Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies. they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
Charles Edward JeffersonRead
The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mode of happiness, but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change; happiness, like a child, must be allowed to grow up.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True happiness evolves and should be embraced as it changes rather than clung to in a static form.
This quote emphasizes that the essence of living well involves an acceptance of the dynamic nature of happiness. Instead of striving to hold onto a singular idea or experience of happiness, we should allow it to transform and grow. Just as a child develops and changes over time, so too should our understanding and experience of happiness evolve, allowing us to find joy in its various forms without disappointment.
Themes
HappinessChangeGrowthAcceptanceLife
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared at a wellness seminar to highlight the importance of emotional flexibility.
Similar quotes
Gratitude is the state of mind of thankfulness. As it is cultivated, we experience an increase in our "sympathetic joy," our happiness at another's happiness. Just as in the cultivation of compassion, we may feel the pain of others, so we may begin to feel their joy as well. And it doesn't stop there.
Stephen LevineRead
The pleasure of eating should be an extensive pleasure, not that of the mere gourmet. People who know the garden in which their vegetables have grown and know that the garden is healthy will remember the beauty of the growing plants, perhaps in the dewy first light of morning when gardens are at their best. Such a memory involves itself with the food and is one of the pleasures of eating. (pg. 326, The Pleasures of Eating)
Wendell BerryRead
There's a scripture that says, 'A merry heart doeth good like medicine.' I think that's true, too.
Dolly PartonRead
The fact that there is always a positive side to life is the one thing that gives me a lot of happiness. This world is not perfect. There are problems. But things like happiness and unhappiness are relative. Realizing this gives you hope.
Dalai LamaRead
I am content; that is a blessing greater than riches; and he to whom that is given need ask no more.
Henry FieldingRead