Happiness Defined

By: Pope Francis, Good Friday (2017)
"You can have defects, be anxious and live irritated sometimes, but do not forget that your life is the biggest company in the world.Only you can prevent her from going into decline, there are many who appreciate you, admire you and love you."

"You can have defects, be anxious and live irritated sometimes, but do not forget that your life is the biggest company in the world. Only you can prevent her from going into decline. There are many who appreciate you, admire you and love you. I would like you to remember that to be happy, is not to have a sky without storms, road without accidents, works without fatigue, relationships without disappointments.

To be happy is to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the box of fear, love in disagreements. Being happy is not only valuing the smile, but also reflecting on sadness. It is not just to commemorate success, but to learn lessons in failures.

It is not just to have joy with applause, but to have joy in anonymity. To be happy is to recognize that life is worth living, despite all the challenges, misunderstandings, and periods of crisis. Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but a conquest for those who know how to travel within their own being. To be happy is to stop being a victim of problems and become an actor in one's own history.It is to cross deserts out of itself, but to be able to find an oasis in the recesses of our soul.

It is to thank God every morning for the miracle of life. Being happy is not being afraid of your own feelings. It is knowing how to talk about yourself.It is courage to hear a "no". It is safe to receive criticism, even if it is unfair. It is to kiss the children, to pamper parents, to have poetic moments with friends, even if they hurt us. To be happy is to let the free, happy and simple creature live within each one of us. It is to have maturity to say 'I was wrong'.

It is to have the audacity to say *forgive me*. It is to have sensitivity to express *'I need you'*.It is to be able to say * 'I love you' *.May your life become a garden of opportunity to be happy ...May you be joyous in your spring."


*A message from the Pope, Good Friday (2017)