A Short Guide to a Happy Life
In A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Anna Quindlen invites us to slow down, pay attention, and fully inhabit the moments that make life meaningful. Through her gentle wisdom and simple stories, she reminds us that happiness is often found in ordinary experiences we’re too busy to notice. The excerpts below highlight her belief that awareness, gratitude, and presence can transform everyday life into something richer, deeper, and more intentional.
Quotes to Consider from A Short Guide to a Happy Life
“Don’t ever confuse the two, your life and your work. That’s what I have to say. The second is only a part of the first.”
“You are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on the bus, or in the car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank account, but your soul.”
“So I suppose the best piece of advice I could give anyone is pretty simple: get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house.”
“Every time I look at my diploma, I remember that I am still a student, still learning every day how to be human.”
“All of us want to do well. But if we do not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough.”
“I’m not sure I learned anything much about mortality, or death, or pain, or even love, although in the years since, I have found that that one horrible year has given me a perspective on all those things I wouldn’t otherwise have had.”
“Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived.”
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