Being happy is not a constant. But I am very happy when I am spending time with my family and my friends, and going on hikes with my dogs.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 March 2011 source ↗
The question
What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
Others on this question
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Alan Cumming
Scottish actor, producer, director, writer and presenter
A couple of summers ago, walking through a forest illuminated by fireflies, with my man and our dogs.
Watching my sons ski down a mountain for the first time.
David Shrigley
British visual artist
Walking the dog on a beach in Dorset with my wife.
Kevin Rowland
British singer
On stage – the Old Vic in 1981 and Glastonbury last year.
More from Hilary Swank
View profile →When things are disappointing, I know they are happening for a reason, so I try to find out why and learn from them.
My mum, because I have seen how she has struggled and how she wants to continue to grow.
I realized that the biggest obstacle was my mind. It was the biggest obstacle, and if I could get out of the way of myself, I would grow. So every time I had that attitude, I changed it, and I’d say, “You can. Today you can, and take it one day at a time, and today, I’m going to get up and I’m not going to think about the other six days of this week. I’m going to get up right now, and I’m going to go to the gym, and I’m going to learn about my boxing, and I’m going to be in the moment.” You know, in anything, you hit a wall, and then you have to break through it, and I just had to get out of my own way.
Recorded
Academy of Achievement, Academy of Achievement interview, Los Angeles, California, 1 April 2006
source ↗
The one thing that I learned from Clint, of the many things I learned from Clint, is to always trust your instinct, and don’t think about it too much.
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