45% of our behavior is from habits, according to a Duke University study “Habits―A Repeat Performance.” Habits are the framework of our life and determine our destiny, who we are and contribute greatly to who we will become.

It is habits that make us happy or miserable.

It’s not because we were born to be happy. Being rich could be yet not all rich people are happy. Being successful could be but one research study after another concludes the opposite. It is happiness that is key to success.

How happy and miserable we are depends on the habits we have developed, consciously and unconsciously. The only way to change life is to build habits that enable us to move towards the change we wish to see in our life.

23 Habits of Happy People

So what habits should we have to be happy? Certain habits make a person happy, but not necessarily others. However, there are certain habits that are common among happy people.

Here’s 23 habits of ecstatically happy people that I’ve learned from research studies and from many greatest minds in human history such as Albert Einstein, Aristotle, Buddha, Gandhi, Thich Nhat Hanh, John Lennon, Elbert Hubbard and Albert Aurelius.

At the end of this article you will find great resources to help you start developing habits that stick, including these habits that happy people have! Enjoy!

1. Happy people live in the now

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” ~Eckhart Tolle

I was desperate and overwhelmed. I was struggling to make ends meet. Life was just a total nightmare. I couldn’t think clearly and floated day in and day out with all I have to do to keep moving, to pull all the strength to endure those hardships.

As a book reader, I resorted to reading. While browsing through the book department on Amazon, a certain book got my attention: Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now. I bought it.

The book brought my ego to broad daylight. It changed the way I viewed the past, the future and the present. I realized that nothing exists outside this moment and that the past and future are illusions and exist only when we focus our attention on them right now.

Happy people know that the present moment is all they have.

2. Happy surround themselves with happy people

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ~Jim Rohn

For over 20 years researchers at Framingham Heart Study investigated the dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network. More than 4,700 subjects participated in the study from 1983 to 2003. What the researchers found was that our happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom we are connected.

Happy people make it a habit to choose friends who are optimistic and happy themselves, who are uplifting. They keep the distance from any downers.

3. Happy people feel gratitude

“Happiness is itself a kind gratitude.” ~Joseph W. Krutch

Expressing thanks may be one of the simplest ways to feel happy. Lots of evidence in psychology research proves that, “gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, enjoy good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and building strong relationships.”

In a study on gratitude, two prominent psychologists Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami asked their subjects to write a few sentences each week.

The subjects were divided into three groups. One wrote about things they were grateful for. The second group wrote about their frustrations. The third wrote about any events that affected them. The group that wrote about gratitude became more optimistic and felt better about their lives. They also exercised more and had fewer visits to their physicians.

Happy people acknowledge the goodness in their lives and other people’s.

4. Happy people make happiness a by-product of their habits

“Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

For happy people, happiness is a by-product of their goals. They don’t pursue happiness. They keep themselves busy doing habits that move them closer every day towards their goals and lifestyle they want to enjoy.

Instead of pursuing happiness, they create a favorable environment for happiness to come into their life.

5. Happy people express their feelings

One of the top five regrets people have on their deathbed is this. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.” While the ways of expressing our feelings could affect how we feel afterwards, this hints that if we do, however badly or poorly, we would not die with the regret of not expressing our feelings enough.

Happy people know how to express their feelings in a skillful way. Read this post on Psychology Today if you wish to learn more about how to express your feelings… and how not to.

6. Happy people are good at something

“Anything you’re good at contributes to happiness.” ~Bertrand Russell

Happy people have expertise they can use to help other people. This allows them to develop deep friendships, which then contributes to their happiness, according to a University of Texas study “The Evolution of Happiness.”

It is important to work on social skills, close interpersonal ties and social support in order to be happy and one of the ways is to be good at something that people lack and would think of you when they need help.

7. Happy people take responsibility for their own happiness

“Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy people create their own happiness. They don’t rely on other people or external events for happiness, but they do what they can to be happy. They blame no one or nothing. They don’t blame themselves either because they know that self-blame is destructive.

