Conversation

Somewhere you've come across the idea that to deny yourself joy is Godly--that not to celebrate life is heavenly. Denial, you have told yourself, is goodness.

Are you saying it is bad?

It is neither good nor bad, it is simply denial. If you feel good after denying yourself, then in your world that is goodness. If you feel bad, then it's badness. Most of the time, you can't decide. You deny yourself this or that because you tell yourself you are supposed to. Then you say that was a good thing to do--but wonder why you don't feel good.

And so the first thing to do is to stop making these judgments against yourself. Learn what is the soul's desire, and go with that. Go with the soul.

---Conversations with God