How can we achieve happiness?

The Greek philosopher Aristotle saw happiness as ‘human flourishing’, or ‘working towards virtue’. Is happiness achieved through selfless dedication, work, or in other ways?

Work connects us to others, building a happier world for everyone.

Five keys to happier living: giving; relating; appreciating; accepting; questing.

It is rare to find a selfish person who is truly happy.

Finding new avenues for your talents in new ways increases happiness- your own, and that of others.

Research shows that the happiness of a close contact increases the chance of being happy by fifteen per cent.

Happiness fuels success, not the other way round.

Our genetic make-up is thought to influene about fifty per cent of the variation in our personal happiness. The rest is up to us!

Giving money away makes people feel happier than spending it on themselves.

If you’re feeling sad, don’t pretend to be happy. Be yourself, and the mood will pass.

Ten minutes of meditation per day can help us be happier, more optimistic, and more spiritually aware.

The way we interpret life events has a bearing on our happiness.

If we can first found our true purpose, and then pursue it, we may find happiness.

At the heart of a happy relationship is good communication.

People who have a vocation in life tend to be happier.

A simple ‘hello’ to a neighbour can make us feel happier and more secure about where we live.

Giving support and receiving it from others helps us to be happy.

Think about how and when you experience feelings of happiness in your life. It’s different for everyone.

Identify the situations, places, and people that make you unhappy. Then avoid them.

There is no happiness without struggle.

Don’t pressure yourself to be happy. Instead, create a positive mindseat: be open, appreciate, curious and kind.

In modern times, happiness is seen as a private emotional state, achieved through self-fulfilment. Is spiritual enlinghtenment, rathar tan activity, the way to happiness? Or is it, perhaps, a combination of both?

Kindness to others boosts happiness. It increases life satisfaction, provides a sense of meaning, and takes our minds off our own troubles.

A single moment of happiness can rub out hours of misery.

In the sight of a blue sky fills you with joy, be happy, for your soul is alive.

Think of unhappiness as a job you’ve walked out on.

Success is never a measure of happiness.

All joy in this world comes from wanting others to be happy, and all the suffering from wanting only oneself to be happy.

Meditation can lead to structural brain changes thought to be associated with happiness.

It takes commitment and determination to be happy.

The path to happiness can be steep, difficult and stony, while the path to misery can be downhill all the way.