"[H]appiness-producing processes"

When we think about the things that alter our lives in a moment, nearly all of them are bad: phone calls in the night, accidents, loss of jobs or loved ones, conversations with doctors bearing awful news. In fact, apart from a last-second touchdown, unexpected inheritance, winning the lottery, or a visitation from God, it is hard to imagine sudden good news. Virtually all the happiness-producing processes in our lives take time: learning new things, changing old behaviors, building satisfying relationships, raising children. This is why patience and determination are among life's primary virtues.

Gordon Livingston, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart (New York: Da Capo, 2004), 82–84

For another pasage from Gordon Livingston, visit this post on Elaine's blog.

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