Cheerfulness In Life

The Swedish text is translated to say;


Cheerfulness prolongs life.
Politeness delights company.
Industriousness brings prosperity.
- Carl Damm [1828-1884], a writing tutor in Wirestad [Virestad/G], Sweden

It is said by Thomas Carlyle that "wondrous is the strength of cheerfulness, and its power of endurance - the cheerful man will do more in the same time, will do it ;better, will preserve it longer, than the sad or sullen." How often we go through life with a frown upon our lives wishing for a change that could bring happiness. For many people it is an elusive quest, this thing called happiness. Yet most fail to see that it resides within oneself, that ability to be cheerful.

Some have scoffed at my idea of happiness and cheerfulness. They say that it is easy to talk of this when things are going well. I understand the thought process they are using when saying wait until things go bad. I am here to state that things have gone bad in my life. I have suffered pain at times and understand sullenness of the heart.

My years though have taught me that to remain in a state of being glum solves nothing. It provides no opportunity for others to come into my life and lift me. Without the hope of gladness, of sunshine to once more cascade over your spirit is a terrible way to live.

Be of cheerfulness as I told a friend once. "Suffer", it was said by Aristotle, "becomes beautiful when any one bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility, but through greatness of mind." A glad and happy heart is there if you look for it.