Anticipation Quote by Sonja Lyubomirsky
“People prone to joyful anticipation, skilled at obtaining pleasure from looking forward and imagining future happy events, are especially likely to be optimistic and to experience intense emotions.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2008
Anticipating pleasant future events fuels optimism and amplifies emotional intensity.
In simple terms: Looking forward to joy boosts optimism and strong feelings.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate vivid, positive future visualizations.
Themes
optimism
emotion
anticipation
Mood
hopeful
energetic
Type
motivational
psychological
When to use this quote
- goal setting
- relationship planning
- mental health therapy
- creative projects
Key Concepts
positive psychology
affective forecasting
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance hopeful anticipation with realistic expectations?
- What practices help sustain optimism without over‑idealizing?
A Different Perspective
May lead to disappointment if expectations exceed reality.
![“[It is hard to know what is good luck and what isn't and therefore whether we should be happy or sad about it. Only time will tell. For example...] The Talmud relates a story about two people who wanted to travel by boat. One broke his foot and was unable to make the trip, while his friend got on…” quote by Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/68d/zelig-pliskin-22951_anticipation_it-is-hard-to-know-what-is-good-luck-and_34545.jpg)
![“The only thing is that ordinarily when I do dance with [women] they think I am suddenly going to throw them over a table or twist them all around. All I want to do is one-two, one-two-three - a simple fox trot. But they're shaking with anticipation at the thought that I'm about to whip them around…” quote by Gene Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/073/gene-kelly-11878_anticipation_the-only-thing-is-that-ordinarily-when-i_44100.jpg)
