I feel an earnest and humble desire, and shall do till I die, to increase the stock of harmless cheerfulness.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a deep commitment to spreading joy and positivity throughout life.
Charles Dickens articulates a profound aspiration to enhance the overall happiness and cheerfulness in the world. His dedication to this noble cause reflects a universal truth about the importance of fostering joy among people, suggesting that the act of spreading positivity is not only meaningful but also a lifelong endeavor.
In practice
In a speech at a charity event, one might say, 'As Charles Dickens once expressed, I feel an earnest and humble desire to increase the stock of harmless cheerfulness among us.'
I recollected one story there was in the village, how that on a certain night in the year (it might be that very night for anything I knew), all the dead people came out of the ground and sat at the heads of their own graves till morning.
A silent look of affection and regard when all other eyes are turned coldly away-the consciousness that we possess the sympathy and affection of one being when all others have deserted us-is a hold, a stay, a comfort, in the deepest affliction, which no wealth could purchase, or power bestow.
Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before--more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.
There are not a few among the disciples of charity who require, in their vocation, scarcely less excitement than the votaries of pleasure in theirs.
You might, from your appearance, be the wife of Lucifer,” said Miss Pross, in her breathing. “Nevertheless, you shall not get the better of me. I am an Englishwoman.
Christmas is a poor excuse every 25th of December to pick a man's pockets.
To enjoy anything, we cannot be attached to it... What we usually try to do is capture any joy that comes our way before it can escape... We try to cling to pleasure, but all we succeed in doing is making ourselves frustrated because, whatever it promises, pleasure simply cannot last. But if I am willing to kiss the joy as it flies, I say, "Yes, this moment is beautiful. I won't grab it. I'll let it go."
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.
Man is unhappy because he doesn't know he's happy. If anyone finds out he'll become happy at once.
You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Don’t just wait for a man to come along. That’s the mistake so many women make. Find your happiness in yourself.
We'd just shared the last beer and slung the empty can out the window at a stop sign and were just waiting back to get the feel of the day, swimming in that kind of tasty drowsiness that comes over you after a day of going hard at something you enjoy doing -- half sunburned and half drunk and keeping awake only because you wanted to savor the taste as long as you could.
Heaven... I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.
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