Happiness is a virtue, not its reward.

Being glad is something you practice, not something you are handed once the ledger balances. Waiting to feel good until you have earned it turns contentment into a wage, and the wage never arrives. There is a plainer point underneath as well: a settled, warm temperament is part of living well, not a bonus attached to it. Other people feel the difference in the room.

Try treating your own good humor as a duty you owe the day rather than a reaction to it. Choose one moment where you would normally wait to feel better, and act kindly first.