You can’t pursue happiness, but you can invest in activities, events and experiences that make you come alive. Therefore, it is with great truth that Aristotle says, To be happy means to be self-sufficient,” writes Schopenhauer in his essay, The Wisdom of Life. “The more a man finds his sources of pleasure in himself - the happier he will be. It’s a feeling you find within, not from outside sources. Happiness is, first of all, a state of mind. They are not aware of personal goals’ impact on their lives. The majority of people don’t have any clear goals or aspirations in their life, let alone living a happy one. These three things are essential for us to live a happy and fulfilled life. In his book “7 Principles for Living a Happy Life”, Sy Gill explains that we must have a purpose, meaning, and goals to live a happy life. Living a happy life is not as difficult as it seems. The expectations of our parents, our friends, or society, in general, can often be set too high for us to reach, and we become pessimistic about ever attaining this elusive feeling.

There are many reasons why people think that happiness is an elusive goal. Or if a personal creative work outside work brings you joy, why not break all boundaries and let it consume your every waking hour outside what you do to pay the bills? Investing in activities that make you happy has a dual effect: You are happier as a result of pursuing these goals and simultaneously grow happier by continuing to do so for the rest of your life. If you’re willing to invest in this pursuit, you need only identify what makes you happy and then pursue it relentlessly.įor example, if pursuing your intellectual curiosities makes you happy, why not make it your life’s work? If travelling uplifts you, why not make it the cornerstone of your existence? Research suggests that happiness is not a fixed state of being but rather an active process that you can choose to pursue every day. “Very little is needed to make a happy life it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking,” says Marcus Aurelius. It’s within your grasp if you stop looking elsewhere. To achieve a noble goal in life is true happiness. Explore your values, priorities, and the lifestyle you want and adopt habits and routines that can help you design your own happiness. Many people wait for something to happen to feel happiness. It’s about something much bigger than that. A happy life is not just about having fun or even being satisfied with what we have in our lives. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal. If you get excited about life-changing pursuits, plan small experiences and personal projects that can bring out the best in you almost every day. The moment when you started working and earning money was also pretty exciting. A long-term goal that excites you is one of the most powerful sources of human happiness.ĭo you remember how excited you were when you first thought of a career? Or the time when you first got admission into your college?īoth big and small life pursuits can excite us if we choose right. Something to look forward to makes you come alive every morning.Įinstein once said, “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” Long-term life pursuits change our approach to life. Do you have life goals? Do they excite you? Do you look forward to taking small actions every day to get closer to it?

Einstein quotes about life