There is an hour wherein a man might be happy all his life, could he find it.
George HerbertRead
The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mode of happiness, but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change; happiness, like a child, must be allowed to grow up.
Interpretation
True happiness evolves and should be embraced as it changes rather than clung to in a static form.
This quote emphasizes that the essence of living well involves an acceptance of the dynamic nature of happiness. Instead of striving to hold onto a singular idea or experience of happiness, we should allow it to transform and grow. Just as a child develops and changes over time, so too should our understanding and experience of happiness evolve, allowing us to find joy in its various forms without disappointment.
In practice
This quote can be shared at a wellness seminar to highlight the importance of emotional flexibility.
There is an hour wherein a man might be happy all his life, could he find it.
Man is happiest when he is creating. In fact, the highest state of which man is capable lies in the creative act.
At Christmas A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year; He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season's here; Then he's thinking more of others than he's thought the months before, And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for. He is less a selfish creature than at any other time; When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime.
Seeking happiness in material things is a sure way of being unhappy.
Happiness and joy are not the same. For what does the fervent craving for joy mean? It does not mean that we wish at any cost to experience the psychic state of being joyful. We want to have reason for joy, for an unceasing joy that fills us utterly, sweeps all before it, exceeds all measure.
Perfect happiness, I believe, was never intended by the Deity to be the lot of one of his creatures in this world; but that he has very much put in our power the nearness of our approaches to it is what I have steadfastly believed.
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