Today we had the privilege of going caroling with 4 other families to 7 homes. It was really sweet and each home we visited was so happy to see us. The kids just had the best attitude and in a perfect ending, the last home gave them cookies. It's no good for kids to do things for the cookies, so it is so nice when it happens that the last home you visit has a treat.
I heard something on the radio that was pure brilliance I'd never heard before; "Sadness is free. You have to work for happiness." I love that. It is truth. So often people think that work IS sadness, but work leads to freedom. In friendships and marriage, you have to work to stay happy. But sadness comes from not paying the price of time, effort, and often money or forgiveness.
I've heard people talk about how they achieved their success through hard work. I think working hard is really important AND I recognize that it is a privilege to have your work result in your own success. A lot of people who don't want to recognize privilege mistake their own work as an excuse for wealth inequality. Because they weren't just given money but had to actually work, they feel it is deserved and that people who don't have money just didn't work. But they fail to recognize how opportunity is a gift. That they even had the opportunity to build wealth through their labors, rather than just constantly working their heart out for minimum wage is a benefit that they did not merit. Some people have to loose their hard earned wages due to unfair housing practices, biased enforcement of criminal charges, and wage discrimination impact the earning power of many people who put in the same effort.
So yes, work for your happiness AND recognize that all men and women are children of God and deserve the same access to happiness.
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