If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Following Christ requires dedication. Half-hearted following will not do. Something (no, all) of self must be given up. Deny, take up, follow. To deny means to give up something that pleases us. To take up the cross is putting into practice the service that the Lord has given us to do. This needs to be done on a daily basis. And then we need to follow the leading of the Lord in whatever path He has chosen for us. This is the happy path for the Christian.