The Scroll Marked Seven: I will laugh at the world

I will laugh at the world.
No living creature can laugh except man. Trees may bleed when they are wounded, and beasts will cry in pain and hunger, yet only I have the gift of laughter. From now on I will cultivate the habit of laughter.
I will smile and my digestion will improve; I will chuckle and my burdens will be lightened; I will laugh and my life will be lengthened. This is the great secret of long life and now it is mine.
I will laugh at the world.
And most of all, I will laugh at myself. Man is most comical when he takes himself too seriously. Never will I fall into this trap of the mind. I am nature's greatest miracle, but I'm still a mere grain tossed about by the winds of time. Do I truly know whence I came or whither I am bound? Will my concern for this day not seem foolish ten years hence? Why should I permit the petty happenings of today to disturb me?

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I will laugh at the world.
How can I laugh when someone offends me or hurts me? Four words passed down from the ancients, will carry me through every adversity and maintain my life in balance. These four words are: This too shall pass.
I will laugh at the world.
For all worldly things shall indeed pass. When I am heavy with heartache I shall console myself that this too shall pass; when I am puffed with success I shall warm myself that this too shall pass. When I am struggling in poverty I shall tell myself that this too shall pass; When I am burdened with wealth I shall tell myself that this too shall pass. Yes, where is he who built the pyramid? Is he not buried within its stone? And the pyramid will one day be buried under sand? If all things shall pass why should I be of concern for today?
I will laugh at the world.
I will laugh at my failures and they will vanish in clouds; I will laugh at my successes and they will shrink to their true value. I will laugh at evil and it will die untasted; I will laugh at goodness and it will thrive and abound. Each day will be triumphant only when my smiles bring forth smiles from others.
I will laugh at the world.
Each smile can be exchanged for treasure. Each kind word spoken from my heart, can build a castle. I will never allow myself to become so important, so wise, so powerful, that I forget how to laugh at myself and my world.

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I will laugh at the world.
So long as I can laugh never will I be poor. This is one of nature's greatest gifts, and I will waste it no more. Only with laughter and happiness can I truly become a success. Only with laughter and happiness can I enjoy the fruits of my labor.
I will be happy. I will be successful.

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