Being happy and making merry are temporary, fleeting. They are very much dependent on circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is different.

If our being at peace is dependent on outside circumstances, we will never feel at peace for any longer than the circumstance lasts.

Longing is not the same as anticipation. It matters how we wait.

We can give our time, energy, and focus to feeling anxious, or we can choose another way.