They take responsibility for their mistakes and missteps and more importantly, for their own happiness.

8. Happy people think positively

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” ~Buddha

Happy people know that the quality of their thoughts determines the quality of their life and that positive thinking contributes to happiness. They see the glass half full, not half empty. They approach problems in a positive way.

While an unhappy person complains about the rain, a happy person, on the other hand, may be sitting down and reading a good book or even playing in the rain.

While we are worried about a bad economy, happy people – who live in the same economy – would think about possibility and opportunities. We see a problem as a problem; happy people see it as an opportunity to help us.

9. Happy people care about their health

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” ~Gandhi

Everyone knows the effects of health on life, everyone wants to be healthy, but not every one does what it takes to be healthy―which mainly means eating healthy, exercising and getting a good sleep.

It’s not that we don’t want to eat healthy, exercise and get a good sleep; we do. It just means that we need to find the right way to actually get started and stick to it. And happy people have the right habit skills to help them stay healthy.

10. Happy people have dreams and keep them alive

“Life is a dream – Realize it.” ~Sai Baba

Nelson Mandela has a dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself. Steve Jobs believed in dreaming big. In the 70s, when very few used a computer, Jobs had the vision of putting a computer in the hands of everyday people. Happy (and successful) people have big dreams and develop habits that keep their dreams alive and to achieve it.

11. Happy people set goals and act on them

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” ~Albert Einstein

Unhappy people discuss people and things. Happy people discuss ideas and act upon it with the end in mind. They tie happiness to a goal that inspires their hope and dream.

Happy people know exactly what to do every day when they get up. They make sure that what they do will move them closer every day towards their goal and the lifestyle they want.

12. Happy people let go

“Learn to let go. That’s the key to happiness.” ~Buddha

All of our problems is our inability to let go. Happy people know that letting go is a skill that can be practiced, and they practice and master the art of letting go.

There is a great ebook by Leo Babauta of Zen Habit called The Letting Go Ebook. It’s FREE and uncopyrighted!

13. Happy people practice compassion

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ~Dalai Lama

Unhappy people hold on to anger and hatred. Happy people, on the other hand, practice compassion. Dalai Lama advises removing anger and hatred, which are the greatest hindrances to compassion. Patience and sincerity are helpful to control them. “I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness. It is the practice of compassion.”

14. Happy people choose being happy over being right

“I’d rather be happy than right any day.” ~Douglas Adams

More often than not, being right means that we have to point to the other person’s mistake. Yet, none of us like to be wrong.

Happy people would choose to be happy than right if being right makes them unhappy. They know that choosing right over happy could mean deciding what is best for their ego, which is bad for relationship necessary to lead a happy life.

That said, happy people do have better ways to correct people’s mistakes without making it feel like a failure, loss or weakness for the people whose mistakes they are trying to correct.

Often doing the right thing means doing the things that make you happy.

15. Happy people lead a simple life

“Life is very simple but we insist on making it complicated.” ~Confucius

Happy people know how to live a simple life – a life uncluttered by most of the things people fill their lives with, and left with space for what really matters, a life that isn’t constant busy-ness and rushing, but contemplation, creation and connection with people they love and time for nature and activity.

They manage to cut all the unnecessary possessions and distractions to make space for happiness.

16. Happy people have integrity

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” ~Albert Einstein

Happy people live with integrity. They say what they do and do what they say. So people trust them and as they have strong and healthy relationships with others, happy people tend to influence and inspire others, both with their truthful words and truthful actions.

Integrity primes happy people for healthy relationships, which also contributes to happiness.

17. Happy people value relationships with others

In 2002, Diener and Seligman of University of Illinois conducted a study and found that happy people had strong ties to their friends and family. The study concludes, “It is important to work on social skills, close interpersonal ties and social support in order to be happy.”

In fact, one of the greatest regrets people have on their deathbeds is that they wish they had stayed in touch with their friends and family. Happy people live… and die without regrets. Part of what they do is they value their relationships with everyone who comes into their lives and stay in close touch with a friend or two.

