“Be brave, in order to be cheerful.
Be cheerful, in order to be brave.”
– Sri Chinmoy
“Be brave, in order to be cheerful.” –
Gravity is not only a phenomenon of Newtonian physics. It is a spiritual law also, that to descend is far easier than to ascend. To rise, requires the effort of conscious aspiration; while to stay still, is to descend. To surrender to the gravity of ego, thoughts and desires is to embrace perpetual descent. Cheerfulness lives in lightness, selflessness, clarity and purity. To attain cheerfulness must be our conscious, determined choice to stand against gravity, one of Nature’s most powerful, pervasive forces. To attain cheerfulness, we must summon the strength to lift the heavy weight of fear, doubt and sorrow; and the courage to rise above our ego-centred petty thoughts and desires. Strength plus courage equals bravery. Bravery casts aside the heaviness of gravity and gloom of selfishness. Bravery naturally rises, expands and illumines; ushering in cheerfulness, as dawn portends the day.
“Be cheerful, in order to be brave.” –
Cheerfulness is more than mere contentment or even happiness. Cheerfulness is a solid wave of irresistible strength, momentum and transformative power. The very word “cheerfulness” contains the word “fulness.” When a vessel is full of one thing, there is no room for anything else: when we are cheer-full, when our consciousness is full of cheer, there can be no room for any non-cheer, any doubt, fear, sorrow, regret or anxiety – all the negative qualities which weaken and enfeeble us. Like chasing the clouds away to reveal a clear sky, when doubt, fear and sorrow-clouds are banished by cheerfulness, we attain tremendous clarity, purity and certainty, the very qualities which combine to engender and nourish bravery. Cheerfulness clears the negativity-clouds to reveal our heart’s bravery-sky.