--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness is not about doing what you…" description: "\"“Happiness is not about doing what you want. It's about wanting what you do.”\" — Shawn Stern" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/shawn-stern-18975_happiness_happiness-is-not-about-doing-what-you-wa_646379.jpg" --- # Happiness is not about doing what you want. It's about… ![“Happiness is not about doing what you want. It's about wanting what you do.” quote by Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/shawn-stern-18975_happiness_happiness-is-not-about-doing-what-you-wa_646379.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/shawn-stern-18975_happiness_happiness-is-not-about-doing-what-you-wa_646379.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/shawn-stern-18975_happiness_happiness-is-not-about-doing-what-you-wa_646379.jpg) > ““Happiness is not about doing what you want. It's about wanting what you do.”” [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True contentment comes from aligning desire with action, not merely chasing personal preferences. **In simple terms:** Find joy by wanting what you do. Key Takeaway Align desire with action. Themes happiness purpose mindset Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - daily routines - personal projects Key Concepts intrinsic motivation acceptance goal alignment Questions to Reflect On - What do you truly enjoy doing? - How can you shift desire toward current tasks? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-want-289849/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-doing-522395/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-wanting-1843492/) [Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanting/) ## Related quotes > [“Happiness is not doing what you want but wanting what you do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/happiness-is-not-doing-what-you-want-but-wanting-what-you-do/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“I wanted to write “I Want” because wanting is one of the things I want most in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wanted-to-write-i-want-because-wanting-is-one-of-the-things-i-want/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Human happiness konsists in having what yu want, and wanting what yu have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/human-happiness-konsists-in-having-what-yu-want-and-wanting-what-yu/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Satisfaction isn't so much getting what you want as wanting what you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-myers/satisfaction-isn-t-so-much-getting-what-you-want-as-wanting-what-you/) [David Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-myers/) > [Suffering is getting what you do not want while wanting what you do not get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/suffering-is-getting-what-you-do-not-want-while-wanting-what-you-do/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-crow/it-s-not-having-what-you-want-it-s-wanting-what-you-ve-got/) [Sheryl Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-crow/) > [Happiness is not which you can buy from money, Happiness is not you can get from doing big things. Happiness comes from all little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/happiness-is-not-which-you-can-buy-from-money-happiness-is-not-you/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [The world would be better and brighter if people were taught the duty of being happy as well as the happiness of doing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/the-world-would-be-better-and-brighter-if-people-were-taught-the-duty/) [John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/) > [The world when seen through a little child's eyes, greatly resembles paradise. Happiness is doing with a smile what you have to do anyway.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-world-when-seen-through-a-little-child-s-eyes-greatly-resembles/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [True happiness is doing what you love with the people you love. At least that's what everyone says. But I also think it's part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/true-happiness-is-doing-what-you-love-with-the-people-you-love-at/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [In the long run, doing work that's important leads to more happiness than doing work that's merely profitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/in-the-long-run-doing-work-that-s-important-leads-to-more-happiness/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-secret-of-happiness-is-not-in-doing-what-one-likes-but-in-liking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happiness is doing - not having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mildred-barthel/happiness-is-doing-not-having/) [Mildred Barthel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mildred-barthel/) > [The secret to happiness is doing what you love and the secret to success is loving what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanny-angel/the-secret-to-happiness-is-doing-what-you-love-and-the-secret-to/) [Vanny Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanny-angel/) > [I'm DONE pleasing everyone else. I'm gonna do what I wanna do because I wanna do it for MY OWN happiness. I'm doing things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-done-pleasing-everyone-else-i-m-gonna-do-what-i-wanna-do-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Shawn Stern > [“Happiness does not come from making the right choice every time, but from avoiding the wrong choice twice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/happiness-does-not-come-from-making-the-right-choice-every-time-but/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“The flawed human error is expecting someone else to build the world we desire, rather than creating it for ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/the-flawed-human-error-is-expecting-someone-else-to-build-the-world/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“If I fall in love with you, it is because I've never met anyone like you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/if-i-fall-in-love-with-you-it-is-because-i-ve-never-met-anyone-like/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“When performed correctly, there is little difference between science and magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/when-performed-correctly-there-is-little-difference-between-science/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“The fewer clear facts you have in support of an opinion, the stronger your emotional attachment to that opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/the-fewer-clear-facts-you-have-in-support-of-an-opinion-the-stronger/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“I've come to realize that irony is sarcasm's more intelligent older brother.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/i-ve-come-to-realize-that-irony-is-sarcasm-s-more-intelligent-older/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“Achievement hates comfort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/achievement-hates-comfort/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“Woman are the most magical creatures in the universe. They are the antidote to life's daily poisons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/woman-are-the-most-magical-creatures-in-the-universe-they-are-the/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“Fine is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/fine-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“If you know who you are you will find love. If you know what you want you will find happiness. If you listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/if-you-know-who-you-are-you-will-find-love-if-you-know-what-you-want/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“Truth is independent from belief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/truth-is-independent-from-belief/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“When written correctly, science fiction is science prophecy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/when-written-correctly-science-fiction-is-science-prophecy/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“Once upon a time there was a boy who met a girl, because the universe conspired to help him find her. Her smile was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-boy-who-met-a-girl-because-the-universe/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“Most humans are weeds... but some are flowers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/most-humans-are-weeds-but-some-are-flowers/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) > [“It dwells in me like a blissful plague.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/it-dwells-in-me-like-a-blissful-plague/) [Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) [Explore all 32 Shawn Stern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Happiness is not about doing what you want. 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