You can't have everything. Where would you put it?

"For one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy." ~ Aristotle

My forthcoming e-book, which will be an annotated book of quotations, has no chapter on happiness. This is not an oversight; it is a conscious choice for the reader's benefit.

Happiness happens; it is not a healthy pursuit, which is what the meaning of happiness has evolved to be today—a destination reached by hyper-intentional pursuit.

To say one is seeking happiness is to say that one is trying to capture randomness, to surprise oneself. Random events and surprises are happenings—things to be encountered and discovered—they are not creations; and they are certainly not pursuits, although this will not stop most people from seeking happiness (and thus missing contentment).

Here is a small sampling of quotes, referring to well-being and contentment (the true and original meaning of happiness) that are in my forthcoming e-book's current draft:

Happiness is not best achieved by those who seek it directly. ~ Bertrand Russell

The trouble is not that we are never happy—it is that happiness is so episodical. ~ Ruth Benedict

If only we’d stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time. ~ Edith Wharton

Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty. ~ Socrates

I love to go and see all the things I am happy without. ~ Socrates

Compare what you want with what you have, and you’ll be unhappy; compare what you deserve with what you have, and you’ll be happy. ~ Evan Esar

Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything. ~ Aesop

Nothing will content him who is not content with a little. ~ Greek Proverb

Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. ~ Mark Twain

When we cannot find contentment in ourselves it is useless to seek it elsewhere. ~ La Rochefoucauld

Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor. ~ Benjamin Franklin

The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right. ~ Anonymous

You can’t have everything. Where would you put it? ~ Steven Wright

Ironically, and to the detriment of modern humanity, today's meaning of happiness is not at all what the early Greeks, namely Aristotle, referred to as something called eudaimonia, which is more accurately translated as well-being or contentment.

Aristotle himself would likely be disappointed, yet not surprised, that his happiness has evolved and has been distorted into something more akin to the mindless pursuit of fleeting pleasures.

And thus we have one of the most common paradoxes of life:  To find happiness, one must stop looking for it.

Happiness may be enabled (by learning contentment) and it is not created; it happens; and it is discovered.

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Related: Quotes on Contentment

Comments

[DreamChaser57]

Intriguing and thought provoking post. I have heard it said that happiness is not a destination but rather a journey. It is folly to associate happiness with anything outside of ourselves.

[Jim Cosgrove]

Here's a couple more...

It is not happiness that makes gratefulness,
but gratefulness that makes happiness.
- Brother David Steindl-Rast

Happiness is unavoidable when we seek the happiness of others. It is always elusive when we seek it for ourselves alone.
-- Ellen Grace O'Brian

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

@DreamChaser57: Great point! Constantly seeking new destinations takes one away from the place (the present moment) where life exists. I like to say that the journey is the destination.

@Jim Cosgrove: Great quotes! Where did you find them? May I use them for my e-book? I'm putting together a collection of quotes and will supplement them with my notes; however, I want to make an effort to check my sources!

Thanks for comments...

Kent

[Greglinster]

Nice post Kent! Another myth that pertains to happiness is that "success" is, by and large, the point of life. I know a lot of "successful" people who aren't very happy.

[Leonardo]

I'm surprised that you left-out a quote by Victor Frankl in your post....

Leonardo

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

@Greg: Yes, I agree and know people who fit the conventional meaning of success, yet they are not successful in a meaningful way.

@Leonardo: Thanks for noticing the absence of Frankl. His thoughts and philosophies are central to my own; however, today's quotes come from some sources I have used less frequently in the recent past. Believe me, Frankl will get his own chapter in my ebook!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts...

Kent

[Jim Cosgrove]

Kent: Re your ? @ 11-10-10 8:43AM

I pulled the quotes from my own archive. They originally came from:
www.livingcompassion.org
www.csecenter.org

Like most of these things, I think if you acknowledge the source, you're good.

Cheri Huber runs Living Compassion.
Ellen Grace O'Brien heads the Center for Spiritual Enlightment (CSE), my home spiritual center.

In both cases anyone can sign-up to get daily inspirations. No charge, no obligation whatsoever.

Jim

[Steven of Chicago]

Buddha believed happiness is loving what you have, not what you want.

And I agree.

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

Thanks Steven! Taking the Buddha idea of contentment further, I believe there is nothing wrong with aspiring for more, as long as one is perfectly content if "more" does not come.

Perhaps this is more of an idea of acceptance--whatever comes, whether it is more or less--is fine.

Thanks again...

Kent

[Coach Bags Outlet]

I just get all worked up , and I stew around!