Merriment. Add some merriment to your life. Throw off the weight of the world you have been carrying on your shoulders. There may be no end to the boulders you lug around. Exactly where did you get the idea that gravity was to hang heavily on you? Well, never mind where you got the idea -- abandon the idea once and for all.

Abandon, not responsibility, but worry. You are well-acquainted with worry. You know all the ins and outs of worry. You know worry backwards and forwards. You are truly an expert on worry. You know worry intimately. You have worry memorized, as if worry were the answer to everything. Worry is a nag. Since when was nagging any good to anyone? When was it ever?

So, now I ask you to become light of heart. You have an accumulation of worries -- not to recycle -- yet to put away where they are out of your way. You can always pick up more worries if you want to, yet why on Earth would you want to?

Stuff merriment into your heart the way you may have been in the habit of stuffing worries. Worries are like a computer virus that will bug you more and more. Actually, don't stuff merriment in you. Simply be open to it.

Think of what you like to do and that gives you some pleasure. What makes you laugh? You're entitled to laugh. I ask again, What makes you laugh?

What makes you smile? Where do you find your heart happy? With animals? With children? Sitting beside a lake? The question is: "Where do you find a little happiness along the way?"

What will you offer yourself today that grants you even a moment's happiness? What moment's happiness can you offer your husband or wife today? to each of your children? to everyone you meet?

Why not distract yourself from worry? All you have to do is to change your focus from "Such worries," to "I'm gonna capitalize on joy."

Honestly, what happened to your sense of humor? At the very least, you could be laughing at how seriously you take your worries, as if you make your living of worries, as if worries will give you some pleasure sometime. Unlikely.

Yes, replace your worries, big and little, with a laugh or two. What gives you pleasure, make it happen. You like to watch the sunrise? You can watch the sunrise every morning. You can take a photo of it and look at it. You can make an appointment with a sunrise or a sunset or high noon.

You are hereby ordered to stir some merriment in your heart and life today. Just do it. Just as you have to pick up milk at the store, pick up merriment in your life. You have had too much vagrant worry. You have imagined the wrong things. Imagine some plain and simple merriment and add it to your life.

Make a point to bless yourself every single day of your life without exception.

Ah, yes, the little things. Give them to yourself. Give yourself those moments where there is a squeeze of happiness in your heart. Plan some of these. And then you will more spontaneously be drawn to them, and they will be drawn to you.

Touch a tree. Breathe in fresh air.

When was the last time you skipped? When was the last time you looked at your hand and admired it?

Go ahead and do something foolish if that is what it takes to give you even a spurt of joy. There is no way you can have more merriment and not pass it on to others. Your sense of worry always got passed on. Now, no more frowns about possible misadventures. Look forward to what you look forward to and grab more of it. In increments is fine. You don't have to have the whole pie.

Listen carefully. This is not avoiding life. This is living life. Put yourself to good use. Make merry.