An Unhappy Heart

 　　A smile is a powerful tool for conquering difficulties and a seed for changing one's state of mind. Behind a smile lies a solid and incomparable strength: a tremendous enthusiasm and confidence in life, a high-minded sincerity and open-mindedness, and the wisdom and courage to face life head-on. Furthermore, our environment is created by our mind, and changes with our mindset. Our inner thoughts can change our outward appearance, and just as they can change our surroundings. Happiness is simple; all you need is a heart as easily satisfied as a child's.

　　Children are the most innocent and naive; they will weep over a trivial expression and be overjoyed by a casual compliment. Most precious of all is their easily satisfied nature, which allows them to always find happiness in the simple gestures of others.

　　Learn to find happiness in self-satisfaction. Self-doubt is a major weakness of human nature. Those who doubt themselves can never concentrate on doing things, let alone do them well. Such people find it difficult to escape the entanglement of disappointment and will never find happiness in their lives.

　　Don't worry about what you don't have; first, find joy in what you already have. What you have is already in your hands; as long as you take good care of it, you won't lose it. What you lack

　　, however, remains a vague mystery—whether you can obtain it, how to obtain it, or how much you can obtain are all unknowns. Instead of lamenting what you lack, be happy with what you have. Live well in the present and don't worry about tomorrow. Don't be afraid of how difficult the road ahead may be, nor worry about tomorrow's affairs, because if you cannot focus on the journey of the present, you will miss some beautiful scenery and special moments in life. Don't lose your own happiness when you envy others. Envy often brings us more pain, but if we think about what we have, we will gain more gratitude and happiness. Because some of your qualities are innate and others cannot possess, why not accept with a joyful heart all that God has given us—the best and most suitable things?

　　Treat slander against you as someone else's story. We can only grow for ourselves, and we can only control our own mouths. Therefore, the best way to deal with slander is to treat it as someone else's story. If you've ever noticed how casually others criticize you, you won't care so much. What's said is already forgotten by others; it's not worth it to hold a grudge over a baseless, casual criticism. Treat others' ridicule as a kind act to help you correct your shortcomings. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed if you're ridiculed. Because ridicule often contains elements of truth, the more accurate the truth, the stronger the impact. Immediately retaliating will only make you appear narrow-minded. Instead, consider it a kind act of helping you recognize and correct your shortcomings. Only through giving can you experience noble joy. Giving itself is joy; the giver is also the happiest person.

　　Helping others achieve their goals and treating them kindly will make you feel that you are also great. Start with your appearance to make yourself happy from the outside in. You've probably had this experience: when you're in a bad mood, changing into nice clothes or dressing up makes you feel like the world hasn't ended. Therefore, building a healthy and positive self-image is a very good way to regulate your mind.

　　Happy memories are a good remedy for frustration. Happy people remember the things that brought them satisfaction, while unhappy people remember the things that brought them unhappiness. Recalling the past is inherently enjoyable, especially those things that brought satisfaction; they are always a source of joy. Instead of getting angry, try humor. Humor is a skill, a wisdom, and a good remedy for escaping awkwardness and conflict. Those who master humor will find their lives filled with joy. Therefore, when faced with an awkward situation, instead of getting angry, try humor. There are no unhappy people in the world, only hearts unwilling to be happy.