As long as I am still interested and curious, I enjoy getting up

The words of Harriet Walter carry the voice of wisdom tempered by time: “As long as I am still interested and curious, I enjoy getting up in the morning, but I can't say I have a happy smile on my face 24/7.” These words, though simple, speak to the ancient balance between joy and realism, between the fire that drives us forward and the truth that even the brightest flame cannot blaze without rest. They are a meditation on what it means to live with purpose, without being enslaved by false expectations of unbroken cheer.

The heart of this teaching lies in interest and curiosity. For it is not the endless demand of forced happiness that sustains a soul, but the hunger to learn, to see, to grow. The ancients believed that curiosity was divine; Aristotle himself declared that “all men by nature desire to know.” When the mind remains open to wonder, life itself becomes bearable, even in hardship. Harriet Walter does not speak of smiling endlessly—she speaks of something greater: the spark that awakens the will to rise each day.

Yet she reminds us also of the danger of false appearances. The happy smile 24/7 is a myth, a mask that many are pressured to wear. To believe one must always shine outwardly is to deny the truth of human experience. Even the strongest hearts must weep, even the noblest leaders must grow weary. Think of Abraham Lincoln, whose humor and smile are remembered, yet who often carried the weight of melancholy in silence. His greatness lay not in endless cheer, but in his ability to persevere through sorrow with curiosity for the work still before him.

The smile, then, must be understood as a gift, not an obligation. To smile authentically is powerful; to force it constantly is a burden that erodes the spirit. Walter’s words break the illusion that one must always be visibly joyful to live a worthy life. Instead, she teaches that the truer foundation of happiness is engagement with life’s mysteries—interest in the world, curiosity for others, openness to what each dawn might bring.

History has shown us this truth in countless figures. Consider Leonardo da Vinci, who was not known for a perpetual smile, yet whose relentless curiosity drove him to dissect bodies, sketch machines, and paint visions of eternity. His joy was not always expressed on his face, but it lived in his works, in the restless fire of his interest. He may not have smiled 24/7, but his curiosity was a smile written across centuries.

The lesson for us is this: do not measure your life by whether you are always smiling, but by whether you are still awake to the wonders around you. A day without a smile does not mean a day without value. If you remain curious, if you rise with questions in your heart and the will to seek answers, you are already living well. Joy may not always sit upon your lips, but it can live in the flame of your purpose.

Therefore, let us act with wisdom. Do not pursue the empty idol of constant happiness. Instead, nurture the deeper well of interest, of curiosity, of engagement with the world. Tend to the mind as one tends to a fire, feeding it with knowledge, with beauty, with reflection. Smile when it comes naturally, and do not mourn when it does not, for authenticity is the greater treasure.

Carry forward the wisdom of Harriet Walter: “I enjoy getting up in the morning, but I can't say I have a happy smile on my face 24/7.” Let it remind you that strength lies not in wearing a mask of endless joy, but in remaining curious, alive, and true. For in curiosity lies resilience, and in resilience lies the radiant, unbreakable heart of a life well lived.