18 Timeless Secrets of Happy People

November 4 by Sophie Lizard in Communication !otivation " 1#$% Shares

Its common to hear people say that fame only brings unhappiness. Not true! As these wise
words from modern and historical celebrities (and a group of happiness scientists) show,
theyve figured out the secrets of happy people and a happy life. ets hear it in their own
words, shall we!
1# Happiness is &ho you are
"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. #or I have
learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our
circumstance but by our disposition$
% &artha 'ashington
(enuinely happy people have an almost magical ability to stay in good spirits even when
there isnt a great deal to be cheerful about. 'hen happiness is a core aspect of your
personality, nothing can force you to be unhappy.
'# Happiness is a choice you ma(e
"I, not events, have the power to ma)e me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it
shall be.$
% (roucho &ar*
+he ne*t time you find yourself in a difficult situation, as) yourself this, would you rather
have a difficult and unhappy time, or stay happy through the tough times! -our choice.
$# Happiness comes from self)consistency
".appiness is when what you thin), what you say, and what you do are in harmony.$
% &ahatma (andhi
As any psychologist will tell you, its human nature to want your thoughts, words and deeds
to be consistent/but youll often find yourself trying to fit the mould of what you thin) other
people want instead of being fully and consistently yourself. +hat leads to conflict in your
mind, which leads to a less happy life.
4# Happiness is your responsibility
"0ont wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get youve got to
ma)e yourself.$
% Alice 'al)er
+heres nothing more depressing than waiting for the happiness delivery guy. 'hy! 1ecause
he doesnt e*ist. 0ecide to deliver your own happiness, and you can free yourself from a very
long wait.
*# Happiness is best served in moderation
"'e cannot be happy if we e*pect to live all the time at the highest pea) of intensity.
.appiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.$
% +homas &erton
(uess what! 2pending all your time wishing you were happier will only ma)e you more
depressed. Aim for a comfortable day%to%day bac)ground level of happiness, rather than a
huge blast of ecstatic 3oy that leaves you feeling wiped out.
+# Happiness is not in your memories
"+he first recipe for happiness is, avoid too lengthy meditation on the past.$
% Andre &aurois
4eminiscing about good memories can leave you feeling happy for a while, its true, but the
source of happiness is now. 0welling on past happiness doesnt change today, so stay in the
present to ma)e this your happy day. And if you find yourself dwelling on unhappy memories
instead, let them go/all they do is )eep you from achieving happiness today.
,# Happiness is not in your ambitions
"#uture, +hat period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true and our
happiness is assured.$
% Ambrose 1ierce
+he author of The Devils Dictionary, Ambrose 1ierce )new e*actly how to be happy, simply
avoid pinning your hopes on the unpredictable future. (.e also )new a lot about sarcasm.)
.opes and ambitions for the future are nice, but being happy in the moment is better.
8# Happiness is conta-ious
"'hoever is happy will ma)e others happy too.$
% Anne #ran)
Its a fact, smiling at somebody tends to ma)e them feel happier. aughing has an even
stronger effect. 2o wherever you go, share your happiness with the people you meet, and
surround yourself with happy people if you can.
.# Happiness is destroyed by envy
"+he talent for being happy is appreciating and li)ing what you have, instead of what you
dont have.$
% 'oody Allen
Nobody who spends their life wishing they had more than theyve got is ever going to achieve
lasting happiness. 1ut if you dial down your sense of envy and entitlement, youll be happy
more often than not.
1/# Happiness can0t be bou-ht
"&oney wont ma)e you happy5 but everyone wants to find out for themselves.$
% 6ig 6iglar
As a cliche, "you cant buy happiness$ is right up there with classics li)e "no use crying over
spilt mil)$ or "crime doesnt pay$, but the reason those cliches are so popular is that theyve
got a big hun) of truth in them, so dont e*pect to get happier by spending more money!
11# Happiness can0t be compared
"+he man with a toothache thin)s everyone happy whose teeth are sound.$
% (eorge 1ernard 2haw
1efore you ma)e yourself unhappy by fretting that everybody else is happier than you, realise
that theyve all got problems7 thats5 well, thats life, fol)s. Instead of comparing your
happiness to somebody elses, try comparing it to your saddest moments. 2uddenly, things
dont seem so bad after all.
1'# Happiness is not on 1aceboo(
"+he more they used #aceboo)5 the more their life satisfaction levels declined over time.$
% 8than 9ross et al., in a research paper published by :;2 ;ne
2eriously, did you thin) all those party photos and e*citable status updates meant that
everyones having a ball! Nope, it 3ust means they post on #aceboo) when theyre happy
because they want to share that happiness (and maybe brag about it 3ust a tiny bit). 2ee
happiness secret <==!
1$# Happiness is ma(in- every day matter
"As a well%spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.$
% eonardo da >inci
Inaction rarely ma)es people happy. 'e need to feel that our e*istence has meaning and
purpose in order to be happy, so spend each day doing the things that are most important to
you.
14# Happiness means (no&in- &hat you love
"Its a helluva start, being able to recogni?e what ma)es you happy.$
% ucille 1all
ets face it/if you dont )now what ma)es you happy its about time you started to figure it
out. 'hat ma)es you smile! 'hat leaves you feeling great! 9eep on with those things and
your happiness will always have fuel.
1*# Happiness is a -ift# 2ccept it#
"I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.$
% @ane Austen, :ride and :re3udice
Are you cheating yourself out of happiness because you dont feel youve earned it! 1rea)ing
news, you dont have to earn happiness. Its a gift/from your friends, from strangers, from
the universe, from yourself. (ive it and accept it freely so theres always plenty in circulation.
1+# Happiness is one side of life0s coin
"8ven a happy life cannot be without a measure of dar)ness, and the word happy would lose
its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.$
% Aarl @ung
Nobody can be happy all of the time. If you were, you wouldnt be able to recognise your
happiness because youd have nothing to compare it to!
1,# Happiness is lovin- 3and bein- loved in return4
"If you get a good wife, youll become happy7 if you get a bad one, youll become a
philosopher.$
% 2ocrates
#or most of us, a great deal of lifes happiness comes from being around the people we love,
and )nowing that they love us right bac).
18# Happiness comes &hen you stop loo(in- for it
"-ou will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. -ou will
never live if you are loo)ing for the meaning of life.$
% Albert Aamus
+he Buest for happiness is easily confused with the desire for things that we believe might
ma)e us happy. ;n closer inspection, though, some of the happiest people in the world are
those whove stopped hunting for a magical happiness guarantee, and are simply happy to
e*ist.