“…nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage.” ( Ecclesiastes 3:22 NKJV)

Enjoy Yourself

When president Eliot of Harvard was 88, he was asked how he accounted for his good health and vigorous mind. He said, “a calm temperament expectant of good.”

Winston Churchill said, ” Rational, industrious, useful human beings are divided into two classes: First, those whose work is work and whose please is pleasure; and secondly, those whose work and pleasure are one. Fortune’s favored children belong to the second class. Their life is natural harmony.”

Some things make life pleasant; others make it miserable. The following rules are not always easy to follow. Maybe they will be of worth to you.

Make up your mind to be happy. Find pleasure in simple things.

Make the best of your circumstances. Everyone has some sorrow. Seek to make the smiles outnumber the tears.

You can’t please everyone. Don’t let your critics run and ruin your life. The more you accomplish, the more resistance you will meet.

Don’t borrow trouble. Imaginary problems are heavier than the actual ones.

Hate poisons the soul. Do not cherish grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.

Don’t hold postmortems; brooding over sorrows and mistakes.

Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself; especially those who have blessed your life.

Keep busy. A busy person doesn’t have time to be unhappy.

“I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,  and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.” Ecclesiates 3:12-13 NKJV)

– Joe R. Barnett