Article image

13 Quotes on the Power of Positive Thinking

It has been well established by science that humans possess an intrinsic instinct for mimicry. Frown at someone, and they will often glower back. Smile and you’re likely to inspire a reciprocal grin. A similar theory underlies the power of positive thinking: When we consciously choose to introduce a positive thought into our minds, our bodies respond instinctively.

Positive thinking can reduce stress, improve immunity, and even make us more resilient in the face of adversity. When our bodies get the signal from our brains that all is well, they, in turn, signal our brains to feel more content. It’s a positive feedback cycle that can be quite powerful.

Of course, it’s important to acknowledge that life will have its ups and downs, but if we can try to see the low points as part of the normal fluctuations that we all experience, we can turn our focus toward the positive, and help ourselves move in the direction of the things we want. More than anything, positive thinking is about setting intention and being open to possibility.

These encouraging quotes remind us that whether we’re striving for an Olympic gold medal, aiming at a big promotion, or working tirelessly to raise a happy family, staying on the bright side will always benefit both our bodies and our minds.

Sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.
Vince Lombardi

Share Quote

One small positive thought can change your whole day.
Zig Ziglar

Share Quote

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.
Abraham Lincoln

Share Quote

If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.
Mary Engelbreit

Share Quote

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.
Willie Nelson

Share Quote

Optimism is the most important human trait because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.
Seth Godin

Share Quote

Just think happy thoughts and you’ll fly.
J.M. Barrie

Share Quote

Choose the positive. You have a choice. You are the master of your attitude. Choose the positive, the constructive.
Bruce Lee

Share Quote

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

Share Quote

Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
Colin Powell

Share Quote

The choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself.
Oprah Winfrey

Share Quote

The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
Winston Churchill

Share Quote

Believe you can and you’re halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt

Share Quote

Featured image credit: jra9393/ Unsplash

Author image
About the Author
April Dávila
April Dávila is a lover of words. Her debut novel "142 Ostriches" was released in 2020.
Play more header background
Play more icon
Daily Question
Who said, "Jump off the cliff and learn how to make wings on the way down"?

More Inspiration

happiness theme icon

Don't allow your rituals to become ruts.

separator icon
Todd Henry
motivation theme icon

The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.

separator icon
Wendy Wunder
hope theme icon

One shouldn't just hope to be treated well: one must insist on it.

separator icon
Abraham Verghese
love theme icon

Peace requires us to surrender our illusions of control.

separator icon
Jack Kornfield
wisdom theme icon

Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.

separator icon
Henry Miller
happiness theme icon

A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.

separator icon
Helen Keller
motivation theme icon

As one goes through life, one learns that if you don’t paddle your own canoe, you don’t move.

separator icon
Katharine Hepburn
hope theme icon

The chief prevention against getting old is to remain astonished.

separator icon
Kevin Kelly
love theme icon

Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.

separator icon
Jodi Picoult
wisdom theme icon

Do not fear mistakes, there are none.

separator icon
Miles Davis
happiness theme icon

If grass can grow through cement, love can find you at every time in your life.

separator icon
Cher