Positive Thinking Quotes & Why They Help
The purpose of this collection of positive thinking quotes is to encourage, inspire and remind you just how powerful thoughts are and why we should actively make sure they are positive more than negative.
What Does ‘Positive Thinking’ Even Mean?
Positive thinking is simply approaching life – all its beauty and challenges, it’s highs and lows – in a more positive way.
It’s thinking the best of situations and seeing the opportunities rather than focusing on the worst-case scenarios and the problems.
It doesn’t imply that you ignore reality or make light of difficulties. It just means that you expect things to go well.
Does Positive Thinking Really Work?
While positive thinking won’t solve all of life’s problems, it’s a far superior approach to life, bringing with it a positive flow-on effect to our feelings, actions and behaviors.
I’m sure we all have an example of a time when a negative thought impacted our feelings, which then impacted how we reacted (or acted) in life.
Instead, if we can focus on a more positive thought or expectation, we are more likely to feel different, and then act in a way that we ideally wanted to.
It’s quite mind-blowing how this actually works!
What are some good positive thinking quotes?
The best positive thinking quotes are those that speak to you on a personal level and resonate with you. Those quotes that cause you to shift your thinking, ever so slightly, to consider possibilities, opportunities and solutions.
Quotes about positive thinking remind us of the enormous power of our thoughts and why it’s important to make our thoughts work for us, rather than just floating along in life, guided by outside forces, opinions and decisions.
Positive thinking is an inside job, but the right quotes give us the courage to take that first step toward a more optimistic way of life.
They help us see that positivity isn’t just about looking on the bright side, but also committing to actions that support our goals and aspirations.
We hope that you enjoy them!
Positive Thinking Quotes
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.” Marcus Aurelius
“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” Peace Pilgrim
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” Roy T. Bennett
“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” John Wooden
“It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.” Robert H. Schuller
“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” Buddha
“We become what we think about.” Earl Nightingale
“You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” James Allen
“We are what our thoughts have made us; so, take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.” Swami Vivekananda
“All action results from thought, so it is thoughts that matter.” Sai Baba
“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.” Mahatma Gandhi
“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” Stephen King
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” Norman Vincent Peale
“The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy.” Florence Scovel Shinn
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorns have roses.” Alphonse Karr
“Our life is what our thoughts make it.” Marcus Aurelius
“I realized that if my thoughts immediately affect my body, I should be careful about what I think. Now if I get angry, I ask myself why I feel that way. If I can find the source of my anger, I can turn that negative energy into something positive.” Yoko Ono
“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” Lyndon B. Johnson
“The truth is that stress doesn’t come from your boss, your kids, your spouse, traffic jams, health challenges, or other circumstances. It comes from your thoughts about these circumstances.” Andrew J. Bernstein
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” Willie Nelson
“I think anything is possible if you have the mindset and the will and desire to do it and put the time in.” Roger Clemens
“Our thoughts create our reality – where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go.” Peter McWilliams
“Nurture your minds with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes.” Benjamin Disraeli
“No matter what you’re going through, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you’ll find the positive side of things.” Demi Lovato
“A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success.” Joyce Brothers
Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough. Richard M. DeVos
“A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst, and it sparks extraordinary results.” Wade Boggs
“Everything you want to accomplish is already within yourself so when you start to roll in self-doubt and think negative thoughts then you’ll fall off. So keep visualising and keep knowing what you’re destined for, it’ll come to you.” NLE Choppa
“The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.” Norman Vincent Peale
“Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.” Soren Kierkegaard
“The problem is to keep the monkey mind from running off into all kinds of thoughts.” Lee Kuan Yew
“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” Zig Ziglar
“Almost all our suffering is the product of our thoughts. We spend nearly every moment of our lives lost in thought, and hostage to the character of those thoughts. You can break this spell, but it takes training just like it takes training to defend yourself against a physical assault.” Sam Harris
“Our minds influence the key activity of the brain, which then influences everything; perception, cognition, thoughts and feelings, personal relationships; they’re all a projection of you.” Deepak Chopra
“The key to abundance is meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts.” Marianne Williamson
“Optimism is the one quality more associated with success and happiness than any other.” Brian Tracy
“You’ve done it before, and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.” Ralph Marston
“The mind moves in the direction of our currently dominant thoughts.” Earl Nightingale
“Miracles happen to those who believe in them.” Bernhard Berenson
“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.” Joseph Campbell
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” Oprah Winfrey
“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” Maya Angelou
Related: 24 Funny Positive Thinking Quotes To Make You Laugh!
But What If I’m A Naturally Negative Thinker?
Great question! If you’re a naturally negative thinker, the good news is that you can rewire your brain to become more of an optimist.
Start today by taking note of your current thoughts and beliefs, surround yourself with positive people, become aware of the types of materials you consume (social media, television shows, books etc) and eliminate negative self-talk.
Positive thinking isn’t just a one-time exercise – it’s small changes that add up and before you know it, you will notice your thoughts becoming more positive overall. It’s about making an effort every single day to move your thoughts to positive over negative and self-defeating thoughts.
For more inspiring and positive words to consume, be sure to check out:
- 38 Positive Outlook Quotes: To Inspire Success & Abundance
- Power of Thoughts Quotes (34 Inspiring Sayings)
- 32 Toxic Positivity Quotes
- 24 Funny Positive Thinking Quotes To Make You Laugh!
- 42 of the Best ‘Lao Tzu’ Quotes on Life, Thoughts & Knowing Yourself
- The Power of Positive Affirmations
- Positive Outlook: How to Get and Keep A More Positive Attitude
- 50+ Positive Attitude Quotes To Highlight The Power Of Attitude