18. Happy people focus on solution, not problem

“Happy people focus on solutions. Unhappy people focus on problems.” ~Chris Butler

While we see a problem, happy people see a possibility. Instead of focusing on the problem, they choose to focus on the solution and with that, they help us.

Thomas Edison saw the dark of night as a possibility to light up the night for humanity. As a result, he invented the light bulb we all can’t live without today.

As Aristotle puts it, “It is our darkest moments that we should focus on the light.” This is exactly what happy people do – they have the habit of focusing on solution.

19. Happy people forgive and forget

“To forgive is the highest and most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” ~Robert Muller

Studies show the relationships between forgiving and happiness. It improves our mental and physical wellbeing, according to Harvard Women’s Health Watch.

All of us have been hurt by another person at some time or another. We were treated badly. It hurt.

We’ve all hurt ourselves some time too. That too hurt.

Most hold on to the grudges and regrets all lifelong. A few can forgive and enjoy happiness.

To forgive is to love deeply. When we can forgive, we can liberate ourselves from grudges and suffering. Peace and happiness are for those who have the courage to forgive… both themselves and others who’ve hurt them some time in life.

20. Happy people give and serve

“Happiness… consists in giving, and in serving others.” ~Henry Drummond

4,500 American adults participated in the Do Good Live Well Survey 2010, according to Therese J. Borchard of PsychCentral. The survey found that 41 percent of Americans volunteered an average of 100 hours per year. Of those who volunteered, 89 percent reported that they improved their sense of well-being.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who donate the most of their income compared to other billionaires, said, “I couldn’t be happier with that decision [to donate and urge others to do the same].”

If you think receiving makes you happy, it’s because you haven’t tried giving and serving. Happy people give and serve, not as a result of their being happy but rather in order to be happy. Generosity could be the result of happiness but it is also the cause of happiness.

21. Happy people experiment with life

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A great poet, author and lecturer who influenced millions of lives around the world, Ralph Waldo Emerson advises us not to be too timid and squeamish about our actions.

“What if [our experiments] are a little coarse and you may get your coat soiled and torn? What if you do fail and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice?” The goal of our personal experiments is not to succeed once and for all, but to continually learn and improve ourselves, to embrace personal growth.

Happy people have the habit of experimenting with life.

What experiments do you want to do with your life? A few examples could be reflecting on what you do daily, smiling as soon as you rise in the morning, or getting better at something you’re already good at.

22. Happy people rise early

The early bird catches the worm – the worm being success, or happiness. One of the habits happy people have is to rise early in the morning.

A University of Toronto study in 2012, which was published in journal Emotion and widely cited, suggests that early risers are happier (and healthier) than people who like staying up late because they find it easier to adapt to their daily schedule.

I have experimented with this idea myself for some time. I stick to a sleep schedule and go to bed between 10:00-11:00 p.m. I get up at 6 a.m. and would arrive at my office at around 7:15 a.m. It makes me feel better. I arrive in office early. I can begin my day in peace and quiet, with a cup of tea and write 300 words first thing. Most importantly I can avoid the terrible traffic that always caused me lots of stress.

If you are looking for the most successful techniques for rising early, here’s a great practical post on Zen Habits on how to become an early riser. Click here!

23. Happy people smile like they mean it

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Evidence suggests that smiling causes happiness. One of the most significant studies was conducted by pioneer in social behavior Robert Zajonc in 1989 on the emotional effect of smiling.

His subjects repeated vowels that force various facial expressions. To stimulate a smile they made the long “e” sound. They were also made to make other vowel sounds, including the long “u,” which mimic an unhappy expression on their faces.

The result? Making the long “e” sound causes happy feeling, and the long “u” causes bad feeling.

However, another study published in the Academy of Management Journal warns that faking your smile does not work and could even worsen your mood. What you can do instead is to cultivate a positive thought and smile about it.

