"You do not find a happy life. You make it."
— Camilla Eyring Kimball
Camilla Eyring Kimball (1894-1987) was a remarkable woman who exemplified the principle of creating happiness through intentional living. Born in Arizona Territory, she faced numerous challenges including the early death of her father, financial hardship, and later, caring for her husband through serious illness. Despite these difficulties, she became known for her infectious optimism and ability to find joy in simple moments. As the wife of Spencer W. Kimball, who later became president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she supported his demanding career while raising their family and pursuing her own interests in education, music, and community service. Camilla understood that happiness wasn't a destination but a practice—she actively cultivated joy through gratitude, service to others, lifelong learning, and choosing positive perspectives even during difficult times. Her philosophy emerged from lived experience of transforming challenges into growth opportunities and creating pockets of light wherever she went.
MINDFULNESS AND PEACE
JOY
INTENTIONAL LIVING
Context
This profound insight emerged from Camilla Kimball's observation that many people spend their lives waiting for happiness to arrive from external sources—the right job, relationship, achievement, or circumstance. Through her own experience of navigating life's inevitable challenges while maintaining remarkable joy, she discovered that happiness functions more like a skill than a reward. The distinction between "finding" and "making" is crucial: finding implies that happiness exists somewhere outside ourselves, waiting to be discovered, while making recognizes happiness as an active creation requiring daily intention, practice, and choice. Kimball understood that happy people aren't necessarily those with the easiest lives, but those who've learned to construct meaning, gratitude, and connection regardless of their circumstances. Her quote challenges the passive approach to well-being that leaves people feeling powerless over their emotional state, instead offering the empowering truth that we are the architects of our own contentment. This perspective transforms every day into an opportunity to build something beautiful, turning life's raw materials—both joyful and challenging—into a deliberately crafted experience of fulfillment.
