You have had wonderful moments in life. You have had moments of supreme joy, and you have had days and weeks when you were content. At these times, whatever troubles you may have had, you dispensed with them for a while. Your attention was on joy rather than discontent. How powerful are your thoughts.

If you did not think so much about loneliness or lack of money or your boss or whatever you think about over and over again, you would be happier. What makes you think you need to dwell on that which is sure to make you disgruntled? When you spill something on your shirt, you take your shirt off, and put it in the wash. Would that you would do that with all that ails you -- take it off and throw it in the wash. Think your thought once or twice, and then throw it in the washer.

Why, beloveds, do you hang on to that which you do not want? What loyalty do you owe to unhappiness? Wash your mind of all the thoughts that cause you to resent or to regret. There is no law that says you have to keep thoughts you don’t want. Consider your thoughts like a collection of gems, for are your thoughts not gems? If a piece of gravel got into your collection of diamonds and rubies and emeralds, you would toss the gravel out without a second thought.

Too often your thoughts are pouring salt on a wound. And you keep pouring the salt, as if intensifying the wound is the way to heal it. Beloveds, kiss unhelpful thoughts goodbye. Do not let them clutter your mind. Your mind is meant for better things. Would you not rather think of Me than what has hurt your feelings or made you angry? Enjoy your hurt feelings, your anger, your discontent for a moment only, and then kick them way. When they recur, give them a pat on the head and tell them to go.

When it comes to grieving, the sweet memories are now bittersweet because once they were and now no longer can occur anew on Earth. Grieve your grief, beloveds. Do not deny it, and still move on. It is like you are in a line to get into a movie. You keep moving up. What else can you do, beloveds?

And now enjoy more the new little moments that arise in life while you have them. You do not know what delights and surprise today will bring. There will be delight and surprise, and you can welcome them. You can enjoy them now as you do a perfect chocolate bonbon. You can relish every moment. And why not?

You can relish the moments you are alone, and you can relish the moments you are not alone. You can even relish the little bumps, and now walk away from them and whistle a happy tune.

I do not ask you to be sad. I do not ask you to grieve. I do not ask you to be unhappy whatever the cause. I do not tell you that it is honorable to be unhappy. Not at all. It is honorable to be happy. There is no dishonor in being sad, and, yet, there is more honor in being happy. In your happiness, you give joy to the world. But never mind the world for a moment, and let’s talk about the worth and blessings of happiness to you. Happiness makes you smile. You are worth happiness, beloveds. Pick happiness as you pick flowers. Pick the happiness of your choice.