10 Quotes That Help You Focus On Happiness

It is so easy to wallow in self-pity and sadness, forgetting all of the things that make us happy and fulfilled.

Happiness may not be a choice, but it is certainly a consequence of choices. And it’s more than simply the absence of sadness – it’s the result of living a fulfilled life and finding satisfaction in one’s family, friends, possessions, and the beauty of the world around us.

The saddest people are those who are not content with what they have, the ones who always seek to compare themselves to the next person.

But life is not a competition – comparing yourself to the next person only breeds bitterness and blinds you from your true sources of happiness.

You might not be able to find happiness in the midst of chaos and tragedy, but if you open yourself up, happiness will find you – it is rarely offered to us on a silver platter, so we have to seek it out.

Here are ten quotes to help you find happiness.

“Happiness is a direction, not a place.” (Naval Ravinkant)

In as much as we would like to think of happiness as a destination; happiness is not any one person, place, or thing – it’s a choice you make every day to look at everything good going on in your life and be grateful for it.

“One happiness scatters a thousand sorrows.” (Chinese Proverb)

When you feel like you are drowning in sadness and overwhelmed by pain and tragedy, all it takes is one thing to make you happy to dispel the darkness.

“If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more?” (Roy T Bennett)

Find contentment in the things that you have – your family, your friends, your possessions – and be grateful for them, and you will find happiness.

“One of the keys of happiness is a bad memory.” (Rita Mae Brown)

Think of a grudge as a weight – nobody, however strong they may be, could be happy with a 40 lbs. weight on their shoulders for even a single day.

You need to free yourself from everything that weighs you down, for it will only slow you down. If someone does you wrong, carry on, heal, and evolve, but don’t sit around waiting for the tide to change because you might get disappointed – simply forgive and forget, live and let live.

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” (Franklin D Roosevelt)

Nothing is as engaging as doing an activity you enjoy – it’s liberating and will contribute to your overall happiness, so find your purpose and strive to achieve it.

“Unfashionable as it is, sadness prepares for the good that is to come.” (Anonymous)

Bittersweet is a word that can be used to describe sadness, and you wouldn’t be able to appreciate happiness if it wasn’t for the moments of sadness.

When you feel sad, take time to reflect and find out what makes you happy, and you might find your happiness. Occasional moments of sadness awaken empathy and compassion towards people in situations we were once in – they make us human.

A word of caution, though: seek professional help when bitterness, grief, and sadness are prolonged in order to avoid depression.

“Happiness is a point of view; it is a way of looking at things.” (Steven Furtick)

In athletics, the training process brings pain, but winning the race brings insurmountable joy.

Look beyond your current situation and rejoice over tomorrow’s victory. How you look at things is what makes all the difference, so change the perspective, and the problem will disappear.

“Take a break from talking negatively about yourself and give yourself a chance.” (Anonymous)

Sometimes we forget to open the curtains or switch on the lights, and we suffocate in the darkness of the room – we find ourselves choosing negativity and snuffing out our happiness when a better alternative exists.

“Let your light shine; don’t starve the world of what you have to offer.” (Anonymous)

Practise acts of kindness, because happiness is contagious – when you do something nice for somebody and make them feel happy, their joy radiates and reaches you (and others) as well. A giving hand knows happiness.

“Create happiness for yourself and for others, but do not expect it from anyone.” (Anonymous)

It is so easy to idolize a loved one and have them be the source of your happiness. And while having somebody make you happy is great, depending on them as your sole source of happiness is destructive. For example, if they do you wrong or leave you, you won’t find happiness until they correct their mistakes or until you move on.

No human being should have that much power over you – we’re human and we make mistakes.

Conclusion

Most of us don’t realize the power we have over our own lives. Believing you are unhappy and helpless will have you living with a victim mentality and you will always ask, “Why me?”

The gift of choice is underrated – once you own your perspective, life will shift, so be brave and courageous.

Facing situations where the future seems uncertain will stop scaring you the day you realize that every choice made moving forward plays a crucial role in you enjoying everything that this life can promise you.

Learn how to look at nothing, see everything, and be inspired.

You can also download a file containing all 10 of the above images if you want to use them as wallpaper on your computer, for example – just click here.

(This file is a Zip file, so if you don’t have the means to unzip it, you can get a free trial of WinZip here.)

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. The Happiness Advantage