--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot instill joy. You can only find…" description: "\"You cannot instill joy. You can only find where it lives and bring it forth.\" — Alan Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/alan-cohen-1112_happiness_you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find_1516818.png" --- # You cannot instill joy. You can only find where it lives… ![“You cannot instill joy. You can only find where it lives and bring it forth.” quote by Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/alan-cohen-1112_happiness_you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find_1516818.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/alan-cohen-1112_happiness_you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find_1516818.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/alan-cohen-1112_happiness_you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find_1516818.png) > “You cannot instill joy. You can only find where it lives and bring it forth.” [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Joy cannot be forced; it must be discovered and nurtured where it already exists. **In simple terms:** Find and nurture existing joy. Key Takeaway Seek places of joy and cultivate them. Themes joy mindfulness self‑discovery Mood hopeful reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - mental health - relationships Key Concepts positive psychology emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - Where do you feel joy naturally? - How can you nurture it daily? A Different Perspective Joy may be fleeting if not sustained by practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) ## Related quotes > [Joy lives concealed in grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/joy-lives-concealed-in-grief/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [I want to know where joy lives. I'd interview scientists, religious leaders and heads of state. I'd want to find out exactly what makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-to-know-where-joy-lives-i-d-interview-scientists-religious/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thanks for bringing so much joy into our lives each and every single day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thanks-for-bringing-so-much-joy-into-our-lives-each-and-every-single/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God is very serious about joy in the lives of His children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/god-is-very-serious-about-joy-in-the-lives-of-his-children/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [“Your loved ones in-spirit are gone yet everywhere. You will find them in the place in your heart where joy lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-livon/your-loved-ones-in-spirit-are-gone-yet-everywhere-you-will-find-them/) [Jodi Livon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-livon/) > [Joy is big. Joy lives in your own drunken electrons, billions of them, spinning and dancing without end in their own intimate Universe, longing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hanson-lasater/joy-is-big-joy-lives-in-your-own-drunken-electrons-billions-of-them/) [Judith Hanson Lasater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hanson-lasater/) > [“We could all do with a bit more joy in our lives couldn't we? The wonderful thing is that when we start spreading joy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/we-could-all-do-with-a-bit-more-joy-in-our-lives-couldn-t-we-the/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [I want to touch people's lives, and bring them along with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelaide-kane/i-want-to-touch-people-s-lives-and-bring-them-along-with-me/) [Adelaide Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adelaide-kane/) > [“We spend so much time striving for status that we don’t realise it’s the people in our lives that bring us real happiness.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-cosway/we-spend-so-much-time-striving-for-status-that-we-don-t-realise-it-s/) [L.H. Cosway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-cosway/) > [Maybe some people aren't meant to stay in our lives forever, maybe some people are just passing through. It's like some people just come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maybe-some-people-aren-t-meant-to-stay-in-our-lives-forever-maybe-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think its wonderful to have a relationship where you both go out and live your lives, and you bring something to the table…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/i-think-its-wonderful-to-have-a-relationship-where-you-both-go-out/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Maybe some people aren't meant to stay in our lives forever. Maybe some people are just passing through. It's like some people just come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/maybe-some-people-aren-t-meant-to-stay-in-our-lives-forever-maybe/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [“It's like some people just come through our lives to bring us something, a gift, a blessing, a lesson we need to learn, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/it-s-like-some-people-just-come-through-our-lives-to-bring-us/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) > [Maybe some people just aren't meant to be in our lives forever. Maybe some people are just passing through. It's like some people just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/maybe-some-people-just-aren-t-meant-to-be-in-our-lives-forever-maybe-2/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) > [Maybe some people just aren't meant to be in our lives forever. Maybe some people are just passing through. It's like some people just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/maybe-some-people-just-aren-t-meant-to-be-in-our-lives-forever-maybe/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) ## More by Alan Cohen > [When you protect yourself from pain, be sure you do not protect yourself from love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-you-protect-yourself-from-pain-be-sure-you-do-not-protect/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Anyone in a state of seeking can never be happy. Only those who are constantly finding are fulfilled. And finding is not something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/anyone-in-a-state-of-seeking-can-never-be-happy-only-those-who-are/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“You cannot be other than you are. Thank God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/you-cannot-be-other-than-you-are-thank-god/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Evaluate every act by whether it brings you greater life, or deadens you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/evaluate-every-act-by-whether-it-brings-you-greater-life-or-deadens/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Put aside ambition for public recognition, and simply do what you do because it feels good inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/put-aside-ambition-for-public-recognition-and-simply-do-what-you-do/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“When you finally give up striving, you will be left with what you have been striving for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-you-finally-give-up-striving-you-will-be-left-with-what-you-have/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“newspaper ads for lost pets and earthquakes that soon follow. Other studies indicate a higher rate of last-minute cancellations for airplane flights that crash.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/newspaper-ads-for-lost-pets-and-earthquakes-that-soon-follow-other/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“Quit using your creative power to formulate questions. You can just as easily—more easily— use it to formulate answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/quit-using-your-creative-power-to-formulate-questions-you-can-just-as/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > ['How can I be more like you?' she asked the guru. 'The best way to be more like me is to be more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/how-can-i-be-more-like-you-she-asked-the-guru-the-best-way-to-be-more/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Turmoil is a call for awakening. Every challenge, great or small, is moving you to look deeper and draw forth the highest in you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/turmoil-is-a-call-for-awakening-every-challenge-great-or-small-is/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [The difficulties of life do not keep you from greatness. They show you to its door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/the-difficulties-of-life-do-not-keep-you-from-greatness-they-show-you/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [What a doctor or healer tells you is a reflection of the beliefs and expectations you hold. Change your beliefs and you change the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/what-a-doctor-or-healer-tells-you-is-a-reflection-of-the-beliefs-and/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Quit planning your dream and start living it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/quit-planning-your-dream-and-start-living-it/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [The more you invest in your happiness, the more happiness will invest in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/the-more-you-invest-in-your-happiness-the-more-happiness-will-invest/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Joy is the wild card of life; it supersedes every other formula for success. If you can find a way to create joy, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/joy-is-the-wild-card-of-life-it-supersedes-every-other-formula-for/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) [Explore all 290 Alan Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You cannot instill joy. You can only find where it lives and bring it forth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find-where-it-lives-and-bring-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find-where-it-lives-and-bring-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/alan-cohen-1112_happiness_you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find_1516818.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/alan-cohen-1112_happiness_you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find_1516818.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/alan-cohen-1112_happiness_you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find_1516818.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You cannot instill joy. You can only find where it lives and bring it forth.” — Alan Cohen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You cannot instill joy. You can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find-where-it-lives-and-bring-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/you-cannot-instill-joy-you-can-only-find-where-it-lives-and-bring-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```