Shaw's True Joy in Life

I ran across this last night when I was reading Purpose Driven Life. I thought it worked with my question about the meaning of joy.

George Bernard Shaw - On True Joy in Life

This is the one true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. .......

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. .......

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no `brief candle' to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.