credit: Michelle Meiklejohn
There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament.
~ Henry Van Dyke
Isn't amazing how much a cheerful attitude contributes to one's charm? I know that no matter what other redeeming qualities a person may have about them, if they are morose and difficult I don't want to be around them for very long. And yet, there are some days when my cheerfulness seems to be hidden behind a dense cloud of plain old grumpiness. And as long as I continue to live with that attitude nothing seems to get any better. And then a cheerful person walks in the room and shines a smile in the dark corners of my bad attitude and it begins to melt away.
But I don't need to wait for someone more cheerful than myself to remedy the problem. I can make the choice to act in a cheerful manner no matter my inner feelings. And as I make that choice, my feelings will nearly always begin to change to match my actions.
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22
So true! And sometimes that smile and cheerful attitude comes in the form of a small child. Oh, to welcome that in and smile right back.
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