#2...happiness

One cannot expect to become happy without hardship or effort. Because we challenge ourselves we become strong. To become strong is to become happy.

The purpose of life is to become happy. The purpose of life is to challenge and triumph over the darkness of misery.

There is no happiness without hardship. So often, we strive to reach the destination of happiness without walking the road of struggles and challenges which leads us there.

True happiness means forging a strong spirit that is undefeated, no matter how trying our circumstances.

Freedom doesn't mean the absence of all restrictions. It means possessing unshakable conviction in the face of any obstacle. This is true freedom.

Genuine happiness is found in courage. Courage is the gateway to happiness.

Happiness doesn't exist on the far side of distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. Not you, however, sitting in idle passivity. It is to be found in the vibrant dynamism of your own life as you struggle to challenge and overcome one obstacle after another, as you clamber up a perilous ridge in pursuit of that which lies beyond.

Poverty is nothing to be ashamed of. What's disgraceful is to have an impoverished heart or to live dishonestly. Being born in a stately mansion is no guarantee of happiness, any more than being born in a shack dooms one to misery.

When seen from the perspective of life's true value, whether a person is rich or poor is a marginal issue at best. The truly impoverished are those who are wealthier than others who take themselves too seriously and look down upon the less affluent. Happiness will never be a handout; it's something we create with our own hands.

If you want to build a happy life, you have to give careful thought to the foundations. Happiness certainly cannot be secured on appearances or affectation. Happiness comes down to the inner state of our life at a given moment.

When we draw strength from within, our outlook undergoes a dramatic transformation; everything around us looks completely different. To be strong-that is the key to happiness.

Where can we find happiness? Happiness is not found in a tranquil life free of storms and tempests. Real happiness is found in the struggles we undergo to realize our goals, in our efforts to move forward.

As long as we are alive we will experience sufferings. But that does not mean we have to be unhappy. Unhappiness comes from allowing ourselves to be controlled by life's ups and downs-from feeling defeated, from losing hope, losing courage, losing the will to advance.

We each move forward secure on our own earth, not the earth of others. Happiness is something we must create for ourselves. No one else can give it to us.