#happin

The house a woman creates is a Utopia. She can't help it - can't help trying to interest her nearest and dearest not in happiness itself but in the search for it. ↗

— Marguerite Duras

#creates #dearest #happiness #help #her

Life is such unutterable hell, solely because it is sometimes beautiful. If we could only be miserable all the time, if there could be no such things as love or beauty or faith or hope, if I could be absolutely certain that my love would never be returned: how much more simple life would be. One could plod through the Siberian salt mines of existence without being bothered about happiness. ↗

— T.H. White

#dichotomy #happiness #pain #stoicism #beauty

These examples suggest what one needs to learn to control attention. In principle any skill or discipline one can master on one’s own will serve: meditation and prayer if one is so inclined; exercise, aerobics, martial arts for those who prefer concentrating on physical skills. Any specialization or expertise that one finds enjoyable and where one can improve one’s knowledge over time. The important thing, however, is the attitude toward these disciplines. If one prays in order to be holy, or exercises to develop strong pectoral muscles, or learns to be knowledgeable, then a great deal of the benefit is lost. The important thing is to enjoy the activity for its own sake, and to know that what matters is not the result, but the control one is acquiring over one’s attention. ↗

— Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

#happiness #art

While I gave up God a long time ago, I never shook the habit of wanting to believe in something. So I replaced my creed of everlasting life with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ↗

— Sarah Vowell

#believe #creed #everlasting #gave #god

Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man. ↗

— Oswald Chambers

#end #happiness #holiness #man

Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness. ↗

— Chanakya

#above #any #below #friends #friendships

How easy to be amiable in the midst of happiness and success. ↗

— William Ellery Channing

#amiable #easy #how #midst #success

Try to put your happiness before anyone else's, because you may never have done so in your entire life, if you really think about it, if you are really honest with yourself. ↗

— Margaret Cho

#anyone #because #before #done #else

Now an infinite happiness cannot be purchased by any price less than that which is infinite in value; and infinity of merit can only result from a nature that is infinitely divine or perfect. ↗

— Adam Clarke

#cannot #divine #happiness #infinite #infinitely

I will never forget my beautiful days with you in Shanklin, they are certainly the most pleasant ones of my life. Look, I have tears in my eyes just to think about it. I am furious to be here, it is the end of happiness for a whole year. ↗

— Camille Claudel

#am #beautiful #certainly #days #end