---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be happy, I’ve discovered, you’ve got…"
description: "\"“To be happy, I’ve discovered, you’ve got to run toward something: meaningful work; a hopeful, inspiring vision of your future; and good relationships ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/annie-mckee-220106_every-day_to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-t_2820942.jpg"
---

#  To be happy, I’ve discovered, you’ve got to run toward…

![“To be happy, I’ve discovered, you’ve got to run toward something: meaningful work; a hopeful, inspiring vision of your future; and good relationships with the people you work with every day.” quote by Annie McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/annie-mckee-220106_every-day_to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-t_2820942.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/annie-mckee-220106_every-day_to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-t_2820942.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/annie-mckee-220106_every-day_to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-t_2820942.jpg)

> ““To be happy, I’ve discovered, you’ve got to run toward something: meaningful work; a hopeful, inspiring vision of your future; and good relationships with the people you work with every day.””

Annie McKee

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Happiness comes from pursuing meaningful work, hopeful vision, and good relationships at work.

**In simple terms:** Find purpose, hope, and good colleagues for happiness.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate purpose, hope, and relationships.

Themes

happiness purpose work relationships vision

Mood

optimistic motivational

Type

Every day:0 Good relationship:1 Happiness:1 Meaningful work:1 Time:0 Work Hopeful:0 Inspiring Vision:1 Run Meaningful:0 Hopeful Inspiring:0

When to use this quote

- career planning
- team building
- personal development

Key Concepts

psychology positive psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you align work with purpose?
- What habits build stronger work relationships?

A Different Perspective

Neglecting any element can reduce fulfillment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Good relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-relationship/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Meaningful work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful-work/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I think we've all been in relationships - whether they're romantic relationships or not - where there are things that you excuse because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-shor/i-think-we-ve-all-been-in-relationships-whether-they-re-romantic/)

[Miriam Shor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-shor/)

> [I want my work to always be hopeful, in the end. You're giving me two hours, and, in Shots Fired's case, 10 hours of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/i-want-my-work-to-always-be-hopeful-in-the-end-you-re-giving-me-two/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [We need an inspiring vision of equality that resonates in the hearts, minds, and souls of all Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/we-need-an-inspiring-vision-of-equality-that-resonates-in-the-hearts/)

[Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/)

> [Companies must have a noble cause, and it's the leaders job to transform that noble cause into such an inspiring vision, that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/companies-must-have-a-noble-cause-and-it-s-the-leaders-job-to/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [Give wings to your inspiring vision and start moving towards your dream. Vision in life with spirit of hope paves the way for greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/give-wings-to-your-inspiring-vision-and-start-moving-towards-your/)

[Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/)

> [A few primary keys to becoming a leader in business include having a clear intent or purpose, a truly inspiring vision, a grand message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frederick-demartini/a-few-primary-keys-to-becoming-a-leader-in-business-include-having-a/)

[John Frederick Demartini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frederick-demartini/)

> [And it falls to a true leader to see to it that his or her people have an inspiring vision to pursue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-byrd/and-it-falls-to-a-true-leader-to-see-to-it-that-his-or-her-people/)

Bill Byrd

> [Standing in the inspiring vision of my future, I boldly take every step - large and small - with courage and intent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lockwood-huie/standing-in-the-inspiring-vision-of-my-future-i-boldly-take-every/)

[Jonathan Lockwood Huie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lockwood-huie/)

> [“You just have to forget whatever you were taught about “meaningful work” and start noticing whatever has meaning to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sher/you-just-have-to-forget-whatever-you-were-taught-about-meaningful/)

[Barbara Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sher/)

> [“I looked at this first sheet, words scribbled confidently on a lined pad. My attempt at making contact the spirit of Llandor. Disaster. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-sinclair/i-looked-at-this-first-sheet-words-scribbled-confidently-on-a-lined/)

[Iain Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-sinclair/)

> [In the end, what matters most is that the people you work with share your values, so I've wanted people who value the meaningful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/in-the-end-what-matters-most-is-that-the-people-you-work-with-share/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“We didn't want to be presidents, or astronouts, or Bill Gates. We had pathetically simple dreams: to do meaningful work that we could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/we-didn-t-want-to-be-presidents-or-astronouts-or-bill-gates-we-had/)

[Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/)

> [To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work... I've found that a minimum of 90 minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/to-work-effectively-you-need-uninterrupted-blocks-of-time-in-which/)

[Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/)

> [We had pathetically simple dreams: to do meaningful work that we could be proud of, to be together, and to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/we-had-pathetically-simple-dreams-to-do-meaningful-work-that-we-could/)

[Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/)

> [“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you...it means that you do not treat your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/responsibility-to-yourself-means-refusing-to-let-others-do-your/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

## More Every day quotes

> [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/)

Alison James

> [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/)

[Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/)

> [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/)

[Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think naturally I've been kind of a lead-by-doing guy. Just showing up to work every day. You never ask teammates something you wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-suggs/i-think-naturally-i-ve-been-kind-of-a-lead-by-doing-guy-just-showing/)

[Terrell Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-suggs/)

> [Love is the Key started in 1994 with a simple idea: that Love is the Key that would open all the doors in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-is-the-key/love-is-the-key-started-in-1994-with-a-simple-idea-that-love-is-the/)

[Love Is The Key®](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-is-the-key/)

> [Being under-recruited coming out of Highland, I've carried that with me. I keep pushing forward, keep working hard every day, keep my head on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-daniels/being-under-recruited-coming-out-of-highland-i-ve-carried-that-with/)

[Mike Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-daniels/)

> [“(one would say yes, if not every day, at least fairly regularly), whether only for yourself or also for others (often only for yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/one-would-say-yes-if-not-every-day-at-least-fairly-regularly-whether/)

[Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/)

> [“Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. "Because if I had the chance... I would spend every moment of every day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/are-you-sure-he-asked-in-a-low-voice-because-if-i-had-the-chance-i/)

[Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/)

> [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/)

[Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/)

> [I have to justify my job every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/i-have-to-justify-my-job-every-day/)

[Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/)

> [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/)

[Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/)

> [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/)

[George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/)

> [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

Browse all 16,614 Every day quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“To be happy, I’ve discovered, you’ve got to run toward something: meaningful work; a hopeful, inspiring vision of your future; and good relationships with the people you work with every day.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Annie McKee"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-mckee/to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-to-run-toward-something/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Every day"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-mckee/to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-to-run-toward-something/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/annie-mckee-220106_every-day_to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-t_2820942.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/annie-mckee-220106_every-day_to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-t_2820942.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/annie-mckee-220106_every-day_to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-t_2820942.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To be happy, I’ve discovered, you’ve got to run toward something: meaningful work; a hopeful, inspiring…” — Annie McKee",
                "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": "Annie McKee",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-mckee/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“To be happy, I’ve discovered, you’ve...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-mckee/to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-to-run-toward-something/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-mckee/to-be-happy-i-ve-discovered-you-ve-got-to-run-toward-something/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
