In truth, most misery is caused in the world by living a reactive life, a life of unwise choices. The person who is terrified of mice has no need to be afraid. A mouse is a very timid tiny creature. Surely the mouse, even in the most primitive of situations is a relatively safe animal to be with. The man, who habitually reacts in anger, usually demonstrates violence in his life, often hurting the people he loves most.
Some people develop the ability to handle their emotions in a rich and rewarding way.
There are many theories. What if there was a potential for some positives in our lives but we have forgotten them. What if we could learn from the positives and reawaken them into our lives. This is the challenge. Time-lines are used in NLP, and other therapies.