To be happy, drop the words “if only” and substitute instead the words “next time.”
—Smiley Blanton
By unlinking your money motivation from anger, fear, and the need to prove yourself, you can install new links for earning your money through purpose, contribution, and joy.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
My creed is this: Happiness is the only good. The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now. The way to be happy is to make others so.
—Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–99) American Lawyer, Orator, Agnostic
Joys are our wings; sorrows our spurs.
—Jean Paul (1763–1825) German Novelist, Humorist
There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Life itself cannot give you joy unless you really will it? Life just gives you time and space—It’s up to you to fill it.
—Chinese Proverb
The Work is merely four questions; it’s not even a thing. It has no motive, no strings. It’s nothing without your answers. These four questions will join any program you’ve got ad enhance it. Any religion you have—they’ll enhance it. If you have no religion, they will bring you joy. And they’ll burn up anything that isn’t true for you. They’ll burn through to the reality that has always been waiting.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
You can be happy if you know this secret: Some things are within your power to control and some things are not.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy can live.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
As selfishness and complaint pervert and cloud the mind, so love with its joy clears and sharpens the vision.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
The secret of happiness is something to do.
—John Burroughs (1837–1921) American Naturalist, Writer
The wise man seeks little joys, knowing that life is long and that his quota of great joys is distinctly limited.
—William Feather (1889–1981) American Publisher, Author
Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner, and someone saw my grin—
When he smiled I realized, I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected—
Let’s start an epidemic quick and get the world infected!
—Anonymous
Love is not getting, but giving. Not a wild dream of pleasure and madness of desire – oh, no – love is not that! It is goodness and honor and peace and pure living – yes, love is that and it is the best thing in the world and the thing that lives the longest.
—Henry van Dyke Jr. (1852–1933) American Author, Educator, Clergyman
The joy in life is to be used for a purpose. I want to be used up when I die.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
A joy that’s shared is a joy made double.
—English Proverb
Nothing equals the joy of the drinker, except the joy of the wine in being drunk.
—French Proverb
Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of others, but from doing something worthwhile.
—Wilfred Grenfell (1865–1940) Canadian Humanitarian, Doctor
In the midst of all the doubts which we have discussed for four thousand years in for thousand ways, the safest course is to do nothing against one’s conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Somehow, not only for Christmas, But all the long year through, The joy that you give to others, Is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessing, The poor and lonely and sad, The more of your heart’s possessing, Returns to you glad.
—John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–92) American Quaker Poet, Abolitionist
You are goodness and mercy and compassion and understanding. You are peace and joy and light. You are forgiveness and patience, strength and courage, a helper in time of need, a comforter in time of sorrow, a healer in time of injury, a teacher in times of confusion. You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth; the greatest peace and the grandest love. You are these things. And in moments of your life you have known yourself to be these things. Choose now to know yourself as these things always.
—Neale Donald Walsch (b.1943) American Spiritual Writer
Oh the wild joys of living! The leaping from rock to rock … the cool silver shock of the plunge in a pool’s living waters.
—Robert Browning (1812–89) English Poet
Sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud; and after summer evermore succeeds barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold: So care and joys abound, as seasons fleet.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A house without a dog, a cat, or a little child is a house without joy or laughter.
—Scottish Proverb
The end of life is life. Life is action, the use of one’s powers. And to use them to their height is our joy of duty.
—Unknown
Joy is not in things; it is in us.
—Richard Wagner (1813–83) German Composer
I am still determined to be cheerful and happy,
in whatever situation I may be; for I have also
learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness
or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.
—Martha Washington (1731–1802) American First Lady
True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
Almost all unhappiness in life comes from the tendency to blame someone else.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker