"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come
as a result of getting something we don't have,
but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."
-- Frederick Koeing
"Happiness is a function of accepting what is."
-- Werner Erhard
"Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling."
-- Margaret Lee Runbeck
"If you want to be happy, be."
-- Leo Tolstoy
I can find thousands of quotes about happiness and they vary widely. I picked these four as following my experience--especially the last one by Leo Tolstoy. It has been my experience in many, many years of the pursuit of happiness, that I found it when I just decided to be happy. Seriously.
Part of that decision relates to Margaret's quote and it is the journey, not the destination, and Werner's accepting what is like the serenity prayer. But, Mr. Koeing's quote is particularly appropriate because most I know as I did myself will have a strong tendency to look outside of themselves to circumstances, events and other people to bring happiness. My experience is that if that could cause happiness, it would have to be short lived.
Permanent happiness is a daily decision.
The other thing--and this is the most important thing--about Mr. Koeing's quote is this: 'recognizing and appreciating what we do have.' Appreciation is key. Appreciate everything and recognize that it is all good. In the past, you may have interpreted that differently, but now you see a much larger picture of how one thing can affect another and so on. Some of the biggest so-called problems have become the greatest of successes.
The challenge lies only with our decision of how we want to feel and how we choose to look at things.
It's All Good!
Spread Some Joy Today--There is nothing so easy to affect others than a happy person. Be that today and watch the world change around you!
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