You may compare life to an ocean. It's full of high and low tides, which may be seen as analogies for life's ups and downs. Sometimes we are filled with joy, and other times we are filled with grief. We might also imagine that life, like the ocean, is full of perpetual change. The sea is never still; there are waves and storms that come and go. People have been comparing life to the ocean since at least 600 B.C., when Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Buddha) was asked by a group of monks what was best in life. He replied that it was "the peace and happiness of mind which comes from knowing reality." Life is like the ocean because both are dynamic systems that contain many factors affecting each other. Some of these factors are good (such as love and kindness) while others are bad (such as hatred and fear). Through my experiences in life I have found that nothing can truly harm me unless I allow it to. As long as I keep myself safe and protect myself against danger, then I will always be okay. The ocean has tides which are similar to emotions. There are highs and lows to emotional experience. At times we are overwhelmed with joy and excitement, and at other times we are depressed or anxious. Just like the ocean, our feelings are part of the natural process of life.