If you think you can only be happy in order to smile, I guess you have never smiled in order to be happy. Happy people have the habit of smiling. They can trick themselves into smiling even if they are having a bad day.

Resources on Habits

By now, I am confident you have understood the power of habits and the effects they have on our life.

45% of our behavior (if not more) is from habits. We repeat what we do in the same location and context almost every day – waking up, taking certain streets to and from work, reading, writing, having lunch, having a shower, sleep…

No doubt, then, that how happy (or miserable) we are depends on the habits we have developed, consciously and unconsciously. So… the only way to change life is to build habits that enable us to move towards the change we wish to see in our life.

While you may think loading new habits is difficult, I can say with great confidence that it is much easier than you think.

I’ve developed my habits of reading, writing, thinking positively, smiling and many other habits listed above as well as others. It is easier than I thought.

These are the resources that helped me. I would recommend them without hesitation if you wish to load new habits to change your life.

Habit bloggers

Zen Habits: I have read posts on Zen Habits since 2009. It is my #1 habit blog from which I have learned so much.

Deep Existence: The blog is run by Stephen Guise the author of Mini Habits: Small Habits, Bigger Results. I’ve been reading his articles for a few months. He is a life experimenter! His posts are very well crafted for serious blog readers.

Understanding the habit mechanisms

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business: If you were to read only one book on habit, read The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg, the book clearly and scientifically explains why habits exist, how they affect how we live and how they can be changed. It has changed the way I look at myself and my world. It’s entertaining, enjoyable and fascinating. A must-must-read!

Developing habits that stick

Tiny Habits program by BJ Fogg, PhD, Director, Persuasive Tech Lab, Stanford University: Professor Fogg has studied human behavior for 20 years and created the Tiny Habits program to empower us to change our life forever. I joined the program and benefited so much from it. I couldn’t believe it is a free program!

Mini Habits: Small Habits, Bigger Results: I thought changes were difficult, until I read this book. It is short and to the point. After reading the book, I reflected on myself and some of the habits I’ve developed. To my surprise, very few of them are the result of motivation, but small steps that made it so easy I cannot not do it. My reading habit is the result of reading one quote a day. My writing habit is the result of writing 50 words a day. If you’re struggling to do what you want to do, I highly recommend reading this book.

Congratulations!!!

3,460+ words is a long read for a blog post, I know, so congratulations!

What do you think? Did I miss out on anything? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. I will respond to all your comments here.

Please help share this article if you find it useful.

Read original post - 23 Habits of Ecstatically Happy People

Quote lovers? Here’s another post for you to wallow in 20 more quotes about happiness. Enjoy!

1. Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. ~Thich Nhat Hanh [Tweet this quote]

Evidence suggests that smiling causes happiness. One of the most significant studies was conducted by pioneer in social behavior Robert Zajonc in 1989 on the emotional effect of smiling.

His subjects repeated vowels that force various facial expressions. To stimulate a smile they made the long “e” sound. They were also made to make other vowel sounds, including the long “u,” which mimic an unhappy expression on their faces.

The result? Making the long “e” sound causes feeling happy, and the long “u” causes bad feeling.

If you think you can only be happy in order to smile, I guess you have never smiled in order to be happy.

2. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. ~Dennis Kimbro [Tweet this quote]

How we respond to life problems is much more important than what actually happens to us. Bad events happen from time to time. Unavoidable. You can either let yourself wallow in them or you can pull up your strength and courage to deal with them and move on. How you react to what happens is your choice and that determines how successful and happy you are.

3. Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be. ~Abraham Lincoln [Tweet this quote]

When you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. Happiness depends on the quality of our thoughts. We make decisions based on our thoughts, conscious and unconscious. It is no accidents that some people are happier than others. They just decide to be happy.

4. Happiness… consists in giving, and in serving others. ~Henry Drummond [Tweet this quote]

If you think receiving makes you happy, it’s because you haven’t losing yourself in the service of others. When we give, we are happy. When we serve, we are happy. Generosity could be the result of happiness and it IS also by itself the cause of happiness.

