--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A dear friend of mine recently asked me…" description: "\"“A dear friend of mine recently asked me how did I find happiness after all that i have been through? After thinking about it for a while I realized th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/john-passaro-20940_dear-friend_a-dear-friend-of-mine-recently-asked-me_2397978.jpg" --- # A dear friend of mine recently asked me how did I find… ![“A dear friend of mine recently asked me how did I find happiness after all that i have been through? After thinking about it for a while I realized that you don't find happiness, it is not hidden, it's right there out in the open. Happiness is a decision not something that is lost. You just have…” quote by John Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/john-passaro-20940_dear-friend_a-dear-friend-of-mine-recently-asked-me_2397978.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/john-passaro-20940_dear-friend_a-dear-friend-of-mine-recently-asked-me_2397978.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/john-passaro-20940_dear-friend_a-dear-friend-of-mine-recently-asked-me_2397978.jpg) > ““A dear friend of mine recently asked me how did I find happiness after all that i have been through? After thinking about it for a while I realized that you don't find happiness, it is not hidden, it's right there out in the open. Happiness is a decision not something that is lost. You just have to recognize all that there is to be happy about and decide to be happy because everything in life is miracle.”” [John Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-passaro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness is presented as a conscious choice, not a hidden treasure, found by recognizing life's miracles. **In simple terms:** Happiness is a decision, not hidden. Key Takeaway Choose to notice life's miracles. Themes happiness mindset gratitude Mood hopeful inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal crises - mental health - daily gratitude practice - life setbacks Key Concepts psychology positive thinking Questions to Reflect On - What daily practices help you recognize miracles? - Can gratitude replace deeper emotional work? A Different Perspective Choosing happiness can feel forced if underlying issues aren't addressed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dear friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear-friend/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness is a decision, not an experience. You can decide to be happy without what you thought you needed in order to be happy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experience-you-can-decide-to-be-happy/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Happiness is a decision and so as Love. If you decide to be happy then you're happy. 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True happiness comes when we lose ourselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/royden-g-derrick/happiness-is-a-byproduct-of-helping-others-no-man-ever-finds/) [Royden G. Derrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/royden-g-derrick/) > [The foundation of all happiness in thinking rightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-foundation-of-all-happiness-in-thinking-rightly/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Who said you can not buy happiness, when you are thinking about puppies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-hill/who-said-you-can-not-buy-happiness-when-you-are-thinking-about-puppies/) [Gene Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-hill/) > [The greatest happiness for the thinking person is to have explored the explorable and to venerate in equanimity that which cannotbe explored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-greatest-happiness-for-the-thinking-person-is-to-have-explored/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“I have never known a single sensation of fulfillment, of true happiness, without thinking that it was the moment when — now or never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-m-cioran/i-have-never-known-a-single-sensation-of-fulfillment-of-true/) [Emil M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-m-cioran/) > [No man can enjoy happiness without thinking that he enjoys it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/no-man-can-enjoy-happiness-without-thinking-that-he-enjoys-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Usually we try to figure out what we think would make us happy, and then try to make those things happen. But happiness isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/usually-we-try-to-figure-out-what-we-think-would-make-us-happy-and/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“I watched him skip down the trail and felt annoyed by all this joy; then I wondered why I couldn't be that joyful. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-roberts/i-watched-him-skip-down-the-trail-and-felt-annoyed-by-all-this-joy/) Suzanne Roberts > [Happiness is a decision I must make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/happiness-is-a-decision-i-must-make/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More by John Passaro > [“It seems like it has been forever. 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That if I work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-passaro/i-need-to-dream-i-need-to-believe-i-need-to-know-that-i-have-some/) [John Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-passaro/) > [“Mr. Passaro, let me teach you about how medicine works.” He starts out. “One of two things is going to happen. Either the Doctors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-passaro/mr-passaro-let-me-teach-you-about-how-medicine-works-he-starts-out/) [John Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-passaro/) > [“I guarantee that tomorrow there will be something that will happen, that has never happened before. That is something to look forward too. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-passaro/i-guarantee-that-tomorrow-there-will-be-something-that-will-happen/) [John Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-passaro/) > [“I love my mother. My mother loves my dad. Those two facts are undeniable. I want my father to live. I want him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-passaro/i-love-my-mother-my-mother-loves-my-dad-those-two-facts-are/) [John Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-passaro/) > [“There is a club in this world that you do not join knowingly. One day you are just a member. It is “The life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-passaro/there-is-a-club-in-this-world-that-you-do-not-join-knowingly-one-day/) [John Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-passaro/) [Explore all 30 John Passaro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-passaro/) ## More Dear friend quotes > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“The little things really do matter. 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If you had confessed your fears to me sooner, I would have reassured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/because-it-is-useless-and-i-tell-them-so-at-once-if-you-had-confessed/) [Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/) > [It takes two people to ruin a perfectly good day. First a person who says something downright nasty about you, and second, a dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-two-people-to-ruin-a-perfectly-good-day-first-a-person-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am a pathetic and gushing Nick Hornby fan, and I wanted to be in High Fidelity, and I wanted to be in About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-williams/i-am-a-pathetic-and-gushing-nick-hornby-fan-and-i-wanted-to-be-in/) [Olivia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-williams/) > [“I don’t want to get old. 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