Happiness is like warmth. Even the coldest heart must melt if this warmth is allowed to penetrate for long enough. If whatever you do can somehow help your neighbour, the resulting happiness you receive will permeate your entire being. Whether you are a farmer, salesperson, housewife, office worker, doctor, lawyer, butcher, candlestick maker, or whatever, your fellow human being needs your skill and by rendering a service to him it should bring happiness to you. Do not go about your work sullenly, thereby spoiling the blessing of it. If you are a teacher or a doctor and perhaps you feel that what you do does not receive proper recognition, at least take comfort and happiness from the fact that you are in a position to help those who need and want to be helped. Those who work only for the sake of making money, or are forced to because of circumstances, gain very little, if any, satisfaction from their work. If there is no pleasure to be found in what you are doing or in your achievements, then you are cheating yourself, to be sure. If your eight- or nine-hour working day is pervaded by ill-will and discontent, and you sleep for another eight hours, it is fairly certain that you will not have many happy, cheerful and thankful feelings during whatever time remains. Such a life is one of slavery and drudgery. Your work would be so much easier and enjoyable and it would make fewer demands on you if only it could be permeated with happiness. In the evening you would be much less tired, your dinner would taste better and your morale would be higher. The hours of leisure spent with your family and friends would be filled with pleasure and peace of mind. Even though others contaminate the atmosphere with hate and discontent, your happiness would be strong enough to triumph over such discord.
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