Happiness is one of the most coveted internal states. Who does not want to be happier?
Today we will delve into some phrases about happiness created by the minds of great thinkers.

One aspect that I appreciate is the wisdom that can condense and transmit in a few words. A wisdom often matured over a lifetime.

These are considerations that will help you to focus on what really matters in life, to inspire you and motivate you in moments of discouragement.

I decided to share not only these sentences but also and above all the reflections that they have stimulated me. Are you ready to discover these quotes on happiness?

1 - A butterfly that can rest on you
"Happiness is like a butterfly: if you pursue it, you can never get it, but if you put yourself in peace, it can also rest on you."
-Nathaniel Hawthorne-

It is not easy to grasp a butterfly, the same can be said with happiness. With this image the poet Nathaniel Hawthorne gives us back a great truth.
People are used to chasing different butterflies in life. The butterfly of money, that of the career, of the family, of the studio, of personal fulfillment ... and cyclically they are convinced that once they have captured the butterfly of the moment they will be happy.
And so they chase her, they chase her frantically, they organize themselves to capture her. But she runs away.
On the contrary, it may be enough to anchor yourself to the present moment, appreciate what you have and the small daily joys to allow the butterfly of happiness to rest over your shoulders.

This reflection also links to the quotation that follows.

2- The journey that lasts a lifetime
"Life is a journey and if you fall in love with the journey you will always be in love".
-Peter Hagerty.-

Think of the more or less great goals you have achieved in life. Reflect on the time taken to reach them.
You may have spent weeks, months and even years for some goals. Consider now how much gratification has lasted to achieve these goals.
Think, for example, at the graduation. Years of studies for a day with a laurel wreath on his head, a toast, a song and in the evening the festivities end.
Another very fitting example is this: in order to climb a difficult mountain like Everest, a mountaineer prepares himself in advance for years.
The journey itself to get to the base camp at the foot of the mountain takes weeks. Then the slow climb to the top of the mountain begins, challenging the most adverse conditions.
While step by step the feet sink heavy in the snow, looking up the mountain top looks like a tiny dot in the distance.
Then finally comes the moment when the summit is reached. You climb on the peak of the mountain, time to take some pictures, look around and go down.
Weeks, months if not years of preparation, enormous physical, mental and economic sacrifices to stay on top five minutes.
A lot of the situation has been reduced, I have experienced the same thing the very few times that in a clumsy way I tried my hand at the stove. Two hours of work between pots and ladles to prepare a dish that my mouth makes disappear in less than 60 seconds.
To conclude, think about the relationship between the time dedicated to gratification to achieve your goal compared to the actual time spent to achieve it.
Then move the focus from the goal to the journey, from the result to the process because it is in those moments that you will spend a large part of your life.

3- The idea of security that stops you
"Humanity has always traded a bit of happiness for a bit of security."
-Sigmund Freud-

At this time it is very likely that you want to change something in your life but the fear somehow is blocking you. Maybe you're not satisfied with your job and you'd like to change it, maybe you'd like to get out of a destructive relationship.
True, change can scare since in many cases it is a gateway to the unknown. It might in fact intimidate you the idea of not knowing if you will manage to manage the new challenges that change typically brings with it.
On the other hand, the current situation, even if it limits you and does not satisfy you, you could do it well because it gives you that pleasant feeling of security.
In many cases, however, security is never really put at risk since most of the fears are not real but simply imaginary.
In this case the quote of Freud becomes even more bitter because the threats that restrain and prevent change often only exist in your mind.
If at this time you are also bartering your happiness with a little 'security, ask yourself if it is really worth it.

4- What people will remember about you
"I learned that people can forget what you said, people can forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel"
-Maya Angelou-

Think about the people you met in your life, those in particular with whom you have had quite extensive relationships and with whom you have been dealing with longer or shorter periods of time as they may be former co-workers, former partners.
You will probably think of different situations. Of these, more than words you will remember with greater clarity the most frequent emotions that that person had transmitted to you.
There are people in your life that you will remember for being a source of suffering, others of happiness and others of fun. These will be the aspects for which you will remember them.
It is no coincidence that emotions are among the most important elements in setting a memory.
This quote invites you to reflect on this: you too will have this impact on others. Remember that practically every thing you say and do leaves an emotional trace on the people you frequent and it will be this track that leaves your memory.

5- The mind creates happiness
"People are as happy as they are convinced they are"
-Lincoln-

In this Lincoln quote the emphasis is on the power of the mind to create happiness.
It is a particularly interesting quotation for a personal growth enthusiast because it is as if somehow Lincoln, in advance of the times, was aware of the role that thoughts have in creating their own emotional state.
Just as it is true that sad thoughts generate sadness, thoughts that recall happy scenarios generate happiness. Thoughts are indeed among the most important agents in determining moods including happiness.
The question now is this: what thoughts generates-happiness can you create right now?

6- True wealth is in the memories you will leave
The richest person in the cemetery is the one who left behind the happiest memories ".
-Matshona Dhliwayo-

Sooner or later, each person's life ends. And at that point even if a person's body ceases to exist, this person can stay alive in the memories of other people.
In this quotation, wealth is measured not in material possessions or in money but in the quantity and quality of happy memories that the person leaves in those who have known it.
The most important legacy is that which remains in the hearts of the people you have met and in this case is measured by how many people you have managed to make you feel good in life.
The coins of wealth in this quote are therefore not deposited in the banks but in the hearts of the people you have made happy in life.

7- Have a positive impact on the world
"The secret of happiness is this: find something more important than you and dedicate your life to it."
-Daniel Dennett-

As soon as I read this quote, two great characters of Italian history came to my mind: Falcone and Borsellino. Two great men who sacrificed themselves for an ideal of legality and state that went beyond their lives.
Probably the most profound purposes are those in which our actions have a positive impact not only for ourselves but also for the society in which we live.
Fortunately, it is not necessary to follow the extreme examples of the two Italian magistrates to contribute to something greater than ourselves.
It is always possible to include among your objectives something that also embraces the good of other people.

8- The light and the mirror
"There are two ways to spread happiness: to be the light that illuminates or the mirror that reflects it".
-Edith Wharton-

Happiness is like a virus, a sweet disease, it can become contagious and be transmitted to friends, relatives, colleagues. When it is shared, it is amplified and strengthened.

You can be the light that illuminates or the mirror that reflects it. What do you choose to be now?

To conclude

When you are in a dark room, the most useful thing to do is to look for something that can illuminate it. I hope these wisdom pills, combined with my reflections, can help you shed light and inspire you in the dark moments, to guide you and motivate you in ordinary moments.

Among the phrases about happiness that I have selected, which one is your favorite? Do you have a quote on happiness that you particularly like that I have not included? Let me know in the comments!

P.S.
Sorry for the bad English, as you understand it is not my language, but I promise to improve!