Just Be Glad, Part 1
by Christian D. Larson
Part One || Part Two —» || Part Three —»
Note: Some writings are best absorbed by reading from beginning to end, but I discovered that for myself, reading this short book from beginning to end was laborous and difficult. I did discover that anytime I was not happy, and anytime I had the 'blues' - all I needed to do was to scroll to a random section and read a few paragraphs, and the portion that I selected at random always turned out to be the exact words that I needed to hear. ~ Jimbo.
All things respond to the call of rejoicing; all things gather where life is a song. This is the message of the new order, the new life and the new time. It is the golden text of the great gospel of human sunshine. It is the central truth of that sublime philosophy of existence, which declares that the greatest good is happiness, and that heaven is here and now.
To live in the spirit of this wonderful message ; to be a living example of this great gospel, to work out in everyday life the principle of this inspiring philosophy, the first and most important thing to do, is to lay aside our sorrows and glooms, and just be glad.
Wherever you are, or whatever has happened, just be glad. Be glad because you are here. You are here in a beautiful world; and all that is beautiful may be found in this world. It is a world wherein all that is rich in life may be enjoyed beyond measure; a world wherein happiness may overflow eternally in every human heart ; a world wherein all the dreams of life may be realized, and all the visions of the soul made true. Then why should we not be glad ; first of all, that we are here ; that we are in this world; that we may stay here for a long time if we so desire, and enjoy every minute to the full.
The real truth is that this world is nothing less than a limitless sea of happiness, the vastness and glory of which we are just beginning to know. And life itself is a song, while time is one eternal symphony. To be in tune with life, therefore, and to be in harmony with the endless music of time, we must of necessity be glad. But after we have learned to be glad, under every circumstance, it is no longer a necessity; it is a privilege, and has become a part of our active, living, thinking self.
Just be glad, and you always will be glad. You will have better reason to be glad. You will have more and more things to make you glad. For great is the power of sunshine, especially human sunshine. It can change anything, transform anything, re-make anything, and cause anything to become as fair and beautiful as itself.
Just be glad and your fate will change; a new life will begin and a new future will dawn for you. All things that are good and desirable will begin to come into your world in greater measure, and you will be enriched far beyond your expectations, both from the without and from the within. And the cause of the change is this, that all things respond to the call of rejoicing; all things gather where life is a song.
When you are tempted to feel discouraged or disappointed, be glad instead. Know that you can, say that you will, and stand uncompromisingly upon your resolve. Be strong and be glad. For when strength and rejoicing combine in your soul, every trace of gloom or despair must disappear; because such conditions can exist only where weakness is the rule and mastery the exception.
Combine strength with rejoicing and you will exercise a magic power — you will possess a secret that will serve you royally no matter what your difficulties or obstacles may be. All joy is light; and it is the light that dispels the darkness.
When things are not to your liking, be glad nevertheless, for the glad heart can cause all things to be as we wish them to be. When things do not give you pleasure, proceed instead to create pleasure in your own heart and soul. And you can if you will always be glad. Besides, things will soon change for the better if you continue in the spirit of rejoicing. It is the law that all good things will sooner or later come and be, where the greatest happiness is to be found. Therefore, be happiness in yourself, regardless of times, seasons or circumstances.
When things do not please you, resolve to please yourself by being glad, and you can add immeasurably to your happiness in this simple manner. Then you must remember that the fountain of joy within your own soul is infinitely greater than all external sources of joy combined. But as far as we can, we should add the joys from without to the joys from within, and in all things be glad.
Rejoice in your strength, rejoice in your talents and powers, rejoice in the wonders of your own nature. For there is far more in you than you ever dreamed. So whatever may come, you are greater than it all, richer than it all. And knowing this, why should you not be glad?
When evil befalls you, consider the fact that the good that is yet in your possession is many times as great as all the evil you could ever know. Consider this stupendous fact and be glad. Then remember, with rejoicing, that neither evil nor wrong can exist very long in the radiant sunshine of a glad triumphant soul.
