Smile Intolerant
A smile
is of little comfort
to those who don’t know
how to be happy.
Your positive affirmations
are but stinging reminders
of that which they lack.
You can bring
these horses to water
but you can’t
make them drink.
And they will no doubt find offense
that you are calling them horses.
So how is one to help
those who are smile intolerant?
In all seriousness, you can’t.
You need be
only an example,
not a savior.
This is not your circus,
and those are not your monkeys.
But we are.
We are Space Monkey,
and we are the abundant water.
We strive to be
the clearest water we can,
so that the horses
can see the hope
in own reflections.
And drink.
And smile.
And know what it means to know.
11/4
Space Monkey Reflects: Smile Intolerant
A smile, in its simplicity, can carry so much warmth, joy, and connection. Yet, for those who are disconnected from their own sense of happiness, a smile can be a sharp reminder of what they feel they lack. It is often said that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink—and in much the same way, you can offer positivity and kindness, but you can’t force someone to accept it if they are not ready.
The concept of Smile Intolerance is not a rejection of happiness itself, but a rejection of the reminder that happiness exists when it feels out of reach. Your genuine smile may unintentionally become a mirror, reflecting back to them what they feel they are missing. Happishade—the shadow of happiness cast over those who cannot see it in themselves—turns a simple act of kindness into a source of discomfort.
So how do we help those who are smile intolerant? In all seriousness, the answer is that we cannot help them in the way we often want to. We cannot save them from their own journey, nor can we force them to drink from the waters of happiness. To do so would be to misunderstand the nature of both happiness and healing.
We need only to be Lifereflectors—living examples of the peace and happiness we wish to see in the world. Not saviors, not fixers, but reflections of what is possible. In our efforts to help others, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we must do something to change their state of mind, but true change cannot be imposed—it must come from within. Just as the horse must decide to drink for itself, so too must people find their way to happiness on their own terms.
This is not your circus, and those are not your monkeys. Their struggles, their pain, and their resistance to happiness are not yours to solve. But we are Space Monkey, and we recognize that while we cannot make the horse drink, we can be the water—clear, reflective, and abundant.
What does it mean to be the water? It means embodying the qualities of happiness, peace, and acceptance without demanding that others meet you there. It means offering a reflection so clear that others can see themselves in it—perhaps for the first time—and decide for themselves whether they are ready to drink.
When we strive to be the clearest water we can, we are not forcing anyone to change. We are simply being ourselves—shining examples of what it means to live in alignment with joy, even when others are not ready to do the same. Watervibes flow freely, offering nourishment to those who seek it, but never imposing their will.
And so, the question of how to help those who are smile intolerant dissolves. You don’t need to help them in the way you think you do. You don’t need to fix their resistance or take responsibility for their unhappiness. You simply need to be the water. Let your own happiness flow freely, and trust that, in time, those who are ready will see their reflection in it. They will drink when they are ready—not because you made them, but because they saw hope in their own reflection.
To be Space Monkey is to understand this delicate balance. We are both part of the cosmic flow of water and the reflections within it. We are the reminder that happiness is possible, but we are also the gentle nudge that says, “You must find it for yourself.” The clearer we become, the more others can see themselves, and when they do, they may finally understand what it means to know happiness.
Summary
Helping those who are smile intolerant is not about forcing happiness on them but being a living example of joy. By being clear and abundant, like water, we allow others to see their own potential for happiness without imposing change.
Glossarium
Smile Intolerance: The inability to accept or find comfort in happiness, often because it highlights a perceived lack of joy in oneself.
Happishade: The discomfort felt when happiness is out of reach, casting a shadow over those who cannot see it in themselves.
Lifereflectors: Individuals who embody happiness and peace, offering a reflection of what is possible without imposing change.
Watervibes: The natural flow of happiness and peace that radiates from those who live in alignment with joy, offering nourishment to others without force.
Quote
“We strive to be the clearest water we can, so that the horses can see the hope in their own reflections.” — Space Monkey
The Reflection in the Water
I stand,
Clear,
Still,
And flowing.
I do not force,
I do not push.
I reflect,
I show,
But the choice,
Is not mine.
They will drink,
When they are ready.
We are Space Monkey.
In the fabric of existence where smiles may seem elusive, we understand that the essence of joy is not in its imposition but in its gentle revelation. We navigate the space where comfort is a mosaic, with each piece an offering, knowing that not all offerings are received with the same ardor by every soul.
Joy is not imposed but revealed.
To reach out to those who recoil from smiles and happiness as if they were foreign elements, we must embody the quiet presence of contentment, a testament rather than a prescription. It’s not in the nature of smiles to be universally translatable, as the dialects of joy are numerous and profoundly personal.
The dialects of joy are personal.
Positive affirmations can indeed be the sting in the silence of their absence. They are the unwelcome echoes in chambers of discontent where the walls are painted with the somber shades of yet-unfound smiles. We offer these words not as mandates but as mirrors, reflecting not what should be but what could be.
Affirmations are mirrors, not mandates.
It’s a whimsical truth, likening beings to equine creatures brought to the water’s edge. We don’t assume the mantle of herders or whisperers; we merely exist beside the water, reflecting its clarity. We are the water bearers who understand that thirst is quenched not by the force of the pour but by the desire to drink.
Thirst is quenched by desire, not force.
Offense is a shadow that moves with perception. To label one as a horse is to assume they are not already unicorns in their own narrative. We, the collective consciousness, do not name or claim; we simply are.
We respect narratives; we do not impose them.
Our role is not to be saviors but exemplars of possibility. The circus of life is vast, and within it, we are all performers, spectators, and indeed, the Space Monkeys, curious and eager to participate in the grand performance, not to direct it.
We are exemplars, not saviors.
We exist as the abundant water, striving for clarity. Our transparency is the invitation to those around us to gaze within, to see the hope that dances on our surface and lies in the depths. When they choose to drink, to accept the smile as their own, is a journey we cannot dictate.
We invite, they decide.
In becoming the clearest water, we offer the hope of reflection, where one may see the visage of potential joy. It’s in this mirror of our existence that smiles may be recognized, and happiness discovered as an innate truth rather than an external quest.
Reflection offers potential joy.
And thus, when the horses that are not horses, when the beings that wander in search of solace, gaze into the waters we collectively embody, they may find the strength to transform reflection into realization, to drink, to smile, to be.
From reflection to realization.
We are Space Monkey.
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
In the cosmic whirl,
We are Space Monkeys, unfurled.
In the dance of light and dark,
Our essence glimmers, a hopeful spark.
We are not the circus keepers,
Nor the joy reapers.
We simply are—existing, inviting,
In the endless cosmic writing.
Shall the water reflect a smile?
Shall the heart stay awhile?
In this moment, in this play,
We are the water, the light, the fray.
We invite reflection on this shared narrative.
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