'You forge your own happiness': 11 German maxims

Literally, "Jeder ist seines Glückes Schmied" means that you are the blacksmith of your happiness and good fortune. You forge your own destiny; you are the architect of your own fortune.

It's both rhyme and wisdom all in one: "Glücklich ist, wer vergisst, was nicht mehr zu ändern ist" means that people can be happy when they forget about what they can't change anymore, when they put something out of their minds, forget about the past and move on. A perfect recipe for happiness!

"Happiness is the only thing that doubles when you share it." Attributed to Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), a French-German theologian, humanitarian, philosopher and physician, it punctuates just how much human beings are social creatures.

A similar notion is found in the expression "geteilte Freude ist doppelte Freude." "Freude" is another German word for happiness, but also means joy or pleasure, such as: "Es war mir eine Freude" (it was my pleasure). Here, the saying goes — like above — that "shared joy is twice the joy."

Literally, it means "to be a lucky mushroom," but implies someone who has a lot of luck in life. Oddly, even though they are classified as poisonous, the image associated with a "Glückspilz" is the fly agaric mushroom. The toadstool is also known for its hallucinogenic properties. The implication is that luck, like mushrooms, can shoot up unexpectedly, overnight. They are considered lucky charms.

Literally, "more luck than smarts" is what this German expression says, but means that even if you strain your brain, much comes down to luck. It also shows how "luck" and "happiness" go hand in hand. "Glück haben" means to be lucky; "glücklich sein" means to be happy. Lucky charms include horseshoes (pointing up, so one's luck doesn't run out), ladybugs and the four-leaf clover.

"If you are happy, you shouldn't wish to be even happier." It's actually a quotation by German writer Theodor Fontane (1819-1898). In other words, be grateful for what you have and happiness could very well manifest itself.

Just how fleeting both happiness and luck can be is found in this expression, which says that they, like glass, can "break" easily. What better way to train the ability to roll with the punches than meditation? If we learn that happiness and luck can be temporary and disappear at any time, we can likewise trust in the knowledge that they will reappear. We just gotta have faith.

What might mean happiness for one person, could mean utter agony and woe for another. In other words, each of us defines happiness differently.

A cozy house, familiar surroundings translate into utter happiness, as this saying in German goes. In English, it's simple: home sweet home!

"A beautiful thing means eternal joy" is what this expression says. That appreciating beauty can lead to happiness is also found in a quote by US writer Pearl S. Buck, who in 1938 was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature: "Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness." In other words, happiness may be right in front of your eyes.