, if you prefer a more refined take, you could say emotions are the mind’s reflection in the body.

Strong emotions like anger, fear, hatred, and whatnot—don’t just affect our thoughts; they also change our body’s chemistry. Think about that for a second. And as overwhelming as these emotions can be, they’re also powerful teachers.

Author Brené Brown reminds us that our feelings carry important messages about what’s going on inside us.

The key is to step back, says Brown, and observe them instead of letting them take over. Because when you create a little distance, you can actually learn from them, and make better choices.

Tolle reminds us: “Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.”

Whether you’re happy, sad, anxious, or at peace—it’s all just your mind reflected in your body.

Emotion is simply where the mind and body meet.

Instead of resisting it, we should learn to work with it. Because at the end of the day, every emotion is valid.

They all exist in the present moment—shaped by the lens through which you see the world. Or, as Russian writer Leo Tolstoy put it, “What we understand as happiness or unhappiness depends on our highest spiritual will.”

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Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and author. Born in Germany and educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge.

Eckhart Tolle is the #1 New York Times bestseller The Power of Now and the highly acclaimed follow-up — A New Earth.