"You may have defects, be anxious and sometimes live
irritated, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the
world. Only you can prevent it from going into decadence. There are many that
need you, admire you and love you.
I would like to remind you that being happy is not having a
sky without storms, or roads without accidents, or work without fatigue, or
relationships without disappointments.
Being happy is finding strength in forgiveness, hope in
one’s battles, security at the stage of fear, love in disagreements.
Being happy is not only to treasure the smile, but that you
also reflect on the sadness.
It is not just commemorating the event, but also learning
lessons in failures.
It is not just having joy with the applause, but also having
joy in anonymity.
Being happy is to recognize that it is worthwhile to live,
despite all the challenges, misunderstandings and times of crises.
Being happy is not inevitable fate, but a victory for those
who can travel towards it with your own being.
Being happy is to stop being a victim of problems but become
an actor in history itself.
It is not only to cross the deserts outside of ourselves,
but still more, 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 one's feelings. It is to
know how to talk about ourselves. It is to bear with courage when hearing a
"no".
It is to have the security to receive criticism, even if is
unfair.
It is to kiss the children, pamper the parents, have poetic
moments with friends, even if they have hurt us.
Being happy means allowing the free, happy and simple child
inside each of us to live; having the maturity to say, "I was wrong";
having the audacity to say, "forgive me".
It is to have sensitivity in expressing, "I need
you"; to have the ability of saying, "I love you."
So that your life becomes a garden full of opportunities for
being happy...
In your spring-time, may you become a lover of joy. In your
winter, may you become a friend of wisdom.
And when you go wrong along the way, you start all over
again. Thus you will be more passionate about life.
And you will find that happiness is not about having a
perfect life but about using tears to water tolerance, losses to refine
patience, failures to carve serenity, pain to lapidate pleasure, obstacles to
open the windows of intelligence.
Never give up .... Never give up on the people you love.
Never give up from being happy because life is an incredible show.
And you are a special human being!"
- Pope Francis -
