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This article is a collection of happiness quotes to provide a fresh perspective. Most often happiness is treated as an external occurrence. One of the most popular quotes on happiness is about happiness being a choice. In this section, we explore the meaning of happiness, how to choose happiness to prioritise a life which can derive happy emotions.

In this analysis, we explore possible meanings of these quotes and how they can empower your happy life. Please drop a line about your thoughts on this post to encourage further disucssions.

Meaning of Happiness

Before diving straight into these quotes, I’d like to spend some time on meaning of happiness. Happiness is a personal emotion. Although the advertising media tries to prove that happiness is about materials, cars, money etc – you must notice that it is your personal emotion.

The technical definition of happiness talks about emotional state of intense joy and contentment. These definitions however offer a generic view of happiness. ‘Your happiness’ is derived from your views and feelings about happiness.

Most often, people notice happiness through a smile or laughter. I’d encourage you to dig a little deeper. Find out what things make you happy. Make a list of all the things that make you happy. Include the simplest things, show yourself the long list of things that can make you happy.

1. It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary – Mandy Hale

It is amazing how conflicting some of our definitions can be. We are called selfish, the moment you think about yourself. Sometimes, I do wonder that these definitions are a bit skewed.

For our happiness quotes collection, my first one is an empowering quote from Mandy Hale about self care:

Love is an extremely powerful emotion as we explored in our collection of Love Quotes. Happiness like love cannot thrive in vaccuum. In other words, you cannot give what you don’t have.

This applies to both happiness and love. Forget all these conflicting definitions about selfishness. Instead, look within, identify what makes you happy.Once you know what makes you happy – strive towards creating more memories around it.

It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself and to make happiness your priority. It’s necessary

Mandy Hale (Source)

2. Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are easy, happiness is not – David Leviathan

It is unfair to classify things as easy or difficult. Although happiness appears to be easy – it is only because you’ve practised events leading to it. Nothing can be easy to start with – everything worthwhile needs effort.

For the happiness quotes collection, this is rather an inspiring one. It highlights a framework about being happy or successful in life. No matter what you are looking at, it takes hard work. Nothing comes easy in life, you will only reap what you sow.

Instead of making happiness a reward, involve it in your journey. Identify how you can be happy through the process of achieving what you care for. This will prevent you from waiting for happiness and instead rejoicing moments of happiness through your life.

“Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are easy, happiness is not. Flirting is easy, love is not. Saying you are friends is easy, being friends is not”

David Leviathan (Source)

3. Happiness is not by chance, but by choice – Jim Rohn

This is one of favourites for this collection of quotes on happiness. I like this quote because it brings back the control of happiness to you instead of external activities.

If happiness were to happen by chance, you’d constantly be under the mercy of external events. Instead, if you focus your sources of happiness, create adequate opportunities, you can control the mental framework.

In our discussion – happiness is not by chance, we explored how you can create opportunities for happiness. A key take away from this quote is in conscious creation of opportunities for happiness. Important themes circle around identifying sources of happiness, events leading up to it and how much of it can be in your control.

Happiness is not by chance, but by choice

– Jim Rohn (Source)

4. Don’t be fooled by your emptiness, there is so much more room for happiness – Kaskade

A great entry into the happiness quote collection. You’ve heard about emptiness in several quotes. Often absence of happiness is treated as sadness which is untrue.

Although sadness has its own role to play, our focus in this quotes about happiness is in the pursuit of happiness. We are in a journey to identify sources of happiness. Naturally there will be moments of lull and emptiness. You can’t fall into the trap of self pity and sorrow because of absence of happiness.

I’ll redirect our thoughts back to the quote by Jim Rohn – Happiness is not by chance. Happiness, just like everything worthwhile takes effort. If you are willing to create a foundation for happy life, it is bound to come to you. Don’t make the mistake of treating lack of happiness as sorrow. Instead, find ways to create opportunities for happiness.

Don’t be fooled by your emptiness, there is so much more room for happiness

– Kaskade (Source)

5. Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you have decided to look beyond imperfections – Gerard Way

A common buzzkill for happiness is the expectation of perfection. You may recall our previous discussion on why being perfect is bad. Perfection is a horrible goal for happiness. If you are a good perfectionist, you are expected to find fault with everything.

How can you be happy if you are finding faults with things that can help you find joy? Instead, you are identifying what’s wrong with each of these happy moments. Shake off the shackles of these distractions. Happiness is expected to be free and wild. Instead, experience it the way it is.

Happiness is not a job but an emotion to create and feel. The only thing you can do is create opportunities for happiness to thrive.

Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you have decided to look beyond imperfections

Gerard Way (Source)

6. The key to happiness is in letting each situation be what it is, instead of what you think it should be

This is a wonderful quote to the happiness quotes collection. It is back to expectations vs reality. This quote slightly trails from the previous one about perfection. Sometimes, the mental image we make up for our goals/dreams are so large that reality fails to impress.

In other words, something which can make us immensely happy has the potential of becoming a disappointing occurrence. The only question I’d like to pose here is – Would you let something like that happen to a dream which is so precious to you.

Expectations vs reality are at constant tug of war in various circumstances. Don’t let happiness succumb to the stress of this disparity. Happiness needs to be free, outside of these shackles of imprisonment.

The key to happiness is in letting each situation be what it is, instead of what you think it should be

7. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way – Douglas Clegg

Happiness is more fundamental than materials. The advertising industry does a great job at convincing us about what makes you happy. I’m amazed how successful they have been in the sense that a big tv, fancy cars and more money have now become universal symbols of happiness.

Although they provide short term happiness, your long term happiness is still fundamental. Aside of falling trap to these messages, your true happiness lies within you.

Instead of letting circumstances and events control how you should feel – let yourself free. Don’t fall into the trap of buying happiness which doesn’t exist. Look within and identify what makes you happy.

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way. Happiness only happens for those who cry and those who hurt, for only then can they appreciate the importance of people who touch their lives.

Douglas Clegg, Purity