--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness is a decision, not an…" description: "\"Happiness is a decision, not an experience. You can decide to be happy without what you thought you needed in order to be happy, and you will be. Your ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/neale-donald-walsch-239_causes_happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experienc_296013.jpg" --- # Happiness is a decision, not an experience. You can decide… ![“Happiness is a decision, not an experience. You can decide to be happy without what you thought you needed in order to be happy, and you will be. Your experience is the result of your decision, not the cause of it.” quote by Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/neale-donald-walsch-239_causes_happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experienc_296013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/neale-donald-walsch-239_causes_happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experienc_296013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/neale-donald-walsch-239_causes_happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experienc_296013.jpg) > “Happiness is a decision, not an experience. You can decide to be happy without what you thought you needed in order to be happy, and you will be. Your experience is the result of your decision, not the cause of it.” [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) ## 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 a conscious choice rather than external conditions; deciding to be happy shapes your experience. **In simple terms:** Happiness is a choice, not a feeling. Key Takeaway Choose happiness deliberately. Themes mindset choice wellbeing Mood optimistic reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - stress management - relationship building - daily affirmations Key Concepts psychology self-determination cognitive reframing Questions to Reflect On - What can you decide today to feel happier? - How does this view affect coping with loss? A Different Perspective Choosing happiness may ignore legitimate emotional needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happy experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-experience/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) ## Related quotes > [“A dear friend of mine recently asked me how did I find happiness after all that i have been through? After thinking about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-passaro/a-dear-friend-of-mine-recently-asked-me-how-did-i-find-happiness/) [John Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-passaro/) > [“Happiness is a decision and so as Love. If you decide to be happy then you're happy. If you decide to love then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-marie-aguilar/happiness-is-a-decision-and-so-as-love-if-you-decide-to-be-happy-then/) [Ann Marie Aguilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-marie-aguilar/) > [Experience alone can decide on truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/experience-alone-can-decide-on-truth/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Do not be led by others, awaken your own mind, amass your own experience, and decide for yourself your own path.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veda/do-not-be-led-by-others-awaken-your-own-mind-amass-your-own/) Veda > [The key to happiness is the decision to be happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-key-to-happiness-is-the-decision-to-be-happy/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Your Happiness is who you are and your decision about your life is the ultimate decision and goal for you in life, you're the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/your-happiness-is-who-you-are-and-your-decision-about-your-life-is/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [It might sound trite, but happiness is a decision not a destination, and my choices now are all based on whether not a particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suw-charman-anderson/it-might-sound-trite-but-happiness-is-a-decision-not-a-destination/) [Suw Charman-Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suw-charman-anderson/) > [Happiness is a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/happiness-is-a-decision/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“Happiness Is Not A Destination. Happiness Is A Decision. Decide On The Reality You Want To Live!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesam-fawzi/happiness-is-not-a-destination-happiness-is-a-decision-decide-on-the/) [Wesam Fawzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesam-fawzi/) > [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/) > [“Don't be sad for what you have lost, be happy for the experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-harper/don-t-be-sad-for-what-you-have-lost-be-happy-for-the-experience/) Linda Harper > [Life is a stream of happy and unhappy experiences, because that leads to Soul's purification. How do you get by in the dark times?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-klemp/life-is-a-stream-of-happy-and-unhappy-experiences-because-that-leads/) [Harold Klemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-klemp/) > [With Fellini, the fear dropped out of my work because it was such a happy experience... hanging out with Fellini, having pasta on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-stamp/with-fellini-the-fear-dropped-out-of-my-work-because-it-was-such-a/) [Terence Stamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-stamp/) ## More by Neale Donald Walsch > [Pain results from a judgment you have made about a thing. Remove the judgment and the pain disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/pain-results-from-a-judgment-you-have-made-about-a-thing-remove-the/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Mine is always your Highest Thought, your Clearest Word, your Grandest Feeling. Anything less is from another source.