SADNESS BEHIND A HAPPY FACE

An urban proverb promises:
"Smile and the world
smiles with you. Frown
and you'll frown alone."
Life is made up of the
process of "sowing and reaping."
We are constantly hearing
or being told, "Put on a
happy face" as if that will
automatically create happiness.
On the ancient Greek stage,
and later on the Shakespearian stage,
Masks were worn by actors.
The word "hypocrite" was used to
refer to an actor who was playing
a part. Today it is used to refer
to a person's behavior that isn't
genuine or real--a phony--playing a part;
he or she is a hypocrite...acting make-believe.
No matter how positive the rhetoric
is affirming happiness in most
cases there is a sad heart
trying to project a happy face (life)
The stage of life is a continual
tragedy in which we all play
an assigned or expected part.
The negative effect of always
putting on a happy face feeds
the cancer of denial in the soul.
All philosophers have said it in
one way or another:
"Know thyself"
"As you think you are"
"We are only as free as our
self-thoughts allow us to be truthful."
Every day as we play our part
on the stage of life, we put on
the face we assume is appropriate.
Somewhere on the stage of life
we need to take an honest look
at the sadness behind the happy face.
Daring to ask and answer:
WHO AM I REALLY?
Are you fooling YOURSELF as you
try to fool others.
GUESS WHO BECOMES A FOOL?