The New York Times published recently an article on the science of the movie “Inside Out”. It describes how emotions shape and organize rational thinking (cursive mine):

First, emotions organize — rather than disrupt — rational thinking. Traditionally, in the history of Western thought, the prevailing view has been that emotions are enemies of rationality and disruptive of cooperative social relations.

Scientific studies find that our current emotions shape what we remember of the past. 

Second, emotions organize — rather than disrupt — our social lives. Studies have found, for example, that emotions structure (not just color) such disparate social interactions as attachment between parents and children, sibling conflicts, flirtations between young courters and negotiations between rivals.

Those who are able to associate a constructive emotion to whatever they encounter in life will see anything as an opportunity to build on. The key here is that you can train yourself to certain emotional reactions and such emotions will shape subsequent thinking.

Incidentally, the movie is beautiful.