About this quote

The line treats happiness as something that appears in the body rather than as an idea. It points to a sudden clarity you can reach by paying attention to breath and surroundings. Try a quick test: stop, take a full inhale, and name three things you see. That small practice pulls you into the present and makes a clear feeling of contentment available right now.

When to use it

• After sending the final quarterly report, I stepped onto the office terrace, took a deep breath and said to myself, "This is what it is to be happy."
• At the top of my morning run I stopped, hands on my knees, looked out over the hills and thought, "This is what it is to be happy."
• Holding my newborn in the backyard as the sun hit the trees, I felt everything settle and whispered, "This is what it is to be happy."
• Right after defending my thesis, I walked outside, inhaled the cold air, and laughed, "This is what it is to be happy."