---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Shafer, Francis M.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 11
number: 2
published: 1907-12
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Francis M. Shafer, "Cheerfulness," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 2 (December 1907): 112.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1102unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera1102unse
start_page: 112
end_page: 112
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1907-12)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1102unse
  publication_year: 1907
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1907, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Cheerfulness

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CHEERFULNESS.
BY FRANCIS M. SHAFER.
One of the great blessings that every person in this life should
seek for, is a cheerful disposition. It is a pleasure to meet a per-
son who seems ever surrounded with a sunny, and pleasant atmos-
phere, one who has a kind word for everyone he meets. It is quite
impossible to associate with such an individual without partaking,
to some extent, of the samegood influence. And we truly feel,
when separated from his company, that we are better for having
met him.
Now, dear friends, did you ever stop to think that each of
you isone of the vast number of humanity, and it is your duty
to make the lives of others happy by your cheerfulness? Selfish,
indeed, is the person who enjoys the cheerful, pleasant disposition
of others, but refuses to make himself agreeable to his fellow as-
sociates. It is like the individual who gladly receives gifts from
others, but never bestows them himself; such a person is looked
upon as being miserly and mean. In like manner, he who never
speaks a kind word, or who fails to encourage his fellow men along
the rugged pathway of life, is guilty of stinginess, to a greater extent
even than he who withholds substantial means. He who has become
so sour in his disposition, that he cannot speak a kind word, or be-
stow a pleasant look, is not only injuring others, but himself as well.
It pays to be cheerful, even though it may cost us a special
effort. By constantly striving to overcome a sour and unpleasant
disposition, if we should be so unfortunate as to possess one, we
add strength to our general character, and cause our society to be
desired by those whom we meet. At the same time, while we are
cheerful and genial in our disposition, we should not be extremists,
for a trait or principle of character which is overdrawn , is gen-
erally very much assumed; and of all dispicable things, a hypocrite
is the worst . Be cheerful , at the same time be yourself be natural
, ,
Moab, Utah.