Positive Quotes and Inspiring Words. Light up Your Day With Optimistic Thinking

Let's start off this page of positive quotes, positive thinking quotes and inspiring words with one the most widespread, universal symbolic manifestations of positivity and good moods, sunshine. 

Happy Sunshine Quotes

There a good reason why 'sunshine' is so often used as an analogy or metaphor of positive thinking.

The sun may have a direct positive influence on our sense of wellbeing as it boosts certain chemical processes in the body, improving our health and lifting our mood.

Here are some positive thinking quotes and inspirational quotes and sayings about sunshine:

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
~ Anthony J. D'Angelo ~

A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.
~ Roald Dahl ~

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.
~ Helen Keller ~

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.
~ John Ruskin ~

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Appreciating the Small Things in Life

In our hectic and often stressful everyday lives, we are often so busy thinking and worrying about what's happening next and how we're going to manage that we tend to take what actually deeply matters for granted or simply let them pass us by without noticing them.

Take for a moment for yourself and think about the good things you have in your life. Both small things as well as big things that bring pleasure either directly or indirectly.

Below are some positive phrases and positive quotes about appreciating the small things in life:

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.
~ Author Unknown ~

Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.
~ H. Jackson Brown ~

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
~ Robert Brault ~

Yes, what we today may think is just a trivial thing may be worth a lot more than we tend to think.

For instance, your daily walk in nature may seem routine but is in fact your fuel tank. This walk is where you get a chance to connect with yourself and re-energize.

Here are some more positive thinking quotes and inspiring words:

Why not learn to enjoy the little things - there are so many of them.
~ Author Unknown ~

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
~ Leo Buscaglia ~

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Positive Phrases and Being an Optimist Quotes

The way we choose to look upon the world is a choice.

We are not always in control of what happens to us but we always have a say in the way we want to experience it.

In other words, experience is a choice.

Many successful people throughout time and cultures have given us one of the most important ingredients in both being successful and having happy, meaningful life.

Namely, being an optimist!

Being an optimist entails looking upon the world through a lens of opportunities, goodwill and positive goal setting and perceiving at people as being generally well-meaning, trustworthy and helpful.

Here are some inspiring words on the benefits of being an optimist:

I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.
~ Winston Churchill ~

Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can't be done.
~ Bo Bennett ~

Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!
~ Oscar Wilde ~

Optimist: Person who travels on nothing from nowhere to happiness.
~ Mark Twain ~

This is true!

When you choose to be happy - have a positive attitude to life and decide to think the best of people, you don't need much.

You then don't need people to give you happiness. You are happiness!

Because a person in balance or a person in harmony is a person with few needs. They find deep pleasure and complete fulfilment in the smallest things.

Here are some more positive thinking quotes and optimist quotes:

The basic success orientation is having an optimistic attitude.
~ John DePasquale ~

I will say this about being an optimist: even when things don't turn out well, you are certain they will get better.
~ Frank Hughes ~

When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better.
~ Positive Quotes ~

Positive anything is better than negative nothing.
~ Elbert Hubbard ~

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Making the Impossible, Possible!

Dreams! What are dreams?

Well, dreams are often about things we want.

And for the optimist doer, a dream isn't just a dream. A dream is a goal. And the positive attitude, fuel!

And for some optimists, the more 'dreamy' or impossible the dream seems, the more inspired to reach it they become.

Here are some dream quotes about making the impossible, possible:

The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
~ Positive Thinking Quotes ~

The impossible can always be broken down into possibilities.
~ Positive Phrases ~

I have learned to use the word impossible with the greatest caution.
~ Wernher von Braun ~

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You Make Reality

It may not feel like it, but you decide how the world seems to you.

How the world feels, appears and looks is your call. It's your choice.

How you perceive the words is a question of belief. If you believe it to be paradise on earth, you will quickly find all the reasons to back up this positive belief.

What you have inside; your feelings, convictions and beliefs will effectively color the way you perceive the world.

So why not empower yourself by choosing to have a positive experience of life!

