Quote Of The Day By Joanna Gaines: 'Whether You Are In An 800-Square-Foot Home Or Living In A Dream House On A Lake...'

Joanna Gaines knows that happiness comes in small increments. The famous interior designer and her husband, Chip Gaines, are what some call "America's first family of renovation." The two climbed their way to that title on HGTV, where they starred in "Fixer Upper," one of the network's biggest success stories. For five seasons between 2013 and 2018, the Texas-based couple captivated views as they helped everyday people renovate rundown houses to turn them into dream homes. 

But Gaines is much more than just a home designer and TV personality (as if that wasn't enough). The entrepreneur from Wichita, Kansas, is a business owner who established the Magnolia brand. Under her belt is a home goods store, a magazine, a coffee shop, and bakery of her own. She's made home good collections for several retailer, including Anthropologie and Target. Most notably, Gaines launched the Magnolia Network, a sister channel to HGTV, where "Fixer Upper" was eventually relaunched in 2021.

On the writing front, she's authored and co-authored children's books, cookbooks, design books, and memoirs. "The Magnolia Story," a memoir by Joanna and Chip, retraces their life from the inside out, and earned them the coveted title of New York Times bestselling authors.

Gaines was a small-town girl who took the long road to fame and fortune. She uses her writing as a way to share small nuggets of wisdom, which is why she's today's quote of the day. 

The full quote reads: "If we're trying to push anything, it's the hope that there's contentment in the journey. Whether you are in an eight-hundred-square-foot home or living in a dream house on a lake, contentment is found on the way to the 'farm,' not on the 'farm' itself."

This insightful comment comes the bestselling book Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip wrote together, "The Magnolia Story." It's a memoir released in 2016 that retraces all of their life's journey — from the moment they met in Texas, the beginnings of their love story, the process of building their home renovation business, their HGTV show, and every small win and struggle along the way. 

This particular quote can be found on the final page of the memoir, acting as a bit of a conclusion to the couple's life story. It's some of the best advice from Gaines, and as a parting message, it sure does the job of inspiring and encouraging readers to chase their dreams — and enjoy the chase.

The key concept in Joanna Gaines' quote is the idea that joy is meant to be felt along the way, not just when you arrive at the destination. The idea of "the farm" is metaphorical, representing your end goal or big dream. (But the Gaines do live on a real 40-acre farm in Texas. In fact, they were pretty influential on the farmhouse decor trend.) And while the destination can be your happy place, Gaines illustrates how meaningful each phase of her life was on the journey there. 

For instance, while you're working your way towards a bigger, better home, you might feel dissatisfied. Sure, living in a small apartment while you're saving for your first down payment can be frustrating, but it's an essential part of the story. As such, Gaines reminds us that there's contentment to be found in the days, weeks, and years spent working towards creating your dream house and reaching your goals. Those aren't just "waiting periods" — they're life that's meant to be enjoyed and celebrated. Years from now, you'll look at all of those moments fondly and know you wouldn't be you without them. 

This message is especially impactful when coming from someone as successful as Gaines. While you may look at her today and think she's got it all, the memoir is a reminder that it took years to get there. By sharing her story, she lovingly revisits struggles and tough times, showing how these moments brought her closer together with her husband and helped them build their business. So enjoy every step of the journey.

• "It was such a blessing to find myself thriving in the middle of the pain. Unless you find a way to do that, there's always going to be this fake illusion that once you get there — wherever "there" is for you — you'll be happy. But that's just not life. If you can't find happiness in the ugliness, you're not going to find it in beauty, either." — from "The Magnolia Story. "

• "The most valuable thing you can do when it comes to gathering, whether it's an intimate meal with your family, a last-minute dinner with friends, or an event with guests, is to free yourself from the burden of expectations." — from Magnolia Table.

• "Food and home are always going to be the core of what we love doing. It's a way to bring people together, make people feel at home." — from a 2025 TODAY interview.

• "As humans, when we really take hold of our story and write it down, there is so much healing that can come from that." — from a 2022 People interview.

• "The first project we ever did together was around a fixer upper, and that's when we really learned: we can either pull against each other, or with each other." — from a 2016 Interview at AOL HQ in NYC.

• "Have you ever looked at the bud of a magnolia flower? It's a tight little pod that stays closed up for a long time on the end of its branch until one day, out of nowhere, it finally bursts open into this gigantic, gorgeous, fragrant flower that's ten times bigger than the bud itself. It's impossible to imagine that such a big beautiful thing could pop out of that tiny little bud. But it does." — from "The Magnolia Story."