Friday, April 24, 2015

Happiness by Helen Scott Taylor


I'm a great believer that everyone should be responsible for their own happiness. It always seems crazy to me that anyone would put their happiness or lack of it in the hands of another person. Yet so many people blame their partner or their family or their boss or the government for doing something that makes them unhappy.

Everyone experiences trials in their life, but even when times are tough and testing, there are always bright spots we can focus on to keep give us pleasure and keep us going. I believe happiness is all about attitude, about being optimistic and looking for the good things in life.

In my life there are countless small things that bring me pleasure each day, kissing my husband, my first cup of coffee, watering my seedlings and seeing how they've grown, playing with my dog, watching her chase after her toys and playing tug-of-war with some poor stuffed animal that has lost most of its stuffing. Walking around my garden and noticing the buds grow and the flowers bloom and the leaves fall as the seasons change.

If one looks for them, there are numerous things that can bring a spark of pleasure to the day, even when there are troubles. One just has to be open to them.

Quotes about happiness:

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
Buddha

“Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are – completely; the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit – not because you think someone else wants you to be different.”
Stacey Charter

“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”
Dale Carnegie

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
Frederick Keonig

“To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness.”
Mary Stuart

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
Herman Cain

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”
Helen Keller

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”
Aristotle

“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”
L.M. Montgomery

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

“The happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life.”
Brian Tracy

“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”
Groucho Marx


What things in your life bring you happiness?

Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful, long-suffering husband, she shares her home with a Westie and a burmilla cat. Helen has one of her Army Doctor stories in the Hearts & Kisses boxed set. (This set includes both sweet and steamy books.) Find Helen on FaceBook and Twitter, or visit her website.

7 comments:

  1. Laughter - from young and old; the toothy smiles of my dogs, the gentle rub of a cat against my leg, a safe and warm hug

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  2. Happiness is anytime I get to see or talk to any of my kids or grandkids, meet friends for coffee, finish writing a scene that made me laugh or sigh, looking at old family pictures.

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    1. There is nothing like reminiscing over old photos. I haven't done that lately. I'll have to dig some out and sit down with my kids for a trip back in time.

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  3. Love this post, Helen! I choose a word to be my "theme" every year and last year the word was happiness. Things that make me happy are simple - sunshine, roses, the sound of Captain Cavedweller's laughter, babies, music, a note from a friend, and chocolate.

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  4. How lovely to choose a word as a theme for the year. What is your word this year?

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  5. Happiness to me is seeing my daughter beautiful face, kissing my my Mom and Dad. Reading a good book

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