Things to Remember

“While happiness itself is sought for its own sake, every other goal—health, beauty, money, or power—is valued only because we expect that it will make us happy.” (pg. 1)

“…happiness is not something that happens.  It is not the result of good fortune or random chance.  It is not something that money can buy or power command.  It does not depend on outside events, but, rather, on how we interpret them.  Happiness, in fact, is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated, and defended privately by each person.  People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives…” (pg. 2)

“…we cannot reach happiness by consciously searching for it…it is by being fully involved with every detail of our lives, whether good or bad, that we find happiness, not by trying to look for it directly.” (pg. 2)

“…the best moments in our lives, are not that passive, receptive, relaxing times—although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them.  The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.  Optimal experience is thus something we make happen.” (pg. 3)

“…optimal experience depends on the ability to control what happens in consciousness moment by moment, each person has to achieve it on the basis of his own individual efforts and creativity.” (pg. 5)

These all came from my reading yesterday.  It felt a little like a smack in the face.  But a good one.  Suddenly everything was put in much better perspective!

(All quotes come from Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)