There are some questions in the world you do not ask. You do not want to ask: "Am I ill?" Don't ask it. Don't even ask yourself.

I will not list all the questions that you would be wise to refrain from asking, yet I will name a few.

Do not ask, "Am I happy?" Do not ask it. Just be happy. By the same token, don't ask yourself if you are unhappy. Simply don't ask. Let unhappiness not even be a consideration on the horizon.

Don't ask, "Am I going to get an A on my science test today?" Decide instead that you will enjoy the subject. Decide that today will be a fun-filled day. Decide that even taking a test can be fun. At least have some joy in it.

Now we are getting down to it. Most of the questions you ask yourself are immaterial. They are stalling, filibustering, if you will. Enough of questions for a while. Simply note that according to the joy you have, that is the degree to how much joy you can give. It is unselfish to be happy. It is selfish to be unhappy. There are no two ways about it. You may be a good actor and hide your unhappiness, yet, despite the best acting, there is that level at which your unhappiness is known.

When you are unhappy, you find a reason. You like to think it is a good reason. The brutal fact is that, if you are unhappy, you chose to be unhappy. Happiness is not the luck of the draw. Happiness or unhappiness is what your mind tells you to feel. When you are unhappy, you have willingly sacrificed your happiness on the altar, as if it were honorable to give away your happiness. Do that, and you deny others their happiness. You may perhaps think that is a noble thing to give up your happiness and be long-suffering. Hogwash. Do you think you are not worthy of joy? Do you think that suffering is better? Have you chosen to be a martyr? If so, then unchoose it now. Be the hero or heroine of a different kind of novel. Do not be the king or queen who so nobly puts his or her head on the block. Find other heroes, beloved. Find a pillow of roses to rest your head upon.

Be a hero to yourself from now on.

If you still are not convinced of what I say, let Me ask you: When is your light brighter, in happiness or unhappiness? What happened to "Let your light so shine before men"?

Where did you perhaps get the idea that the less light you shine, the better you are?

If you truly care about the world, you owe it to let yourself be happy. There is great happiness within you that is not dependent upon outer circumstances. Reach that happiness within, and your outer world will change. It has to. Of course, there is the possibility that you may like things just as they are. You may like being the one who has to bear more than others have to bear. It is even possible that outer suffering makes you happy. Certainly, suffering brings you attention. There are perceived benefits from even being ill. Do not choose them, however, beloveds.

Do you have a better idea now of the choices I would like you to make?

Now, getting back to questions, there are questions you ask that are great and purposeful. This is one of them: "How shall I serve God and the Universe today?"

And by now, you know the answer.