Cheerfulness

Call me Mary Sunshine, I am in a good mood today and want to spread encouragement to everyone I encounter today!


So here is something repeated from an email I got today:


Your cheerfulness is a sparkling spring of joy that overflows into every neighboring mind and heart. What a priceless gift your cheerfulness is. You have the power to effect a positive change in your world and the people within it. Your cheerfulness will affect both you, the giver, as well as, the receiver. You can begin by being a giver of good cheer, and then, it will return to you multiplied (many times). Your cheerful attitude is reflected in your smile and in everything you say and do. You follow up every smile with positive uplifting words. Your words have a greater effect on people than you realize.
At times, in the past, we may have been so involved in our own lives that we spoke without considering the feelings of others. Realizing that this has happened in the past helps us in working to improve our communication. You take time to laugh deeply and share the deep laughs of others.
In James 1:19, our Bible states, "Know this, my beloved children. Let every human be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." We back up our cheerfulness with a caring attitude that begins withlistening instead of talking. When we listen to others, we give a wonderful gift. We pay attention to what they're saying, but we are also alert to the feelings behind their words. If we "hear" loneliness or pain, we offer our cheerful countenance of friendship and offer words of support and encouragement. We ask God to guide our words and actions. Cheerfulness is a learned habit (!). The more we view our relationships with a cheerful attitude, the more solid, lifelong friendships are made manifest in our lives.

I can't take credit for this, I am not so knowledgeable about the Bible. This is from Chris Chenowith, Positive Christianity.

What's the difference between happiness and cheerfulness? I think a person can be cheerful even if they are not happy. And people can be happy without being cheerful. More to follow...