Generally I'm a pretty even keeled guy. I rarely show extreme anger or extreme happiness. It didn't used to be like this, I'm not sure when this changed, but I used show lots of emotion, anger/happiness/sadness... etc.

Especially at work, if stuff goes bad, I generally do not panic. I understand that stuff happens, and nothing is going to change by complaining or getting angry about it. It is also the same about good things, I don't get extremly happy about things because it may be taken away.

This attitude has translated into my personal life. I tend to shrug off bad things that happen, but when good things happen I don't get too elated.

There are good things to this (I don't make as many mistakes now due to being angry) but there are bad things to this as well (showing happiness when something good happens).

I always believed that people need to outlet their feelings. So is my even-keeled attitude a sign that my passion for life isn't as strong as before? That I just don't care about things as much? Or is it that I know life has ups and downs and you just got to keep going?

I'm not sure if I miss the old emotional me. I used to take things so seriously, so passionate about things (or just anal about things). Now it seems I just breeze through life.

How do you still keep your passion for living, but also guard against negative emotions? Does anger/disappointment/sadness not go hand in hand with happiness and joy?