September 28, 2025

We often think of emotions as fleeting states, moments of happiness, sadness, anger, or fear. But science shows they are far more powerful. Look at your emotions as the fuel that powers your daily life. Just like an engine runs differently depending on the quality of fuel, your emotions drive how you think, act, connect, and grow.

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Reflections & wisdom

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Barbara Fredrickson calls positive emotions the “high-octane fuel” that helps us thrive. Through her Broaden-and-Build Theory, she shows how joy, curiosity, gratitude, and love expand our awareness, like opening up the road ahead. These moments don’t just feel good; they build lasting resources: stronger relationships, resilience, and even better health.

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But not all fuel is the same:

• Negative emotions are like emergency fuel. Fear, anger, or sadness help us survive and respond to threats. We need them—but they’re not meant to power the whole journey.

• Positive emotions are growth fuel. They keep us moving forward, opening possibilities, fueling creativity, and deepening connections. Fredrickson suggests aiming for about three positive emotions for every negative one, so your “emotional tank” runs on growth, not just survival.

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Fredrickson adds another critical insight: your brain has a budget. Your “Brain Budget” is the limited amount of emotional and cognitive energy you have each day. Every emotion you experience, every decision you make, and every interaction you engage in draws from this budget. Negative emotions—while necessary—consume disproportionately more of your brain’s energy. That means if your day is filled with stress, fear, or anger, you have less brain fuel left for creativity, problem-solving, and joy.

The good news? Positive emotions replenish your brain budget. They refill your capacity for attention, resilience, and growth. This is why cultivating joy isn’t just “nice to have”—it’s an essential strategy for a thriving life.

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Insights from Other Experts

• Paul Ekman (Emotions Revealed) mapped out universal facial expressions, proving emotions are hardwired across cultures—and crucial for human connection.

• Lisa Feldman Barrett (How Emotions Are Made) argues emotions are not fixed “programs” but constructed by the brain, shaped by culture and experience. This means we can influence how we interpret and regulate them.

• Richard Davidson (The Emotional Life of Your Brain) shows how emotional “styles” are linked to brain activity. With mindfulness and training, we can reshape our patterns toward greater resilience and well-being.

• Susan David (Emotional Agility) reminds us that resisting “negative” emotions backfires. Instead, noticing and naming them with compassion allows us to respond with flexibility and wisdom.

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One Action Toward More Joy​

Your emotions aren’t random noise, they’re your fuel gauge. They tell you when you’re running low, when it’s time to refuel with connection, gratitude, or joy, and when you need to pause and listen to what’s going on under the hood. By managing your emotional fuel and protecting your brain budget, you can preserve your energy for what matters most.

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Your Joyful Action:

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• Check your fuel tank. Name one emotion you’re running on right now.

• Ask yourself: Is this survival fuel or growth fuel?

• Refill your brain budget: Do one intentional joy practice today,  a gratitude pause, a walk in nature, a meaningful conversation, or something playful.

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Your emotions are not distractions, they are data. And when we learn to work with them, we gain one of the most powerful tools for growth and thriving.

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Curious to learn more about emotions? Discover what counterfit emotions are in the podcast interview with Curtis Morley.

Joyful brain delight​

The Seine in Paris Cools 800 Buildings in the Summer: Paris has built Europe’s largest urban cooling network, an underground grid of pipes drawing chilled water from the Seine River to cool over 800 buildings, including the Louvre. Unlike traditional air conditioning, this system transfers heat from inside buildings into the river water, without spraying hot air back into city streets. It reduces energy use, cuts carbon emissions, and offers an eco-friendly alternative as heatwaves increase. Fraîcheur de Paris, the company managing this system, plans to more than double its reach by 2042, expanding the network to cool hospitals, schools, and other public spaces.

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