Be of good cheer. Why not? What does it cost? It costs no more to smile than it does to frown. As a matter of fact, it costs less to smile, and you get a better return. In terms of economy alone, it pays to be of good cheer.

When you reflect light, you get light back. When you reflect darkness, you get darkness back. Besides, when you smile, you will like how you look in the mirror more. You might even smile back at yourself. Better to have smile lines than frown lines. A great beauty secret is that you will have fewer wrinkles when you smile.

Furthermore, I would suggest that when you feel like frowning, let go of it. The only merit in frowning is that it points you to smiling. When you're in a pit, quite naturally climb out of the pit. Do it now.

Furthermore, I would like to suggest that when you smile, you mean it. I know you would like to reflect sunlight. That's all you have to do to ensure that you are in the sunlight. Why wouldn't you be glad to smile?

Perhaps there is a person you don't favor, and you don't feel it's in your heart to smile at this person, so consider then that you are smiling for yourself. Make yourself feel favored. Of course, it is something of yourself that you are seeing in this person that you don't like. Remove the splinter from your own eyes, beloveds.

Were you completely at ease with yourself, you wouldn't feel so discontent with others. You wouldn't feel a voiced or unvoiced tirade coming on. Content with yourself, why would you be discontented with someone else? Although it is good to put less attention on yourself, you are nevertheless the heart of the matter. Whatever the matter is, it is about you.

So what are you going to do about yourself? You would do anything to be away from difficulties if only you knew how. I suggest you begin with taking some responsibility. Maybe the other party is all wrong. He or she is not seeing you clearly. Nevertheless, it is up to you to see the other person clearly. You may truly be faultless. Nevertheless, you are responsible for how you perceive and how you respond.

You know that in a little time you will cool down about whatever incites you now. In whatever dispassionate way you will later calm down and see a situation differently, see it that way now.

Sometimes you are embarrassed to remember how you once reacted, is this not true? It's possible that the situation you are irate about this moment is really the same as the one you now remember with embarrassment.

I am asking you to make progress. I am asking you to move up a notch or two. Am I asking too much of you? How could that be?

Meanwhile, as part of your training, if you are sorry, say so. And if you no longer know how to reach this person, apologize to the person in your heart anyway. Or perhaps write a letter. Even if you cannot send the letter, you will have written it, and you will be done with that chapter of the past. You will feel better, and your apology may somehow reach the person it is meant for. It most assuredly will. No matter the geography or time, your apology will reach, just as, once upon a time, your anger reached. All your thoughts reach. Reach higher now.