Happiness
Reb Yankele Galinsky zt'l would say that he is always happy because he is short, so he only sees the half of the cup that is full. Reb Tzvi Meir Zilberberg shlita added that when someone feels short because he humbly thinks that he doesn't deserve much, he is also happy with his portion because he doesn't believe that he deserves more than the little he has. He is satisfied with his half-cup.
Reb Moshe Leib Sassover and Reb Yisrael of Pikov (son of the Berdichever Rav) zt'l, were collecting money for pidyon shevuyim (to free a prisoner from jail), and they stayed one night in the home of a poor villager. But it was winter, and there were holes in the roof. When they turned on the oven to warm up, the ice on the roof melted, and water dropped on their beds. Reb Yisrael krechzed, saying that he wasn't accustomed to such conditions. Reb Moshe Leib wanted to give his partner some joy, so he said, "I have thirteen reasons to be happy." He began listing them: (1) "Baruch Hashem, my right side doesn't hurt, so I can sleep on my right side. (2) Baruch Hashem, my left side doesn’t hurt either, so I can sleep on my left side, too. (3) My back doesn't bother me, either..." In this manner, he counted thirteen reasons to be happy. They became very happy; they praised Hashem and began to dance joyfully. (Maamar Mordechai, from Reb Mordechai Chaim Slonim, vol.2 p.117).
Rebbe Zusha of Anipoli was once seen dancing while lifting his feet a tefach or two above the ground. People asked him why he was so happy. He replied that he thought about his deeds and decided he didn't even deserve to tread on the earth. "Who am I that I should tread on the earth?" Reb Zalman Brizel zt'l said about this story, "We learn that when a person is low, he should jump higher." Implying that he, too, has reason to be happy. He recognizes that everything he has is a gift from heaven; he doesn't deserve anything, which is a reason to be satisfied with his portion.
Once a year, Rebbe Naftali of Ropshitz zt'l would make a trip to visit tzaddikim. On the first Shabbos of this trip, he was in Lublin, together with the Chozeh of Lublin zt'l. Also, on the final Shabbos of his journey, he was with the Chozeh of Lublin. It was very happy in the court of the Chozeh of Lublin, and the Ropshitzer said that a Yid must begin with simchah and end with simchah. This is a lesson for all of us. We should wrap ourselves around with simchah.
The Beis Avraham said that the chapter (30) in Tehillim begins with simchah because it begins with ָוִדלְד ַבַּיִתה ֻכַּתֲנח ִׁירש ִזְמוֹרמ, and the roshei teivos spell שמחה, and towards the end of this chapter, simchah is mentioned again, as it states, ָהְחִמׂש ֵנִיַזְּרְּאוַת ִּיַקׂש ְָּתַּחִּתפ, and in between, there are tearful requests because a Yid should begin and end with simchah, and in between, he pleads, and he cries to Hashem for salvation.
