How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

I know a woman in New York who is always complaining because she is lonely. Not one of her relatives wants to go near her—and no wonder. If you visit her, she will tell you for hours what she did for her nieces when they were children:

What this woman really wants is love and attention. But she calls it “gratitude”. And she will never get gratitude or love, because she demands it. She thinks it’s her due.

loneliness, and neglect. They long to be loved; but the only way in this world that they can ever hope to be loved is to stop asking for it and to start pouring out love without hope of return.

but the only way in this world that they can ever hope to be loved is to stop asking for it and to start pouring out love without hope of return.

“The ideal man,” said Aristotle, “takes joy in doing favours for others; but he feels ashamed to have others do favours for him. For it is a mark of superiority to confer a kindness; but it is a mark of inferiority to receive it.”

If we want to find happiness, let’s stop thinking about gratitude or ingratitude and give for the inner joy of giving.

If our children are ungrateful, who is to blame? Maybe we are. If we have never taught them to express gratitude to others, how can we expect them to be grateful to us?

So let us remember that to

So let us remember that to raise grateful children, we have to be grateful. Let

So let us remember that to raise grateful children, we have to be grateful.

Instead of worrying about ingratitude, let’s expect it.

that the only way to find happiness is not to expect gratitude, but to give for the joy of giving.

gratitude is a “cultivated” trait; so if we want our children to be grateful, we must train them to be grateful. Chapter 15 Would You Take a Million

gratitude is a “cultivated” trait; so if we want our children to be grateful, we must train them to be grateful.

Why don’t you stop right now and ask yourself: “What in the hell am I worrying about?” You will probably find that it is comparatively unimportant and insignificant.

About ninety per cent of the things in our lives are right and about ten per cent are wrong. If we want to be happy, all we have to do is to concentrate on the ninety per cent that are right and ignore the ten per cent that are wrong.

the tendency to “seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack” is the greatest tragedy on earth. It has probably caused more misery than all the wars and diseases in history.

“The habit of looking on the best side of every event,” said Dr. Johnson,

“The habit of looking on the best side of every event,” said Dr. Johnson, “is worth more than a thousand pounds a year.”

“There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.”