Thus the sovereign voluntary path to cheerfulness, if cheerfulness be lost, is to sit up cheerfully and to act and speak as if cheerfulness were already there.

Summary

This quote suggests that if one wants to regain their cheerfulness or positive state of mind, they should outwardly display happy behavior and speech, even if they don't feel cheerful internally. By consciously choosing to act and speak cheerfully, they can eventually cultivate genuine cheerfulness. This quote emphasizes the power of our actions and the ability to shape our emotional state through intentional behavior, highlighting the sovereignty and autonomy we have over our own emotions.

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