Happiness is a tricky concept — sometimes a small, seemingly insignificant event can make your entire day. Other times, even the most popular comedy wouldn't make you crack a smile. But, in my days, I have learned that there are certain things that make happiness more accessible — ingredients, per say. Here, I have compiled my top eight ingredients for happiness, explained through quotes by some influential people who apparently understand.
1. Laughter:
“It was her habit to build laughter out of inadequate materials.” - "The Grapes of Wrath," John Steinbeck
“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” - Stephen Hawking
2. Self-love:
“I make mistakes. That’s what I do. I speak without thinking. I act without knowing. I drink so much that I can barely walk. I’m a fantastic lover, though, and an amazing friend. God knows I mean well.” - "Sex and the City," Carrie Bradshaw
“Note to self: None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an afterthought. Eat the delicious food. Walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean. Say the truth that you’re carrying in your heart like a hidden treasure. Be silly. Be kind. Be weird. There’s no time for anything else.” - Nanea Hoffman
“This, is about my own some-day daughter. When you approach me, already stung-stayed with insecurity, begging “Mom, will I be pretty?” I will wipe that question from your mouth like cheap lipstick and answer, “No, the word pretty is unworthy of everything you will be, and no child of mine will be contained in six letters. You will be pretty intelligent, pretty creative pretty amazing. But you, will never be merely… pretty.” - Kate Makkai
3. Ambition:
“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?” - "An Abundance of Katherine’s," John Green
4. Fun:
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
“At the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling.” - Shanti
5. Openness to Change:
“When she transformed into a butterfly, the caterpillars spoke not of her beauty, but of her weirdness. They wanted her to change back into what she always had been. But she had wings.” - Dean Jackson
“What if I told you that ten years from now, your life would be exactly the same? I doubt you’d be happy. So, why are you so afraid of change?” - Karen Salmansohn
6. Love:
“She had blue skin, and so did he. He kept it hid and so did she. They searched for blue their whole life through, then passed right by- and never knew.” -Shel Silverstein
7. Taking risks:
“There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it.” - Judith McNaught
“Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it’s unbelievable.” - "Matilda," Roald Dahl
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly is the moment you cease forever to be able to do it.” - "Peter Pan," J.M. Barrie
8. The little things:
“Maybe the truth is, there’s a little bit of loser in all of us. Being happy isn’t having everything in your life be perfect. Maybe it’s about stringing together all the little things.” - "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," Ann Brashares
“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate.” - "Eat, Pray, Love," Elizabeth Gilbert
“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?” - Oscar Wilde
