John Lennon

It doesn’t matter how long my hair is or what colour my skin is or whether I’m a woman or a man.

If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.

Surrealism had a great effect on me because then I realised that the imagery in my mind wasn’t insanity. Surrealism to me is reality.

You either get tired fighting for peace, or you die.

Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.

We’ve been on our peace gig, as we call it, for a year solid. And people say, ‘Do you think it’s having any effect?’ I can’t answer that. It’s like asking me in the Cavern, ‘Are you gonna make it?’ In the back of my mind I thought, I’m gonna make it, but I couldn’t lay it on the line. And I think that peace is more tangible than Beatles.

What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience?

You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.

Choose happiness, not success, as your life’s goal. If you become successful but aren’t happy, then what is the point?

One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

If you want to be happy, be.

If only we’d stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time.

Anybody who thinks money will make you happy, hasn’t got money.

Don’t worry, be happy!

Happiness isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. You must define what it looks like for you and then make a conscious effort to access whatever gets you to your unique definition of joy.

Happy is harder than money. Anyone who thinks money will make them happy, doesn’t have money.

Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly. It is the one thing we are interested in here.

Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won’t have to haunt for happiness

A happy life is just a string of happy moments. But most people don’t allow the happy moment, because they’re so busy trying to get a happy life.

Relinquishing the delusional hope that we can or must be flawless allows us to seek happiness in the place it can be found: Our real, messy, imperfect experience