Not waiting for someone to give you what you can give yourself.

You're alive because of love. You're made of love.

But you will be hard-pressed to find more than a few novels, films, news stories, and TV shows that dare to depict life as a gift whose purpose is to enrich the human soul.

When they say "Be yourself," which self do they mean?

On you and me and everything, I bestow my ripe blessings and boisterous bliss.

Assume that your drive to experience pleasure isn't a barrier to your spiritual growth, but is in fact essential to it. Proceed on the hypothesis that cultivating joy can make you a more ethical and compassionate person. Imagine that feeling good has something important to teach you every day. What might you do differently from what you do now?

BIBLIOBLISS. Transported into states of transcendent pleasure while immersed in reading a favorite book.