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/mine-is-always-your-highest-thought-your-clearest-word-your-grandest/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [In the quiet moments of your day, what do you think and do? When you are with your Self and no one else, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/in-the-quiet-moments-of-your-day-what-do-you-think-and-do-when-you/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [The more that you act on your intuition fearlessly, the more your intuition will serve you. Intuition is the ear of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/the-more-that-you-act-on-your-intuition-fearlessly-the-more-your/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [All change in life comes from within. It is what's in humanity's soul, not what's in humanity's wallet, that will purchase our freedom from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/all-change-in-life-comes-from-within-it-is-what-s-in-humanity-s-soul/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [It is not nearly so important how well a message is received as how well it is sent. You cannot take responsibility for how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/it-is-not-nearly-so-important-how-well-a-message-is-received-as-how/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Fear and caution are two different things. Be cautious - be conscious - but do not be fearful. Fear only paralyzes, while consciousness mobilizes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/fear-and-caution-are-two-different-things-be-cautious-be-conscious/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [The new spirituality will also base itself on a third very large spiritual understanding, which is that life is eternal. Most religious people claim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/the-new-spirituality-will-also-base-itself-on-a-third-very-large/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Truth is often uncomfortable. It is only comforting to those who do not wish to ignore it. Then, truth becomes not only comforting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/truth-is-often-uncomfortable-it-is-only-comforting-to-those-who-do/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [What is needed today is for all of us to work to change the world's mind about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/what-is-needed-today-is-for-all-of-us-to-work-to-change-the-world-s/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [By declaring yourself a leader, you're taking initiative and moving into a role of influence in a lively and vital network that's changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/by-declaring-yourself-a-leader-you-re-taking-initiative-and-moving/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Postanite instrument Moga mira. Postoji li mržnja bilo gdje, širite ljubav; Postoji li povreda bilo gdje, širite oproštaj; Postoji li sumnja bilo gdje, širite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/postanite-instrument-moga-mira-postoji-li-mr-nja-bilo-gdje-irite/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Government is the perfect portrayer of the accuracy of the axiom that if you lie big enough, long enough, the lie becomes the “truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/government-is-the-perfect-portrayer-of-the-accuracy-of-the-axiom-that/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“When you give your children knowledge, you are telling them what to think. That is, you are telling them what they are supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/when-you-give-your-children-knowledge-you-are-telling-them-what-to/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [As George Bernard Shaw observed: "All great truths begin as blasphemies." Yet I have to say, the idea that there is intelligent life elsewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/as-george-bernard-shaw-observed-all-great-truths-begin-as-blasphemies/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) [Explore all 840 Neale Donald Walsch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) ## More Causes quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Many patients imagine that they have tried everything. True, they have used many remedies, but they have never had the cause of their infirmity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-palmer/many-patients-imagine-that-they-have-tried-everything-true-they-have/) [Daniel D. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-palmer/) > [Get out from that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. Well, roll my breakfast cause I'm a hungry man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-joe-turner/get-out-from-that-kitchen-and-rattle-those-pots-and-pans-well-roll-my/) [Big Joe Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-joe-turner/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/) [Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/) > [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [I don't wear rubbers cause you can't catch it twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-don-t-wear-rubbers-cause-you-can-t-catch-it-twice/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Well the first time I performed, my mom was like how she is now when sees me on stage – all red, smiling from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/well-the-first-time-i-performed-my-mom-was-like-how-she-is-now-when/) [Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/) > [I love a lot of things, a whole lot of things / Like / My cousin comes to visit and you know he's from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloise-greenfield/i-love-a-lot-of-things-a-whole-lot-of-things-like-my-cousin-comes-to/) Eloise Greenfield > [Many companies have long contended that stress in the home causes productivity loss in the market place.. and it does. But research now reveals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/many-companies-have-long-contended-that-stress-in-the-home-causes/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [The miracle drugs (neuroleptics) cause the worst plague of brain damage in medical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-miracle-drugs-neuroleptics-cause-the-worst-plague-of-brain-damage/) [Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/) Browse all 9,070 Causes quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Happiness is a decision, not an experience. You can decide to be happy without what you thought you needed in order to be happy, and you will be. Your experience is the result of your decision, not the cause of it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neale Donald Walsch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experience-you-can-decide-to-be-happy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Causes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experience-you-can-decide-to-be-happy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/neale-donald-walsch-239_causes_happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experienc_296013.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/neale-donald-walsch-239_causes_happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experienc_296013.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/neale-donald-walsch-239_causes_happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experienc_296013.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Happiness is a decision, not an experience. You can decide to be happy without what you thought you needed…” — Neale Donald Walsch", "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": "Neale Donald Walsch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Happiness is a decision, not an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experience-you-can-decide-to-be-happy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/happiness-is-a-decision-not-an-experience-you-can-decide-to-be-happy/#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 } } ] } ```