Happiness is like a
pebble1 dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of
ripples2. As Stevenson has said, being happy is a duty.
There is no exact definition of the word happiness. Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons. The key is not wealth or physical
well-being3, since we find beggars,
invalids4 and so-called failures, who are extremely happy.
Being happy is a sort of unexpected
dividend5. But staying happy is an
accomplishment6, a triumph of soul and character. It is not selfish to strive for it. It is, indeed, a duty to ourselves and others.
Being unhappy is like an infectious disease. It causes people to shrink away from the sufferer. He soon finds himself alone,
miserable7 and
embittered8. There is, however, a cure so simple as to seem, at first glance, ridiculous; if you don’t feel happy, pretend to be!
It works. Before long you will find that instead of
repelling9 people, you attract them. You discover how deeply rewarding it is to be the center of wider and wider circles of good will.
Then the make-believe becomes a reality. You possess the secret of peace of mind, and can forget yourself in being of service to others.
Being happy, once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit, opens doors into unimaginable gardens
thronged10 with grateful friends.
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