Joseph Emet trained with Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh at Plum Village in France and was made a dharma teacher in that lineage. He has a doctorate in music from Boston University and is the founder of the Mindfulness Meditation Centre in Montreal, Canada. In this paperback, he seeks to plant the seeds of happiness so that readers can grow and flourish. Each section of the book contains three sections: a story, a text designed to stimulate reflection, and a practice section with exercises.
Wisdom, good humor, and lightness of spirit are character qualities that can be cultivated by meditation. They in turn counter stress and fear; Emet suggests that when we imitate the process of balancing, we experience that art of mood regulation. Here expectations and disappointments are the challenge; accepting them is better than over-reacting to them.
The singer Willie Nelson once recalled:
"Maybe the most valuable thing I learned from my grandmother Nelson was that you can get through hard times if you've got a song in your heart."
With chapters on embracing work and laziness, appreciating what you have, taking care of yourself, connecting with compassion, and developing your "relationship intelligence," Emet blends the best of Zen and the scientific input of positive psychology.
