I heard a story once. In a far-off training camp, a platoon of raw recruits had just returned to their tents after a full day’s march under the scorching sun.

“What a life!” said one of the soldiers. “Miles from anywhere, with a sergeant who thinks he’s Attila the Hun, no women, no drink, no leave — and on top of all that, my boots are two sizes too small.”

“Friend, if you can’t stand it, why don’t you just wear another pair?” said the soldier next to him. “Out of the question,” he replied. “Taking them off is the only pleasure I’ve got.”

What else do you have to risk? Only your suffering. Talking about it is your one pleasure. Look at the people who talk about their misery — how happy it makes them! They spend money on it; they go to the analyst to tell him about their wretchedness, and they pay for the privilege. Someone listens carefully, and they are delighted.

People tell of their unhappiness again and again. They even exaggerate it, embellish it, make it bigger than it really is. Why? Because all you are risking is your misery, nothing more — yet people cling to the known, the familiar. The only thing they know is unhappiness; it has become their whole life. There is nothing to lose, and still they are terrified of losing it.

For me, happiness comes first; joy comes first. A celebrating spirit comes first; a philosophy that says yes to life comes first. Enjoy it! If you take no pleasure in your work, change it. Do not wait! For all the time you spend waiting, you are waiting for Godot — and Godot will never come. A person simply waits, and wastes their life. For whom, for what, are you waiting?

— Osho, “Joy”