Secrets of Spiritual Happiness
Secret #15 -- If You're Going to Do Something, Do it Cheerfully
By Sharon Janis
Secrets of Spiritual HappinessSecret #15 -- If You're Going to Do Something, Do it Cheerfully
By Sharon Janis
My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.
-Indira Gandhi
Recently, a friend and I took a walk on "Dog Beach" in San Diego with his dog. As we walked, Kevin stopped to pick up some droppings that had been left by another owner's dog, and mentioned how it has always seemed to be his lot to pick up dog doo - not only from his own dogs, but from others as well. Some residents in the place where he lived apparently would let their dogs go anywhere on the grounds, without picking up the droppings. Kevin, on the other hand, has a very neat and responsible nature, and carries a special pouch of plastic bags with him during doggie walks, specifically for that purpose.
As Jerry Seinfeld once said, any alien watching from above would have to assume that dogs were the intelligent ones, with human beings acting as doting servants, picking up after them whenever they happen to want to relieve themselves.
As we walked, Kevin was kind of complaining about always having to pick up after others. I could clearly see how this attitude made no sense. Of course, it is much easier for us to see such things in others than in ourselves. My response was, "If you're going to do it, then you might as well do it cheerfully."
This idea is something I've contemplated quite a bit in my own life. There is a time for making a decision of whether or not to do something. During that time, you can weigh all your thoughts and feelings about that particular action. However, once you've decided to do something and are doing it, then the best approach is to do it with the most positive interpretation and feeling that you can create. Act with wholeheartedness. Give your full blessings to whatever you do.
I mean, you're already doing it. Once the decision is made that you're going to do something, then you have two choices: do it bitterly and with a series of complaints, or do it joyfully and with a happy spirit. I suggested that Kevin could even consider this task as a symbolic blessing -- for example, he may be paying back some "karmic dues" for times when others may have had to clean up his messes in the past. Or maybe each good act of helping to keep our earth clean will add one more good merit feather to his cap, or to the overall good of humanity. With metaphors like this, each pile of doo becomes one more opportunity to pay our "dues," to invoke grace, and to serve the world.
Once we discussed these ideas, Kevin realized that he didn't even really mind picking up the doggie messes, and that it had really been comments by others that had made him feel that he'd been taken advantage of by these negligent dog owners. This is another important element for all of us to look at in how we approach what we are doing. Are we allowing the opinions of others to cause us to act with negativity or resentment?
Since we don't fully know how everything in this universe works, why not find positive interpretations for whatever we do and whatever we experience? If we decide to offer help to someone - whether a homeless person on the street, or a friend or relative in need - then let's give whatever we choose to give with love and cheerfulness.
When the Holy One loves a man, He sends him a present in the shape of a poor man, so that he should perform some good deed to him, through the merit of which he may draw to himself a cord of grace.
- Zohar
If there are concerns about whether your assistance is ultimately helping or weakening a person, the time to contemplate that is before you give. Once you've decided to give, give with a clean and enthusiastic heart.
This approach of doing whatever we do wholeheartedly is applicable to everything we do, and is likely to bring great spiritual happiness into our lives.
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