The first step to happiness and personal mastery is to start now.

Meaning: A satisfactory outcome can make earlier trouble feel less important. People may judge a difficult experience more positively once its main problem has been resolved.

Meaning: The saying gives married men a more intense laugh than bachelors, extending it until their hearts ache. The apparent praise carries a possible hint of pain.

Meaning: A hopeful or generous expectation can shape how someone approaches a situation. The proverb links belief with a favourable result, but its useful reading treats that link as encouragement rather than a guarantee that thoughts control events.

Meaning: When richer options are unavailable, a simple provision can be welcome. The saying describes satisfaction shaped by circumstances, without proving that people need no more or should be denied better choices.