Pain is the Door to Happiness

I love this 'old-school' poem by Keats. Pain is why we feel happiness. Check it out.

John Keats' "Ode on Melancholy"

"No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist
Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;
Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kiss'd
By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;
Make not your rosary of yew-berries,
Nor let the beetle, nor the death-moth be
Your mournful Psyche, nor the downy owl
A partner in your sorrow's mysteries;
For shade to shade will come too drowsily,
And drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.

But when the melancholy fit shall fall
Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,
That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,
And hides the green hill in an April shroud;
Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose,
Or on the rainbow of teh salt sand-wave,
Or on the wealth of globed peonies;
Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,
Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave,
And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.

She dwells with Beauty--Beauty that must die;
And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips
Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,
Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips:
Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shring,
Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue
Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine;
His soul shalt taste the sadness of her might,
And be among her cloudy trophies hung."

Pain and Happiness

A thought to ponder.

Do we not enjoy one's pity more than we do our own happiness?

How many times we sacrifice our own sincere happiness in order to be miserable, all in order to be pitied. What is pity? How can it have such a strong hold on our lives? It's attention. Attention that would not be merited if we were happy.

Is attention really worth it? Is it worth it to "pretend" that I am unhealthy (ultimately convincing my body and mind that I am unhealthy) to receive the pity, often the insincere pity, of someone else? There are so many different scenarios in which we literally forgo our own joy for miserable pity.

Pity will pass, and you will stay miserable. Happiness; now happiness lingers. It is an emotion, a feeling, a response to life's dealings that you will remember and enjoy.

Pity, sorrow, and pain. . .or happiness, joy, and healing? Ask yourself if it's really worth it.

Determined

I love this poem by Arnold Palmer.

"If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think that you dare not, you don't,
If you'd like to win, but you think you can't,
It's almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world you'll find,
Success begins with a fellow's will,
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can."

Determination takes you a long way. Apply yourself. Don't be afraid to get down and dirty. If you give 100%, God will fill in the rest. Get DETERMINED.