“Just as a fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so does a grateful spirit remove the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart.” – Andy Andrews
Cheerfulness is all about two things: attitude and gratitude. The more positive your thoughts and temperament and the more thankful your heart the happier you will be. Success-Minded People know that positive, cheerful people do more, achieve more and have more fun in the process. Thomas Carlyle put it this way: “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 and sullen.”
LIVE POSITIVE
Success-Minded People tend to be more positive about life. A lot of that has to due to the fact they know what they want and are excited about achieving it. They have purpose and a dream and that makes the human heart soar to great heights. Marcus Aurelius said “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” Simply put: the more positive your thoughts the better your life. Since you have full control over your thoughts and attitude there is no excuse for a person being unhappy except that they choose to be.
CHEERFUL IN DIFFICULTIES
“But you don’t know my life and what I have to put up with.” You may say. I do not have to know your life; but I do know life is hard for us all. Every human faces hurt, disappointment, and sorrow. No one is denying that or pretending it is not there. It is how you choose to respond to your life that counts. Success-Minded People choose to face their trials with a positive attitude that says they can make it through and make it through on top. I challenge you to read the life stories of Viktor Frankl and Helen Keller. I wager that 99.8% of all who read this have had troubles nowhere near to these people but they both were solid examples of positive and excited Success-Minded People.
A THANKFUL HEART
Success-Minded People also know that you cannot be trapped in gloom and despair when you have a thankful heart. Gratitude is the most powerful force in the universe. It can heal the sick, bind up the broken heart and fill a life of tragedy with joy and excitement. Arthur Murphy said “Cheerfulness is the principle ingredient in the composition of health.” I have known people in the final stages of cancer who, because of a grateful heart, are in better shape than many with no ailments at all.
CHOOSE CHEERFULNESS
If I could want anything for you my friend, I would want you to know the blessing of a positive and cheerful attitude. No matter what you may be facing, I know for a fact that your attitude can change. You have control. Martha Washington said after her loving husband George died: “I am still determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I find myself.” You too can make this choice. In the words of poet Robert G. Ingersoll:
“The place to be happy is here.
The time to be happy is now.
The way to be happy is to make others so.”
© 2011 John Patrick Hickey
