A person is fully human “when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul. Pessimism is at best an emotional half-holiday; joy is the uproarious labor by which all things live.”
– G. K. Chesterton
G.K. Chesteron certainly let us know what we need to focus on: joy. And what a life force it is! We don’t realize how much our thoughts impact us, our minds, our actions, our responses. And therefore how it affects others’ minds, actions, and responses. He also points to the vapidness of negative thinking. What can it do, how can it build? It only tears down. And so we should, as best as possible, obliterate it from thought.
We can contribute so much in this world. It starts with our thoughts; it starts right now; and that joy can carry us to an entirely different level of harmonious living.
Thank you to Gilbert Keith Chesterton for such wonderful advice.
G.K. Chesterton was a profound English writer of the 20th century who contributed across philosophy and poetry, as well as fiction. Two of his best known works are Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. He also wrote a weekly column in The London Illustrated News for thirty years. He was known for his incredible intellect, desire to decrease political divisions, and strong reasoning skills.
Source quote and bio: Gilbert Keith Chesterton
Living and Giving 