Many people imagine happiness to be complicated. But the opposite is true; nature itself speaks loudly against any deviation from the simple life. Happiness cannot be created artificially. It is bound to the simplicity of life. True happiness requires neither great fortune nor great success. In reality, it is the simple, quiet and undemanding things that make us happy. 

If we fill the day with lots of sunshine, pure life and high thoughts, we open ourselves up to happiness. Kind words full of goodness and helpful deeds make us happy. Friendship, love, affection, faithful fulfilment of duty and service to the whole or to others are very simple things, but happiness lies in them. 

Every capable person has the desire to do something and be something in the world. Activity is the law of all life, it is the grace that saves us from stagnation. Happiness and activity are inseparable twins. Great happiness is the well-being of those who, through diligent labour, accomplish what they are destined to do by nature. Man is made for work; only through it can he develop inwardly, happy work makes you happy. 

One of the most beautiful feelings is the satisfaction we feel when we sense that we are growing inwardly, that we are progressing, that we are moving forwards and upwards. We could become explorers of beauty and truth, which points the way to spiritual culture and nobility of soul. 

Especially those who work hard to earn a living need time to find a balance in order to experience art and beauty. In this way, a sense of happiness is maintained even in the face of great challenges. If you can enjoy the little things, you have already found the path to happiness. We are made for happiness. It is our right and desired state. 

Happiness is closely linked to what we do and think. A mathematician would say that it is a function of our own actions and thoughts, not of external circumstances. If we sow helpfulness, kindness and selflessness (red activities), we will reap happiness. 

Honest, diligent work, the will to give our best, to want the good, these are the means to be happy. A pure heart and a clear conscience help us to be happy. Here Goethe tells us what we need to be happy: 

"Great thoughts and a pure heart, that is what we should ask of God."