Yes, you have heard cynics say just the opposite. It's a matter of whether one sees the glass as half full or half empty, I believe. Since we have a choice in how we look at things, why not choose what makes us happier?
I do think that all bets are off when we do things with an expectancy of reward, however. Sometimes we get lucky, but usually we just set ourselves up for disappointment. It's when we do things from an open heart, without expectation of any type of reward, that the gift is returned to us, frequently, many times over.
Yesterday, the man who mows lawns in my neighborhood came to my door and asked if I had any work. It's been a cold winter, the grass and most shrubs are still dormant and I imagined he and his family are probably out of money by now. I gave him $50 and asked him to do whatever he thought was fair in the front yard, and then I left to do errands. (I did not really need anything, nor do I have $50 to give away.:-)
As I drove off to do my errands, I briefly thought that I had been profligate. I recognized that as an "unhappy thought: and put it out of my mind. In the next few hours I was the happy witness to the kindness of people. I almost felt giddy with joy, and then came the icing on my cake: The mail brought me a completely unexpected check for $53.
