50 Positive Thinking Quotes so you can always be in the right mood

I have a secret for you. I’m a nerd for positive thinking quotes (and inspirational quotes in general.) I’m rarely in a bad mood, but when I am – reading a word of wisdom by someone who’s gone through much more is an instant positive thinking pick-me-up. 

Sure, sometimes life can throw us some pretty nasty curveballs. And to think that reading a few positive thinking quotes could solve any financial motivation issues is pretty crazy. Positive thinking is the way you respond to obstacles that occur in your life. It’s all about the way you handle it.

I like positive thinking quotes because they can break a pattern of negative thinking and help you take the first step in the right direction. Quotes about positive thinking generate the momentum you need to live a more positive life. 

I also like quotes about positive thinking because: 

• Positive thinking quotes tend to stick in your brain like a good rule of thumb. 
• The authors of the positive thinking quotes on this list have achieved much more than most of us can ever dream of. 
• Reading positive thinking quotes lifts your mood. Duh. 
• When you’re in a slump, focusing on these positive thinking quotes is better than any alternative. 

Positive Thinking Quotes

Positive Thinking Quotes About Life

These quotes about positive thinking will help you gain a little perspective and see the bright side of things when everyone else is complaining.  

1. If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. ~ Milton Berle

2. Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace. ~ Buddha

3. You can’t control the world, but when you control your thoughts, you bring order. ~ Bernie Siegel

4. I believe one of my strengths is my ability to keep negative thoughts out. I am an optimist. ~ John Wooden

5. Much of our pain or misery in life stems from our own outlook towards the situation. A paralyzed person can also be happy, so can be a financially poor family. ~ Amit Ahlawat

6. Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart. ~ Roy T. Bennett

7. Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. ~ Albert Einstein

8. When I got fired from my first sales job, it seemed like I had fallen at the first hurdle. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. It led me into a job where I really learned the ropes and showed me that even disasters have positive sides.  ~ Tony Clark

9. 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

10. If things aren’t going so well, I try to stay positive and not give in to negative thoughts. ~ Rosanna Arquette

Positive Thinking Quotes About Success

When it comes to your career, if you want to come out on top, you have to stay on your game. Nothing good ever happens to those who whine and moan. So if you’ve found yourself guilty, these quotes about positive thinking and success will help you shift perspective. 

11. Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life. ~ Joel Osteen

12. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~ Nelson Mandela

13. I’ve learned that positive thinking and encouragement are essential for leadership and progress. ~ Richard M. Devos

14. Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success. ~ Shiv Khera

15. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. ~ Wade Boggs

16. A great attitude becomes a great day, which becomes a great month, which becomes a great year, which becomes a great life. ~ Mandy Hale

17. A positive attitude is something everyone can work on, and everyone can learn how to employ it. ~ Joan Lunden

18. The most significant change in a person’s life is a change of attitude. Right attitudes produce right actions. ~ William J. Johnson

19. Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. ~ Emory Austin

20. At some point, you just have to decide you’re going to be confident. Then, as you do, you’re going to have more success. ~ Mike Leach

Positive Thinking Quotes to Motivate You

Have you ever felt stuck or in a rut? If so, you know that your mind can easily spiral downward and finding some positive thinking and motivation feels like an uphill climb. If that’s you – these motivating quotes about positive thinking are sure to lift you up. 

21. I don’t think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it. ~ Mike Ditka

22. Be positive. Your mind is more powerful than you think. What is down in the well comes up in the bucket. Fill yourself with positive things. ~ Tony Dungy

23. Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you. ~ Mary Lou Retton

24. This is one of the most important themes I want you to take from me: Stay as positive and upbeat as you can possibly be. I’ll say it many times: if you can dream it, you can be it. ~ John Calipari

25. I’m loud…but I’m positive. You don’t get anywhere by beating people down with negativity. ~ Frank Martin

26. Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible. ~ John Wooden

27. Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence. ~ Vince Lombardi

28. To be an overachiever you have to be an over-believer. – Dabo Swinney

29. Being what most people think is realistic is only a way of justifying negative thinking. Go for something great. ~ Dr. Bob Rotella

30. If you put negative thoughts into your mind, you’re going to get negative results. It’s just as true that if you put positive thoughts in your mind, you will be a recipient of positive results. ~ Lou Holtz

Positive Thinking Quotes to Make Your Day

If your positive thinking game is usually on point, but you had a bad day (who knows, maybe your bus went over a puddle right beside you or you think your boss gave you a dirty look) these quotes about positive thinking can instantly lift your mood. 

31. Positivity always wins…Always. ~ Gary Vaynerchuk

32. Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. ~ Christopher Reeve

33. The most important thing is to look ahead. The past is your anchor. ~ Maxime Lagacé

34. Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines. ~  Robert Schuller

35. Victory is in having done your best. If you’ve done your best, you’ve won. ~ Billy Bowerman

36. Believe deep down in your heart that you’re destined to do great things. ~ Joe Paterno

37. One person can make a difference, and everyone should try. ~ John F. Kennedy

38. Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be silly at the right moment. ~ Horace

39. Change your thoughts and you change your world. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

40. If you focus narrowly on the problem as you see it, you might well lose hope, but if you look at it from a wider perspective, it’s easier to be more positive. ~ Dalai Lama

Funny Positive Thinking Quotes

Want to double up on your good vibes? Humorous quotes about positive thinking will life your mood in two different ways. 

41. The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs… one step at a time. ~ Joe Girard

42. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” ~ Mark Twain

43. The possible is just the impossible that we’ve come to accept. ~  Stewart Stafford

44. Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger. ~ Franklin P. Jones

45. I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific. ~  Lily Tomlin

46. If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. ~  Marie Osmond

47. Optimist: someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it’s more like a cha-cha. ~  Robert Brault

48. All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure. ~ Mark Twain

49. Bad decisions make good stories. ~  Ellis Vidler

50. The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits. ~ Albert Einstein

TL;DR – Why you need quotes about positive thinking

Did these positive thinking quotes lift your mood? If not, read them again! 

When you’re in a bad mood, it’s easy to get into a downward spiral that makes climbing out feel impossible. Positive thinking quotes alone won’t lift you up if they’re just sitting locked up in your drawer, but they can give you momentum in a positive direction when you need it most. And little by little, positive thinking won’t seem so impossible.