Here are some positive thinking quotes about beliefs:

Anywhere is paradise; it's up to you.
~ Positive Quotes ~

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.
~ William James ~

If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.
~ Peace Pilgrim ~

Very few people are really aware of the enormous impact their belief and value system has on their lives.

You see, some beliefs are empowering and some are not. Being aware of which kind of thoughts opens up the worlds and frees you and don't is incredibly powerful.

Because then all of a sudden you have a choice. You can then choose what to believe and what not to believe.

Here are some more quotes about beliefs:

Life is like a mirror. Smile at it and it smiles back at you.
~ Peace Pilgrim ~

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.
~ Arthur Rubinstein ~

Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create that fact.
~ William James ~

Hope is the dream of a soul awake.
~ French Proverb ~

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Positive Phrases about Learning to Enjoy Every Moment

Fully living doesn't come naturally to everybody. But everybody can get better at it if they choose to.

One of the secrets in living a full and satisfactory life is learning to be present in the moment, experiencing that which is and taking in the world with a grateful attitude.

It sounds so simple, and it is. You just need to stop up. Take a breath. And Be. Nothing more is required! :-)

Here are some inspirational quotes and sayings about enjoying the moment:

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time.
~ Betty Smith ~

Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.
~ Og Mandino ~

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Inspirational Quotes and Sayings about the Joy of Giving

Giving is the complete opposite of what most people tend to believe.

Many people think that if they give something, they lose something.

But in fact, the opposite is true. The more you give, the more you will get.

The more love you show, the more love you will feel, the more happiness you spread, the more happy you will experience yourself.

So don't hold yourself back; share yourself and open yourself up to the world and get back 100 fold:

Here are some positive quotes about giving:

Be generous! Give to those you love; give to those who love you; give to the fortunate; give to the unfortunate - yes, give especially to those you don't want to give. You will receive abundance for your giving. The more you give, the more you will have!
~ W. Clement Stone ~

I discovered a long time ago that if I helped people get what they wanted, I would always get what I wanted and I would never have to worry.
~ Anthony Robbins ~

When we give, we simply make room for more to come in. When we become deeply, authentically generous, it signals to our abundant universe that there is a conduit open to receive and distribute. We become part of the vital natural system.
~ Lenedra J. Caroll ~

It's sort of like the chicken and the egg; If you believe the world is a good place and deserves the best, you will feel more inclined to give your best to the world, which will positively influence the world and shine that positive light right back at yourself and the positive cycle recommences.

Here are some more positive thinking quotes about giving:

Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. And you can do it when things are tough.
~ Richard M. DeVos ~

They say, "You can't give a smile away; it always comes back." The same is true of a kind word or a conversation starter. What goes around, comes around.
~ Susan RoAne ~

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
~ John Andrew Holmes ~

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
~ Theodore Roosevelt ~

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Inspiring Words and Positive Quotes about Opportunities

Opportunities are a direct result of positive thinking.

If you believe that the world is a place filled with good, attractive and exciting things, you will want to have those things in your life. That's quite a logical deduction.

Those things are then not only 'things' but now become opportunities to strive towards and seize.

You have now connected to the world, made it yours and said to the Universe; I'm going this way!

The Universe will now do its best to help you: This is called the Law of Attraction.

Here are some good quotes about opportunities:

Every day is an opportunity to make a new happy ending.
~ Author Unknown ~

Life is a field of unlimited possibilities.
~ Deepak Chopra ~

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.
~ Charles R. Swindoll ~

The freedom to move forward to new opportunities and to produce results comes from living in the present not the past.
~ Brian Koslow ~

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Positive Phrases about Looking at Trials and Obstacles in a Positive Light

When is it we grow, evolve and expand?

Often when we need to!

When we meet obstacles or challenges in our path it is often necessary to be creative, push ourselves and give it our best.

In other words, if we want to successfully move past trials, we have to find our inner strength and undiscovered potentials.