If you have lost anything, have no regrets. Be glad and begin again. Be glad that you can begin again. Be glad to know that the future is always richer and better than the past if we only try to make it so. Then forget the loss, and rejoice in the fact that you have the power to secure something far better in return. You know that you have this power; then you can never be otherwise than glad.
Whatever comes or not, sing again and again the song of "the soul victorious"; and mean it with your whole heart. Enter into this song with all the power of mind and spirit, for it is always that which we know and sincerely believe that contains the greater worth and power.
When you resolve to be glad at all times and under every circumstance, resolve also to give your whole heart and soul to the spirit of your rejoicing. Give power to your gladness, and give life to your song. Open the way for all the sunshine of your soul; and see that every sunbeam from within be one of power as well as one of joy.
It is the full joy of the soul that makes the heart young and the mind great. For as it is in nature, so it is also in man. It is the full glory of the noonday sun that quickens the earth, that makes the fields green, that causes the flowers to bloom. Where the sun is strong all growth is luxurious and all nature bountiful. It is the same when the sunshine of the soul is full, strong and constant in the daily life of man. So therefore rejoice with great joy. Rejoice always and give life and power to your joy.
There is magic in the sunshine of the soul ; there is a charmed power in the radiant splendor of a beaming countenance. Such a countenance can dispel anything that may threaten to give disappointment or dismay. So remember to be glad and mean it. It is the greatest remedy in the world, and the greatest protector in the world. It can harm nothing for it turns all wrong into right. It is the sunshine from within that causes all darkness to cease to be. It therefore brings good to everybody, and he who is always glad is always adding to the welfare of every member of the race.
When fate seems unkind, do not be unkind to yourself by becoming disheartened or dismayed. Instead, rejoice in the great fact that you are greater and stronger than any fate; that you have the power to master your whole life, and determine your destiny according to your own invincible will. Then resolve that you will begin at once to prove that strength, and cause all the elements of fate to come with you, and work with you, in building for that greater future which you have so often longed for in your visions and dreams.
Therefore, whatever your fate may be, just be glad. You can change it all. And as you proceed to exercise this divine right, the darkness of today will become the sunshine of tomorrow, and the disappointments of the present will become the pastures green of the future.
When calamities or catastrophies have overtaken your life, do not think that fate or Providence has ordered it so. Do not think that it has to be. Instead, forget the sorrow and the loss, and congratulate yourself over the fact that you now have the privilege to build for greater things than you ever knew before. Do not weep over loss; but rejoice to think that now you are called upon to prove the greater wisdom and power within you. You have been taken out into a new world. Before you lie vast fields of undeveloped and unexplored opportunities—fields that you would not have known had not this seeming misfortune come upon you. So count it all joy. All things are working together for a greater good. Now it is for you to come forward in joy and accept the greater good. A richer life and a greater future are in store. Therefore, rejoice and be glad, and give strength to your rejoicing. Let your soul repeat again and again that sweet re-assuring refrain—just be glad. In that refrain there is comfort and peace; it lifts the burdens, removes the clouds, dispels the gloom ; it takes away the sadness and the loss, and all is well again. And naturally so, for all things respond to the call of rejoicing; all things gather where life is a song.
There is more to live for than you ever imagined. Thus far most of us have only touched the merest surface fields that you would not have known had not this seeming misfortune come upon you. So count it all joy. All things are working together for a greater good. Now it is for you to come forward in joy and accept the greater good. A richer life and a greater future are in store. Therefore, rejoice and be glad, and give strength to your rejoicing. Let your soul repeat again and again that sweet re-assuring refrain—just be glad. In that refrain there is comfort and peace; it lifts the burdens, removes the clouds, dispels the gloom ; it takes away the sadness and the loss, and all is well again. And naturally so, for all things respond to the call of rejoicing; all things gather where life is a song.
There is more to live for than youever imagined. Thus far most of us have only touched the merest surface of human existence; we are only on the verge of the splendor of life as it is; we are standing on the outside, so to speak, of the real mansion of mind and soul ; and one reason is we live too much in the limitations of our disappointments, our lost opportunities, our blasted hopes, our vanquished dreams. We remain in that small world, deploring fate, when, if we would only permit mind and soul to take wings and go out upon the vastness of real existence, we would find, not only freedom, but a life infinitely richer than we had ever dreamed.
