The Happy DoorHappiness 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 wordhappiness. Happy people are happy forall sorts of reasons. The key is not wealthor physical well-being, since we findbeggars, invalids and so-called failures,who are extremely happy.Being happy is a sort of unexpecteddividend. But staying happy is anaccomplishment, a triumph of soul andcharacter. It is not selfish to strive for it. Itis, indeed, a duty to ourselves and others.Being unhappy is like an infectiousdisease. It causes people to shrink awayfrom the sufferer. He soon finds himselfalone. miserable and embittered. Thereis, however, a cure so simple as to seem,at first glance, ridiculous; if you don't feelhappy, pretend to be!It works. Before long you will find thatinstead of repelling people, you attractthem. You discover how deeplyrewarding it is to be the center of widerand 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 serviceto others.Being happy, once it is realized as a dutyand established as a habit, opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged withgrateful friends.