Keep coming back to what gives you joy inside.
Maybe your paid job consists of moving a lever, and that does not give you joy. You have to move the lever, and yet it is not your joy. Perhaps writing poetry is your joy, or reading is. Or dance. Or painting. Or numbers. Or computer programs.
Consider that you are your own child. Give your child the treats that make it happy. Happiness is not incidental. It is not something to overlook. It is essential, and you have the responsibility of providing yourself with happiness. You can’t wait for happiness to descend on you. Wrest it from the universe, beloveds.
Life may not allow you to read and write poetry all day. Can you not for an hour? You say you are too tired? Doing what fills your heart with joy will take away your tiredness. You say you have no time? Yet, notice, you have time enough to tell yourself that you are not happy. Perhaps you sit idly in space watching a TV program that passes time and yet which does not bring you joy.
And even when you are pushing and pulling the lever that is not joyful for you, you can remember poetry and the joy it gives you.
That which does not give you joy may also serve a great purpose. It puts food on your table. It makes you get somewhere at certain times. Know you have great privilege to do the work you do whether you love it or not. Treat unenjoyable work kindly. It is not out to get you.
Those who have professions that give them great joy, their work may not give them great joy every moment. They also have to do a certain amount of lever-pulling that is not joy for them either. They too have to serve themselves generously.
Why would you deny yourself that which gives you joy when you can give yourself moments of it? You know I do not say that your happiness is dependent upon what goes on in your life, but I also do not say that you cannot provide yourself with happiness. I do not count abstinence from joy more worthy than joy itself. Absence of joy is equated with suffering. No, I do not want you to spend your time away from joy. Do you say non-joy builds your character? Never mind. You may think that denial, pain and complaining build character. Are you sure?
But even if they do, what gives joy gives love, and there is nothing like love, beloveds. If you feel you must build character, then build it with joy. When you are in joy, you are not thinking about yourself. You are in joy. When you are in joy, you radiate joy. The more joy you have, the more joy you give. That will build character radiantly.
Sternness is not to be equated with character.
It is not necessary for you to bring sternness into your life. Enough enters in on its own. Some teachers are stern. Some parents are stern. But be not stern to yourself. Be loving instead. Love does not cater. It does not dote. It does not spoil anyone. Consider love and joy light. The more light you bring into your life, the more light you give.
You have a responsibility to yourself and to Me to render yourself happy. Do not wait for happiness, beloveds. Douse yourself with it. Will you not accept the true joy I have reserved for you?