5. The first recipe for happiness is: avoid too lengthy meditation on the past. ~Andre Maurois [Tweet this quote]

In other words, don’t dwell on the past. What has happened has happened. What will happen will happen. Now is the only moment you have. The past and future are illusions that our mind create. So be present as often as you can. When you eat, just eat. Enjoy the taste and the patterns and textures of the food you’re eating.

6. Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions; it is governed by our mental attitude. ~Dale Carnegie [Tweet this quote]

A positive attitude is the starting point of happiness. Other people are not responsible for our happiness, not our parents, not our spouse, not any one. Happiness is not in any way conditioned by what happens to you, but by how you react to it. How you react is conditioned by your mental attitude.

7. Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. ~Eleanor Roosevelt [Tweet this quote]

Happiness is not a goal. It is a habit that can be cultivated. It is a by-product of everything you think, say and do, of a goal or goals that you’ve achieved. Eleanor Roosevelt’s intent is not for us to pursue happiness but to focus on living up to our potential, to live our legend. Then happiness will follow.

8. The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring. ~Carl Sandburg [Tweet this quote]

We feel happy when someone admires us. In fact, we are happy even if sometimes we know (or don’t know) that the person admiring us is wanting something from us. For sure, we feel happy when we admire a person without desiring anything in return.

Sometimes we also become happy just by faking our admiration to make people happy.

9. Happy he who learns to bear what he cannot change. ~Friedrich Schiller [Tweet this quote]

We can’t change everything. We have little control over what we want to happen. To be able to change something does not have anything to do with whether or not we are happy or unhappy. Our job is not to change everything but be the change we wish to see ourselves. Our job is to do what we can to lay the foundation for change to take place. Whether it changes or not is not what happy people wish to see. They are detached from the outcome.

10. Anything you’re good at contributes to happiness. ~Bertrand Russell [Tweet this quote]

Self-mastery contributes to happiness. It gives us a sense of progress. This contributes to our inner drive to get better, to master what we do… to live life to the fullest.

We don’t need to use any research data to back the correlation or causality between doing what we’re good at and happiness. Ask yourself, What I am good at? How do I feel when I do it?

11. It’s not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. ~Charles Spurgeon [Tweet this quote]

Not all the rich people are happy. Some of them obsess about making more and more money, leaving little time to enjoy what they already have. Happy people enjoy more of what we have.

Life is a great balancing act, Dr. Seuss said. It is vitally important to enjoy what we already have. Besides, if we appreciate what we already have, we will get more of what we want. If we don’t appreciate what we already have, we will lose even what we already have.

12. I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition. ~Martha Washington [Tweet this quote]

Self-explanatory. In other words, we are as happy as we make up our mind to be. We have a choice to create happiness. It is in fact our responsibility, not other people and not what happens.

Usually we appear happy when we feel happy. But the opposite is also true. If you appear happy, you feel happy.

13. You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. ~Albert Camus [Tweet this quote]

Don’t pursue happiness; create it. Happiness comes from within, not without. Don’t look for the meaning of life; just live it and be alive. Live as if you were to die today, so get out there and experiment with different things, as many things as you can. Life is a series of experiments.

14. Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears. ~John Lennon [Tweet this quote]

How old we are is much less important than the friendships we have created and maintained in our lives. Hardships are not the deciding factor for happiness; it is the courage to smile despite the hardship. It is during hardships that we need to smile most.

15. 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 it. ~Dale Carnegie [Tweet this quote]

An event is as good (or bad) as you think it is. The quality of your thought determines how happy or unhappy you are, not other people, not what has and will happen. Improve your thoughts and be happier.

16. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. ~Aristotle [Tweet this quote]

Every one wants to be happy. No doubt about that. But some pursue happiness; others create it. Some seek it without; others within. Some improve their thoughts; others improve what they do so they think more positively and be happier. Some practice compassion; others practice gratitude. Happiness is a by-product of what we think, do and say – a by-product that brings life meaning.

