William James

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.

If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.

I’m always smiling and happy.

Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story.

Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them.

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

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

Happiness ain’t a thing in itself -it’s only a contrast with something that ain’t pleasant. And so, as soon as the novelty is over and the force of the contrast dulled, it ain’t happiness any longer, and you have to get something fresh.

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

Pierre was right when he said that one must believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy, and I now believe in it. Let the dead bury the dead, but while I’m alive, I must live and be happy.

Pursue whatever it is that you want to do with your life. It is the only secret to happiness that I know except for maybe true love, that and maybe having the amazing health insurance plan that our congressmen have.

How often, for example, have you said or heard someone else say, “All I really want in this life is to be happy”? It sounds like a commonsense answer, but as a life goal, it is destined for failure. My dog, Barkley, wants to be happy. Does that mean that the two of you want the same things? I don’t think so. I’ll bet everything I own that you and Barkley define happiness very differently. So unless you’re willing to settle for someone scratching your belly and letting you sleep under the coffee table, you might want to be a little more precise about what you as a unique individual really want.

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

The truth is that all of us can attain the greatest success and happiness possible in this life whenever we use our native capacities to its greatest extent.

There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.