◎ Mildred Cram

Happiness is like a pebble dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of ripples. As Stevenson has said, being happy is a duty.

There is no exact definition of the word happiness. Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons. The key is not wealth or physical well-being, since we find beggars, invalids and so-called failures, who are extremely happy.

Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend. But staying happy is an accomplishment, a triumph of soul and character. It is not selfish to strive for it. It is, indeed, a duty to ourselves and others.

Being unhappy is like an infectious disease. It causes people to shrink away from the sufferer. He soon finds himself alone, miserable and embittered. There is, however, a cure so simple as to seem, at first glance, ridiculous; if you don’t feel happy, pretend to be!

It works. Before long you will find that instead of repelling people, you attract them. You discover how deeply rewarding it is to be the center of wider and wider circles of good will.

Then the make-believe becomes a reality. You possess the secret of peace of mind, and can forget yourself in being of service to others.

Being happy, once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit, opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged with grateful friends.

快乐就像一块为了激起阵阵涟漪而扔进池塘的鹅卵石。正如斯蒂文森所说，快乐是一种责任。

快乐这个词并没有确切的定义。快乐的人可以因种种理由而快乐。快乐的关键并不是财富或健康，因为我们发现有些乞丐、残疾人和所谓的失败者，也都非常快乐。

快乐是一种意外的收获。但保持快乐却是一种修养，一种灵性的胜利。努力追寻快乐并不自私，实际上，这是我们对自己和他人应尽的责任。

郁郁寡欢就像一种传染病。它使人唯恐避之不及。不快乐的人很快就会发现自己处于孤独、悲惨和痛苦的境地。然而，有一种简单得看似荒谬的治病良方：如果你不快乐，就假装快乐吧！

这很有效。不久你就会发现，别人不再躲着你了，相反，你开始吸引他们。你会发觉，做一块能激起好意涟漪的小石头是多么值得。

然后假装就变成了现实。你拥有了使心灵平和的秘诀，会因帮助他人而忘我。

一旦你认识到快乐是一种责任并使快乐成为习惯，通向不可思议的乐园的大门就会向你敞开，那里满是感激你的朋友。