Joy Journal: My Collection of Quotes Related to Happiness
Happiness is one of my favorite subjects to think about.
It is also one of my favorite subjects to live.
An emotion like happiness is hard for me to put into words. A few wordsmiths I'm deeply grateful for have put those words into work that brings me joy.
Here are some of my favorite quotes I've recorded from my own reading this year about happiness.
Poet Donna Ashworth on joy coming when we aren't ready
“Joy does not arrive with a fanfare,
on a red carpet strewn with the flowers of a perfect life.
Joy sneaks in, as you pour a cup of coffee,
watching the sun hit your favourite tree, just right.
And you usher joy away,
because you are not ready for it.
Your house is not as it must be,
for such a distinguished guest.
But joy cares nothing for your messy home,
or your bank-balance,
or your waistline, you see.
Joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your imperfect life,
that’s how joy works.
You cannot invite her, you can only be ready when she appears.
And hug her with meaning,
because in this very moment,
joy chose you.”
Author?William Martin?on the wonders of ordinary life:
"Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
领英推荐
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself."
Marcus Aurelius on other's opinions:
Stop caring what other people think.
Stop caring what they do.
Stop caring what they say.
All that matters, he writes, is what?you do.
Everything else is beyond your concern.
You can let it all go.
You can ignore it entirely.
Greek philosopher?Epicurus ?on desire and contentment:
"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
Finance author Morgan Housel on how money and contentment:
"The most valuable personal finance asset is not needing to impress anyone"
Author Alexander Dumas on whether happiness is real:
"There is neither happiness nor misfortune in this world, there is merely the comparison between one state and another. Nothing more."
Author Michael Chabon on the good 'ol days:
"One of the sturdiest precepts of the study of human delusion is that every Golden Age is either in the past or is in the offing."
I hope these quotes made your day just a little better.
You can be wildly happy & content with your life. Sometimes we need to be reminded what happiness is and how to usher in more to our great lives.
This is the last newsletter of 2023.
More newsletter articles to come in 2024!
Jamie
PS-Whenever you're ready, there is 1 additional way I can help you: