Drew Barrymore on Happiness: It Takes 'Tremendous' Work

Drew Barrymore is surrounded by flowers for her cover of Good Housekeeping‘s May 2016 issue.

Here’s what the 41-year-old actress had to share with the mag:

On finding happiness: “Happiness is not this yellow, blithe, floating thing. It’s something that takes a tremendous amount of work. There’s a warrior aspect to being happy. You’ve got to fight for it. And only when you’ve got that kind of earned happiness is it really good.”

On her two daughters: “I thought I knew what love was, but holy cow, I did not. I could never have imagined the kind of love I have for my children. I am who I am because of my daughters. I’m an overachiever parent, and not because I think I’m going to repeat the patterns of my parents. That’s not my fear – I’ve already broken that pattern in my life. But having grown up in the opposite way, I’m raising my children with all consistency, all protection. This is my chance to get it right.”

On not letting her children become child actors: “I’d never let them become child actors. They’ll have a chastity belt, a tracker system, no cell phones and we’ll live in the middle of nowhere,” she jokes. “In reality, I’ll just lead by example by being spirited, classy, consistent, philanthropic, hardworking, loyal to my friends and there any second they might need me.”

On Cameron Diaz: “If you are in scary prison in the middle of nowhere, call Cameron. She’ll get you out. If you’re looking for the best dinner-cooking partner and watching- TV-on-the-couch friend, call her. If someone is in a medical situation, call her! She’s the most loyal, fierce, fun, cozy friend. We have incredible honesty with each other, and we work hard on our lives and our friendship. My girlfriends are my first family, and they know that I would lie down and die for them. My love for them is unbreakable.”

For more from Drew, visit GoodHousekeeping.com. Also pictured inside: Drew heading to a luncheon on Tuesday (April 12) in NYC.