If you asked people if they want to be happier, most people would probably say yes.  So, how does one go about becoming happier?  Well, you could read lots of different articles about how to increase your happiness.  Or you could just read the quotes below about joy and happiness for some inspiration.  Enjoy!

1. “Happiness is more than doing fun things. It’s about doing meaningful things.” – Maxime Lagace

2. “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

3. “It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.” – Lucille Ball

4. “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

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

6. “Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don’t even remember leaving open.” – Rose Lane

7. “Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness.” – Buddha

8. “Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” – Mary Lou Retton

9. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

10. “Happiness is the best makeup.” – Drew Barrymore

11. “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.” – Ingrid Bergman

12. “It is the ultimate luxury to combine passion and contribution. It’s also a very clear path to happiness.” – Sheryl Sandberg

13. “Being happy never goes out of style.” – Lily Pulitzer

14. “Life is short. So do the things which make you happy. And be with people who make you happy. Look for the good in every day – even if some days you have to look harder.” – Karen Salmansohn

15. “The biggest lie we’re told is ‘Be with someone who makes you happy.’ The truth is, happiness is something you create on your own. Be with someone who adds to it.” – Unknown

16. “It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” – Mandy Hale

17. “The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.” – Pema Chodron

18. “By accepting yourself and being fully what you are, your presence can make others happy.” – Jane Roberts

19. “Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” – Marianne Williamson

Do you find it hard to add joy to your life? It’s easy to get caught up with the busyness of day-to-day life. So, if you’re looking for an easy way to add more joy and happiness, you need to check out my 102 Conversation Starter Questions on my Etsy shop! They’re a great way to help you connect better with friends and family. 

Conversation Starter Questions

20. “Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!” – Amanda Bradley

21. “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

22. “Happiness is really a deep harmonious inner satisfaction and approval” – Francis Wilshire

23. “Happiness is a direction, not a place.” – Sydney J. Harris

24. “Happiness is not a goal … it’s a by-product of a life well lived.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

25. “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

26. “Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of travelling.” – Margaret B. Runbeck

27. “For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

28. “There are two ways to be happy: improve your reality, or lower your expectations.” – Jodi Picoult

29. “We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives.” – Maya Angelou

30. “Be nice to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all the time.” – Christine Arylo

31. “Think of all the beauty that is still left in and around you and be happy.” – Anne Frank

32. “The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now.” – Robert G. Ingersoll

33. “Real happiness requires less than you think.” – Courtney Carver

"Real happiness requires less than you think." - Courtney Carver
“Real happiness requires less than you think.” – Courtney Carver

34. “I use the term happiness to refer to the experience of joy, contentment, or positive wellbeing, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.” – Sonja Lyubomirsky

35. “Our expectations about what our lives should be like are greater than ever before; we believe that we can do anything, and we are profoundly disappointed when reality doesn’t meet or even come close to perfection.” – Sonja Lyubomirsky

36. “We found that the happiest people take pleasure in other people’s successes and show concern in the face of others’ failures.” – Sonja Lyubomirsky

37. “If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.” – Proverb

38. “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.” – Martha Washington

39. “Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon” – Winnie the Pooh

40. “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” – Marthe Troly-Curtin

What’s your favourite happiness quote?

Until my next blog post, here’s wishing you lots of joy and happiness!
With love,

Joanne

Hi! I'm Joanne. I’m a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA). Money management is a life skill that I passionately believe all people need to learn. As an accountant, I love helping people understand numbers and money. At BuildingJoyAndHappiness, I share my tips to money management and make understanding finances simple.

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