17. The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. ~Oprah Winfrey [Tweet this quote]

The more you celebrate what you’ve achieved, the more you’ll get of what you want. The act of celebrating small wins leads to bigger results. It is how a ripple effect occurs when a pebble drops in water. The happier you are, the even happier you will get.

18. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. ~Mother Teresa [Tweet this quote]

Research was conducted in 2007 by a group of Japanese psychologists to examine the relationship between kindness and happiness. They found that happy people become happier through kindness (Keiko et al., 2007).

“…happy people not only desire to be kind, but they are also more attuned to the recognition of kindnesses, and more likely to behave in kind ways.”

19. All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. ~Buddha [Tweet this quote]

I think, therefore I am. If you can think you’re rich and manifest it every day, the universe will guide your actions towards the riches you want badly enough. If you think you are happy, you will talk happy and act out happy. What we think we become.

Likewise, what we say and do, we become. The same way smiling affects how we feel.

20. If you think sunshine brings you happiness, then you haven’t danced in the rain. ~Unknown [Tweet this quote]

This quote resonates personally with me. I have danced and played in the rain myself, a lot, until I was 17 years old. While my parents are complaining about the rain, I together with my brother, my uncles and other kids in the neighborhood would be enjoying ourselves in the rain.

Sometimes the most rewarding thing is to do what we think is unpleasant or scary.

Did I miss a good quote?

Which of the happiness quotes is your personal favorite? Have a great quote that I forgot to include? Please share in the comments section below.

If you miss out it, here’s Part 1. And here’s Part 2.

Flickr Creative Commons image via Gonzalo Merat

Read original post - 20 Happiness Quotes That’ll Make You Happier Now (Part 3)

In Part 1, I shared 20 happiness quotes already. So here’s 20 more from my collection so you can find the ones that resonate with you and make you happier now.

1. It is our darkest moments that we should focus on the light. ~Aristotle [Tweet this quote]

It is during our darkest moments that we tend to wallow in a self-pity syndrome. It is easy to blame anything. But when we are going through our darkest moments that we must pull our strength and rise above them. Focus on solution and not the problem.

2. Every man dies. Not every man really lives. ~William Ross Wallace [Tweet this quote]

Life is a miracle. But we forget to live it. To really live is to be happy, to do what you love, to be your best, to do things that matter. To live, we must rise above suffering. What exactly we each should do to be happy is different. I love reading and writing. My wife loves having good relationship with people. Yours is different and only you know it. The key question to ask yourself is, Am I just existing, or really living?

3. Some pursue happiness – Others create it. ~Unknown [Tweet this quote]

You can create happiness for yourself and also for others who are open to getting it. It all starts with the quality of your thoughts, so watch your thoughts. Or do things that enable you to think positively.

4. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. ~Paul Boese [Tweet this quote]

While I can’t explain how forgiveness enlarges the future, I know this. It takes great courage to forgive. That’s why only few do. That’s why many live mindlessly in the painful past. When we can forgive, we can liberate ourselves from grudges and suffering.

5. If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, inspires your hopes. ~Andrew Carnegie [Tweet this quote]

A goal that inspires hope makes us happy. It compels us to take action. But often we tend to make money our goal. If you’ve set a goal to make a hundred thousand dollars a year. Ask yourself, why do I want that amount of money? For financial freedom? Do you feel excited about it?

6. I have found that if you love life, life will love you back. ~Arthur Rubinstein [Tweet this quote]

Treat others the way you want them to treat you. Love life and life will love you back. This is true. Now this is also true: Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others. Love happiness (happiness being others) and happiness will love you back.

7. Pain in inevitable. Suffering is optional. ~Haruki Murakami [Tweet this quote]

Pain, physical or emotional, is unavoidable but temporary. When bad events happen to us, it is painful. Yet it is choice to choose to suffer from it, to let ourselves indulge ourselves in misery or self-pity. Suffering is the root cause of unhappiness and we have a choice to rise above it and move on.

8. You never regret being kind. ~Nicole Shepherd [Tweet this quote]

Kindness makes others happy. We are likely to be happy when we make others happy. Sometimes it takes a courage to be kind. It is difficult to be kind towards a person you hate. It is hard to be kind when you’re unhappy yourself. That is when we need to be kind, most.

9. To forgive is the highest and most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness. ~Robert Muller [Tweet this quote]

In other words, to forgive is to love deeply. When we can forgive, we can liberate ourselves from grudges and suffering. Peace and happiness are for those who can forgive.

10. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~Dalai Lama [Tweet this quote]

How to practice compassion? Dalai Lama advises removing anger and hatred, which are the greatest hindrances to compassion. Patience and sincerity are helpful to control them. “I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness. It is the practice of compassion.”

11. Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. ~Aesop [Tweet this quote]

Be honest with yourself. How do you feel when you feel grateful for something in life? If you’re like me, you will feel happy. There are always something to be grateful for each and every day. I make it a habit to think of at least one thing for which I am grateful for when I lay down at night.

12. Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change. ~Jim Rohn [Tweet this quote]

If you find yourself being unhappy all the time, it is not an accident. It is the consequence of what you think, say and do. It is a sign that you must change. Change your thoughts and actions and you will change how you feel. Choose to be happy.

13. Happiness is itself a kind gratitude. ~Joseph W. Krutch [Tweet this quote]

When we are grateful for what you have, we are happy. When we are grateful for what we have, we will get more of what we want in life. So practice gratitude. Every night as you lay down, think of one thing for which you are grateful, take a deep breath and smile.

14. A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships. ~Helen Keller [Tweet this quote]

In other words, we are happy when we master skills to deal with hardships. If money is a hardship, find ways to earn more money. If relationship with your spouse is a hardship, learn to improve it. If you’re not happy with your weight, eat healthier and exercise.

15. Like swimming, riding, writing, or playing golf, happiness can be learned. ~Boris Sokoloff [Tweet this quote]

Yes, it can be learned and cultivated. No one is born happy. No one knows what happiness means until later in life. In fact as a small child we didn’t even care. Happiness can be cultivated.

16. Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you will learn at once how big and precious it is. ~Maxim Gorky [Tweet this quote]

Happiness is contagious. Happy people tend to make others happy wherever they do. Happiness is precious. Everyone needs it. Everyone wants to be happy.

17. Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson [Tweet this quote]

No one can make you happy (or unhappy) but yourself. No one can love you the way you want, but yourself. YOU are the only person responsible for your happiness, not your parents, not your spouse, not your children, not your friends, no one but YOU.

18. There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved. ~George Sand [Tweet this quote]

Love brings happiness. When you are loved, you’ll get the strength. When you love someone deeply, you’ll be courageous. When you love unconditionally, you’ll be peaceful and happy. Happiness blossoms in love.

19. We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same. ~Carlos Castañeda [Tweet this quote]

The amount of work is the same whether to be happy or unhappy. This is good news. Happiness or suffering is the product of our thoughts. If you think about the problem, you’ll get more of it. Think about the solution and you’ll get more of it too. A problem happens and while they spend all day thinking about how bad it is, you can spend the same amount of time thinking about the solution.

20. Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one. ~Bruce Lee [Tweet this quote]

Life is simple, but not easy. Simple because can choose how to live it. It’s not easy because to really live, it requires that we take action. We need to be strong to rise above inevitable moments that affect us negatively.

Did I miss a good quote?

Which of the happiness quotes is your personal favorite? Have a great quote that I forgot to include? Please share in the comments section below.

Stay tuned for more! If you miss out it, here’s Part 1.

Update: Part 3 here!

Flickr Creative Commons image via David Yu

Read original post - 20 Happiness Quotes That’ll Make You Happier Now (Part 2)