Happiness is the main object of our aspirations, whatever name we give to it: fulfilment, deep satisfaction, serenity, accomplishment, wisdom, fortune, joy or inner peace, and however we try to seek it: creativity, justice, altruism, striving, completion of a plan or a piece of work.
Interpretation
Happiness encompasses various forms of fulfillment and can be sought through different means.
In this quote, Matthieu Ricard emphasizes that happiness is a universal aspiration, manifesting in various forms such as fulfillment, serenity, and joy. Regardless of how individuals define or pursue happiness—whether through creativity, altruism, or the completion of personal goals—the ultimate aim remains the same: the pursuit of a deep and meaningful sense of satisfaction in life.
In practice
During a motivational speech about pursuing goals, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of seeking personal happiness.
Happiness is the result of inner maturity. It depends on us alone, and requires patient work, carried out from day to day. Happiness must be built, and this requires time and effort. In the long term, happiness and unhappiness are therefore a way of being, or a life skill.
True freedom means freeing oneself from the dictates of the ego and its accompanying emotions.
We do all kinds of things to remain beautiful. Yet, we spend surprisingly little time taking care of what matters most - the way our mind functions.
Happiness is a state of inner fulfillment.
Knowledge does not mean mastering a great quantity of different information, but understanding the nature of mind. This knowledge can penetrate each one of our thoughts and illuminate each one of our perceptions.
Empathy is the faculty to resonate with the feelings of others. When we meet someone who is joyful, we smile. When we witness someone in pain, we suffer in resonance with his or her suffering.
On with dance, let joy be unconfined, is my motto; whether there's any dance to dance or any joy to unconfined.
Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God our refuge and our safety and that nothing, not even death, can take God away from us.
The best things in life aren't things.
Joy is that kind of happiness that does not depend on what happens.
You get to a certain age where you prepare yourself for happiness. Sometimes you never remember to actually get happy.
Each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.
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