Word of the day to expunge: Hate
As in – I hate George Bush.
Or – I hate Barack Obama.
OK – I hate racists.
OK – I hate those little black flies you find in the woods in New England who bite me on the head and leave big welts.
The Basic Tenet: The Cheerful heart is the default position of the human spirit. Envision the heart-o-meter and notice that there is an ordinary toggle switch. One side is labeled “Cheerful” the other, “Angry.” When we are born, the switch is set on Cheerful. Moving it to Angry is something we do to ourselves, either because we seek out the Angry Way or we succumb to its preponderant, inescapable presence. But we're the ones who flip the switch. Being perpetually angry is learned behavior, which can be brought about by actively searching out those things that make us angry. It is an addiction of a sort. Its causes are many, not least among them that those people who seek out this anger do so because they then find themselves feeling more “alive” when they are in the throes of this particular passion. They feel more important; as if they matter more to the greater good, to their country, their church and their fellow sufferers. This is a false belief. But we are surrounded by people and media who would lead us down that route, for it is to their advantage when we succumb. Resist them. Avoid them.
What the Cheerful Heart will not do, (necessarily).
Bring you love.
Bring world peace.
Bring you money.
Impart a Big Secret.
Make you smarter.
Make you better looking.
Help you lose weight.
Sober up.
What it will do:
Make you happier.
Calm you down.
Free up some time formally wasted on being angry.
Act as a shield against easy anger.
The Cheerful Heart does not go around seeking happiness and good cheer. It's not an active search for things that make us feel good. It is an attempt to exorcise those things in life that make us unhappy. If they can't be exorcised, then they should at least be avoided. If they can't be avoided, we hope that having a cheerful heart will help protect us from the corrosive acids of anger that eat away at our spirit.
A friend of mine who was a great martial artist in some obscure form of hand-to-hand combat once told me that the first move a warrior must make in a fight is to take a step back. That's what I'm suggesting: when faced with anger, take a step back. Do not engage. It will only please your enemy if you do. And smile. Rely on your Cheerful Heart. It drives them crazy.
