The kindest thing you can do for the people you care about is to become a happy, joyous person.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis.
—Margaret Wander Bonanno American Writer, Publisher
Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people brings happiness.
—Harold Kushner (b.1935) American Jewish Religious Leader, Priest
Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
Everyone’s travels through life end the same way, so you might as well enjoy the journey.
—Anonymous
I wish you all the joy that you can wish.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
To be healthy, wealthy, happy and successful in any and all areas of your life you need to be aware that you need to think healthy, wealthy, and happy and successful thoughts twenty-four hours a day and cancel all negative, destructive, fearful and unhappy thoughts. These two types of thought cannot coexist if you want to share in the abundance that surrounds us all.
—Sidney Madwed (1926–2013) American Poet, Author
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
The most profound joy has more of gravity than of gaiety in it.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
The object of living is work, experience, and happiness. There is joy in work. All that money can do is buy us someone else’s work in exchange for our own. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
I have no greater joy then to hear that my children walk in truth.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Friendship doubles joy and halves grief.
—Egyptian Proverb
I am talking about the power within the self. This means power over your perceptions of the world, power over how you react to situations in your life, power to do what is necessary for your own self-growth, power to create joy and satisfaction in your life, power to act, and power to love.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Happy is the person who not only sings, but feels God’s eye is on the sparrow, and knows He watches over me. To be simply ensconced in God is true joy.
—Alfred A. Montapert (1906–97) American Engineer, Philosopher
Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead of your foes.
—Irish Proverb
Joys divided are increased.
—Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–81) American Editor, Novelist
Ask not what tomorrow may bring, but count as blessing every day that Fate allows you.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Happiness is a perfume that you cannot pour on others without spilling a little on yourself.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.
—Leo Buscaglia (1924–98) American Motivational Speaker
Almost all unhappiness in life comes from the tendency to blame someone else.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
That is happiness: to be dissolved into something complete and great.
—Willa Cather (1873–1947) American Novelist, Writer
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
If we do not consciously and consistently focus on the spiritual part of ourselves, we will never experience the kind of joy, satisfaction, safety, and connectedness we are all seeking.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Cheerfulness is a very great help in fostering the virtue of charity. Cheerfulness itself is a virtue.
—Lawrence G. Lovasik
Not only is there a right to be happy, there is a duty to be happy. So much sadness exists in the world that we are all under obligation to contribute as much joy as lies within our powers.
—John Sutherland Bonnell (1893–1992) American Preacher
Perfect love casts out fear. Where there is love there are no demands, no expectations, no dependency. I do not demand that you make me happy; my happiness does not lie in you. If you were to leave me, I will not feel sorry for myself; I enjoy your company immensely, but I do not cling.
—Anthony de Mello (1931–87) Indian-born American Theologian
He who can conceal his joys is greater than he who can hide his griefs.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet