321/365 - More selfless to act happy (Gretchen Rubin)

“The belief that unhappiness is selfless 

and happiness is selfish

 is misguided.

 It's more selfless to act happy.

 It takes energy, generosity, 

and discipline 

to be unfailingly lighthearted,

 yet everyone takes the happy person for granted.

 No one is careful of his feelings 

or tries to keep his spirits high.

 He seems self-sufficient;

 he becomes a cushion for others. 

And because happiness seems unforced, 

that person usually gets no credit.”

  Gretchen Rubin

The Happiness Project

320/365 - Courage and Work (Honoré de Balzac)

“All happiness depends on courage 

and work.”

  Honoré de Balzac

319/365 - Hiw own happiness (Charles Dickens)

“Sadly, sadly, the sun rose;

 it rose upon no sadder sight

 than the man of good abilities 

and good emotions, 

incapable of their directed exercise,

 incapable of his own help 

and his own happiness,

 sensible of the blight on him, 

and resigning himself 

to let it eat him away.”

Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities

318/365 - The Creator of your experience (Leo Babauta)

“The way I define happiness

 is being the creator of your experience, 

choosing to take pleasure

 in what you have, 

right now,

 regardless of the circumstances,

 while being the best you that you can be.”

  Leo Babauta

317/365 - Is Ignorance bliss? (Jonathan Safran Foer)

“...is ignorance bliss,

 I don't know,

 but it's so painful to think, 

and tell me, 

what did thinking ever do for me, 

to what great place did thinking ever bring me?

 I think and think and think,

 I've thought myself out of happiness 

one million times,

 but never once into it.”

Jonathan Safran Foer

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

316/365 - Determined to be Cheerful (Martha Washington)

“I am still determined

 to be cheerful and happy,

 in whatever situation I may be;

 for I have also learned from experience

 that the greater part of our happiness 

or misery depends upon our dispositions, 

and not upon our circumstances.”

Martha Washington

315/365 - The purpose of Government (Thomas Jefferson)

“The purpose of government 

is to enable the people of a nation

 to live in safety and happiness.

 Government exists

 for the interests of the governed, 

not for the governors.”

Thomas Jefferson