But if mind and soul are to take wings in this fashion, we must learn to be glad. The heart that lives in disappointments is heavy. It will sink into the lowlands, and remain among the marshes and the bogs. But the glad heart ascends to the mountain tops. Therefore it is when we have such a heart that we can go out in search of new worlds, new opportunities, new possibilities, new joys. And the glad heart always finds that for which it goes in search. The reason is simple; for all things respond to the call of rejoicing; all things gather where life is a song.
The great soul is always in search of ways and means for adding to the welfare of others. But no way is better, greater or more far-reaching than this—just be glad.
Life becomes worth the living only when the living of life makes living more worth while for an ever increasing number. It is only the joys we share that give happiness; it is only the thoughts we express that enrich our own minds ; it is only the strength we use in actual helpfulness that makes our own souls strong. Therefore, to add to the pleasures of others,is to add to our own pleasure; to add to the wealth and comfort of others is to add in like manner to our own. This the great soul knows; and every soul is great that has learned to be glad regardless of what may come or go in the world.
To be glad at all times is to be of greater service to mankind than any other thing that we can do. If we have not the power or ability to apply ourselves more tangibly in behalf of others, we can instead be glad. We can always give sunshine. And we shall find that just being glad is frequently sufficient, even when needs seem great and circumstances extreme. In most instances it is all the world wants; but it does want human sunshine so much, that those who can give it at all times need not do anything else to reap immortal fame.
Surround us with an abundance of human sunshine, and the day's work will easily be done; we shall, with far less effort, overcome our obstacles; our troubles will largely be removed, and our burdens entirely laid aside. Give us the privilege to work to the music of rejoicing and our work will become a pleasure; every duty will become a privilege, and all we do will be well done. This is the way the world thinks and feels. So therefore be glad. Give an abundance of human sunshine everywhere and always, and you will please the world immensely.
Then turn to the home. Can we picture anything more beautiful than a home where every soul therein is a sunbeam ; where every countenance is ever lit up with the light of rejoicing; where every word spoken rings with the music of love; and where every thought, uttered or unexpressed, is inspired by the spirit of joy.
It is in such a home that the beautiful, the great and the wonderful in human nature will grow; it is in such a home that our highest ideals will be realized and the divine within find full and resplendent expression. But it is not necessary to describe the pleasures and privileges of such a home; only to say that if you want such a home, just be glad.
Then consider again the worker, and where the workers must gather; what a power for good human sunshine would be in such a place. Consider how all things change when the glad soul arrives, and how all work lightens when the spirit of joy is abroad. And every man has the power to dispense the spirit of joy wherever he may work or live. Every man can ease the ways of others in this remarkable manner; and the secret is simple—just be glad.
The work you do, be it with mind or muscle, invariably conveys the spirit of your own soul. Therefore work in the spirit of joy and your work will be the product of joy — a rare product — the best of its kind.
It is the man who blends rejoicing with his work who does the best work; it is the man who deeply and sincerely enjoys his work who gives the greatest worth to his work ; and the more worth we give to our work the more of the rich and the worthy our work will bring to us.
We realize therefore that it is profitable in every way to learn to be glad. But it is not only profitable to ourselves; also to all others that we may reach through word or deed. Then the profit that comes from the art of being glad is never the result of selfishness. The glad heart is never selfish. The sunbeam does not dance and sing to please its own restricted desire; it does what it does because it is what it is — a happy, carefree sunbeam. It is the same with the glad heart, it sings because it has become the spirit of song; and all are charmed with the song.
No selfish heart can really be glad. No soul that acts solely for personal gain can enter the spirit of joy; and no man who seeks only his own pleasure and comfort can ever take part in the music of rejoicing. And yet, the glad heart receives far more of everything of worth in life than does the one who forgets gladness in pursuit of gain for self alone. And again the answer is simple. For all things respond to the call of rejoicing; all things gather where life is a song.