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Albert Einstein’s Note on the Secret to Happiness Just Sold for $1.6 Million. Here’s What It Said.

Contrary to popular belief, apparently you can buy happiness—for a whopping 1.56 million dollars.

Once upon a 1922, Albert Einstein scrawled a couple snippets of wisdom on a note he offered to a bellboy in Tokyo instead of a tip.

The renowned physicist had just found out that he won the Nobel prize in physics, so he told the boy that “if he was lucky,” the notes regarding his advice on happiness would be worth something someday. It was the best he could offer, as he didn’t have any money on him at the time.

After they sold for £1.19m ($1.56m) in an auction house in Jerusalem this week, l think it’s safe to say “lucky” is an understatement. Nearly 100 years later, the bellboy made out like a bandit with the unlikely gifting that was seemingly worthless at the time.

So what was this million-dollar message?

The first note, penned in German on stationary from the Imperial Hotel Tokyo read, “A calm and humble life will bring more happiness than the pursuit of success and the constant restlessness that comes with it.”

The second (written at the same time) simply read, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

The auctioneers estimated a much lower return for the items, but it turns out, our world’s obsession with the “secret to happiness” as dictated by a genius has a mighty high-dollar price tag.

Observers on Twitter were quick to point out the irony of Einstein’s advice on modesty and humility going for such an astronomical amount.


But irony aside, there is something to be said of the truth in Einstein’s wise words. As a society hardwired to chase success, wealth and power at all costs, perhaps it’s time for us to take a step back into simplicity. I don’t know about you, but I think the “calm and humble life” sounds strikingly similar to the one that Jesus Christ led during his time on Earth.

Perhaps that’s million-dollar advice after all… 

Kelsey Straeter
Kelsey Straeter
Kelsey is an editor at Outreach. She’s passionate about fear fighting, freedom writing, and the pursuit of excellence in the name of crucifying perfectionism. Glitter is her favorite color, 2nd only to pink, and 3rd only to pink glitter.

3 Ways to Fight for Your Marriage When You’re Tempted to Throw in the Towel

"People were placing bets at our wedding. Nobody thought we had a chance."

How to Deal With a Lying Husband and Get a Better Marriage

"I can still remember vividly the look on my husband’s face as regretful tears fell and he lay broken before me."

One Year After “I Do,” Husband Realizes Why Marriage Isn’t for Him

They met when they were 15 and were best friends for 10 years—but after being married just 1 year, the truth hit him HARD.