In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.
Interpretation
Gratefulness leads to happiness, not the other way around.
This quote emphasizes the importance of gratitude as a fundamental aspect of achieving happiness. It suggests that rather than waiting for happiness to arrive, one should actively cultivate gratitude for the positive aspects of life, which in turn fosters a sense of joy and fulfillment.
In practice
In a motivational speech about mental well-being, you could use this quote to emphasize the power of gratitude.
You want to get rich in order that you may surround yourself with beautiful things, see distant lands, feed your mind, and develop your intellect; in order that you may love others and do kind things, and be able to play a good part in helping the world to find truth.
Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude.
Whatever you habitually think yourself to be, that you are. You must form, now, a greater and better habit; you must form a conception of yourself as a being of limitless power, and habitually think that you are that being. It is the habitual, not the periodical thought that decides your destiny.
That which makes you want more money is the same as that which makes the plant grow; it is life seeking fuller expression.
Never look at the visible supply; always look at the limitless riches in the formless substance and know that they are coming to you as fast as you can receive and use them.
Genuine happiness can only be achieved when we transform our way of life from the unthinking pursuit of pleasure to one committed to enriching our inner lives, when we focus on 'being more' rather than simply having more.
These days, in our materialistic culture, many people are led to believe that money is the ultimate source of happiness. Consequently, when they donβt have enough of it they feel let down. Therefore, it is important to let people know that they have the source of contentment and happiness within themselves, and that it is related to nurturing our natural inner values.
It is pleasing to the dear God whenever thou rejoicest or laughest from the bottom of thy heart.
There is a kind of happiness and wonder that makes you serious. It is too good to waste on jokes.
Don't evaluate your life in terms of achievements, trivial or monumental, along the way... Instead, wake up and appreciate everything you encounter along your path. Enjoy the flowers that are there for your pleasure. Tune in to the sunrise, the little children, the laughter, the rain, and the birds. Drink it all in... there is no way to happiness; happiness is the way.
Happiness: an agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another.
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