Research has linked happiness to improved health of both the heart and mind. It can significantly alter a person’s life expectancy by lowering blood pressure and heart rate, which reduces susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases. In addition, happiness results in lower cortisol levels, which makes physical pain more tolerable. Optimistic people, not weighed down by a negative mindset, can think and cope better with life’s challenges.
Aristotle taught that happiness is the culmination of living a virtuous life in accordance with reason. He emphasizes that happiness is not merely temporary satisfaction, but rather a pursuit of the ultimate goal.
When the ultimate goal is the heavenly kingdom and each person is already traversing that road, what reason is there to be downcast in this life?
Cheerfulness is not ignoring hardship, but recognizing God’s helping hand in the midst of it and lovingly giving oneself to serve in that circumstance. Cheerfulness shows in the bad times, not necessarily as mirthfulness, but by confidence in God’s loving providence.
Developing a natural cheerfulness takes time. These five practices can help cultivate it daily:
1) Resisting instant gratification
We set unrealistic standards when we expect our lives to be one of constant comfort. When we are too quick to give in to ourselves in difficult moments, triumphing over greater trials can seem impossible. What are those occasions throughout your day that often challenge your joy? Changing the way we react can make a big difference: choosing to laugh rather than get upset over a minor inconvenience, or smiling at someone even though you’ve been worn out by a long day. Overcoming immediate satisfaction makes it easier to choose cheerfulness.
2) Practicing gratitude
Everything we have and everything we are comes from God. We often count what we are missing, but do not realize we have much more than we deserve. Giving thanks for the little things can remind us of our dependency on our Creator. It fosters contentment. Say an aspiration – Blessed be God or Deo omnis gloria – whenever something good happens, or find three things to be thankful for at the end of each day. You’ll notice that the blessings outweigh the afflictions.
3) Praying for others
Having a loving concern for others can draw us away from self-centeredness, in which we excessively exaggerate and dwell on our problems. Joy exists outside of oneself, in the lives of others. By praying for others, we can be God’s instrument to work in our friends and in the world. We can be cheerful because God is in control.
4) Keeping your inner peace
Sometimes the road to virtue is obstructed by obstacles we place ourselves. For instance, consuming media with negative messages might leave you feeling stressed and unhappy. Or a habit of sleeping late might make one more irritable during the day. We need time to quiet the mind and take a deep breath. Establishing boundaries and healthy habits builds virtue from the root.
5) Uniting suffering with Christ
When all joy is lost, sometimes the only thing to cling to is Christ, who is all we need. We are all destined to carry some cross in our lives. Try offering up a demanding assignment or a frustrating relationship for a special intention. What a gift it is to be able to share in God’s co-redeeming grace.
The virtue of cheerfulness can help one be acquiescent to God’s will. The inconveniences and difficulties in daily life are opportunities for growth in a particular area – a weaker virtue, a relationship, academic or professional work, but most importantly, one’s sanctification and love for God.