This is why you can choose view obstacles as true gifts. You get a unique change to grow :-)

Here are some inspirational quotes and sayings about trials:

What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.
~ Oscar Wilde ~

Life's up and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want.
~ Marsha Sinetar ~

Where you stumble, there your treasure lies.
~ Joseph Campbell ~

Sometimes we need our head squashed down in the dirt in order to see that things were not working out for us.

Sometimes we need to really fail in order for our minds to figure out where the true values of life lie.

The process of failing or 'stumbling' as Joseph Campbell calls it is extremely uncomfortable but may pave the way for a more enriching life with guided by a higher sense of awareness and conscious choices.

Here are more positive thinking quotes about challenges:

Face new challenges, seize new opportunities, test your resources against the unknown and in the process, discover your own unique potential.
~ John Amatt ~

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
~ Nelson Mandela ~

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The Power to Create Your Own Life - Self Actualization Quotes

Realizing that you are the creator of you own life experience is both empowering and scary all at the same time.

It's scary because it may feel overwhelming that all experiential responsibility is yours, and yours alone.

However, it is also empowering because you realize that you can be an actor (rather than just a re-actor) in the creation of your life. It's empowering to know that you have the power to choose your experience of life.

Here are some inspiring words about choosing your life:

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
~ Robert H. Schuller ~

Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our hands.
~ Cathy Better ~

Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.
~ Wayne Dyer ~

When you do what you love, you automatically give yourself and what you have to world.

And giving yourself and your creation in the spirit of love, is one of the most pleasurable things, you can do. Both for yourself, for others and the world.

Here are more inspirational quotes and sayings:

I think the great livers, the people who are fully self-actualizing and alive, are the great givers.
~ Mark Victor Hansen ~

He who is plenteously provided for from within, needs but little from without.
~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe ~

Let's move on to some positive quotes about the power of a positive attitude.

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The Raw Power of a Positive Attitude

Having a positive attitude as a starting point rather than a goal or end result makes a huge difference.

Because if you have happiness as a goal, then you make yourself dependent on something external to yourself to make you happy.

Rather than being happy, you're striving to be happy. See the difference? You're searching rather than Being.

True happiness comes from the inside, is a Beingness and is self perpetuating.

Once you choose to be happy, happiness will take care of itself without much effort.

Here are quotes about the power of a positive attitude:

Act as if you were already happy, and that will tend to make you happy.
~ Dale Carnegie ~

Live as if you like yourself, and it may happen.
~ Marge Piercy ~

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

Yes, it may sound artificial or false!

But forcing yourself to look at the world in a positive light with a smile on your face will in fact, make you feel better than if you didn't.

Try it and see if isn't true :-)

More positive phrases and positive quotes about attitude on their way:

Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.
~ Bill Cosby ~

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

Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

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Loving Life - Simple Appreciation Quotes

Often our minds are our single biggest challenge to happiness and fulfillment. Not the world, not the people around us but our very own thoughts and beliefs.

In other words, we tend think too much!

We can do ourselves a big favor by stopping up once in a while - quit thinking and start being.

Here are some positive phrases and positive quotes about the simple love of life:

'Tis very certain the desire of life prolongs it.
~ Lord Byron ~

I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.
~ Agatha Christie ~

You just can't complain about being alive. It's self-indulgent to be unhappy.
~ Gena Rowland ~

If you tried to view life as the greatest gift there were, don't most of your problems and worries then seem petty and banal.

Viewing life as a gift is about shifting perspective from one of living in the mind to one of living in the moment to fully experience.

Here are the last positive quotes and life quotes:

Whatever the ups and downs of detail within our limited experience, the larger whole is primarily beautiful.
~ Gregory Bateson ~

The pure, the beautiful, the bright, That stirred our hearts in youth, The impulse to a wordless prayer, The dreams of love and truth, The longings after something lost, The spirit's yearning cry, The strivings after better hopes, These things can never die.
~ Sarah Doudney ~

We hope you enjoyed this collection of positive quotes and positive phrases. If you desire yet more inspirational life quotes, you're welcome to visit one of our other inspirational quotes pages below.