32 Quotes About Positivity To Get Through Anything

There’s a cliche in the personal development world that can be polarizing.

Some people shy away from it, believing it to be cheap or tacky, while others swear by it as if it was some sort of magic pill.

This is the idea of positive thinking.

Positive thinking is when we consciously cultivate positivity in our minds so that we think we can get through anything. And it’s been scientifically proven to improve your work life, physical and mental health, and relationships.

A University of Michigan study, led by psychology professor Barbara Fredrickson, explored the importance of positive thinking and emotions on our experience of:

joy,
interest,
contentment, and
love.

These four positive emotions have a number of ripple effects on our behavior.

Fredrickson went on to say:

“Joy sparks the urge to play, interest sparks the urge to explore, contentment sparks the urge to savour and integrate, and love sparks a recurring cycle of each of these urges within safe, close relationships.”

By adopting a positive mindset, our resilience increases and with it our capacity to explore the world, while feeling confident and secure. Negative thoughts and emotions, on the other hand, can skew our perspective and in the long-term, damage our self-esteem.

One way to get into the habit of thinking positively is to peak into the minds of other positive people’s quotes by reading what they’ve said or written.

So without further ado…

Here are 32 quotes about positivity to get through anything!

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” – Alphonse Karr

“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” – Stephen King

“What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficult, and every difficulty has an opportunity.” – J. Sidlow Baxter

“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results…We understand this law in the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental and moral world – although its operation there is just as simple and undeviating – and they, therefore, do not cooperation with it.” – James Allen

“Believing in negative thoughts is the single greatest obstruction to success.” – Charles F. Glassman

A positive attitude can recreate your reality

Much of what we see in the world is a reflection of how we feel inside. The brain is literally creating your experience moment to moment, and part of this is by top-down processes. This means that your prefrontal cortex, the newest part of your brain, which deals with your thoughts, is relaying information to your mammalian cortex, which handles emotions. These emotions then go on to inform deeper and older parts of the brain, including sensory experience and pain. This means that when we say a positive attitude can recreate your reality, it’s not just a metaphor, it’s a physiological fact!

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

“The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking,” – Robert H Shuller

“Fall seven times and stand up eight.” – Anonymous

“We become what we think about.” – Early Nightingale

“Cultivate an optimistic mind, use your imagination, always consider alternatives, and dare to believe that you can make possible what others think is impossible.” – Rodolfo Costa

“Beliefs that are good promote your potential and enhance your unique special qualities.” – Deborah Day

“When you are joyful, when you say yes to life and have fun and project positivity all around you, you become a sun in the center of every constellation, and people want to be near you.” – Shannon L. Alder

“Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” – Roy Bennett

Gratitude is the seed that sprouts positivity

Gratitude is a key tenet in all major philosophies, religions, and schools of thought. That’s because gratitude is a foundation of positive thinking. We only have a limited amount of focus, so when you are able to be appreciative of what you have, your brain is unable to give life and energy to thoughts about what you don’t have. Seeing events in your life as gifts allow you to perceive how they may help you grow and become a better person, and the application of this attitude during tough times is the hallmark of resilience.

“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” – Germany Kent

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” – Tony Robbins

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” – Oprah Winfrey

“Happiness is a quality of the soul…not a function of one’s material circumstances.” – Aristotle

“Impossible is just an opinion, don’t buy it.” – Robin Sharma

“An attitude of positive expectation is the mark of the superior personality.” – Brian Tracy

“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

Keep the right people around you

Jim Rohn famously said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. There is an inherent truth to that, as we, as social creatures, pick up on the habits, behaviors, and attitudes of those around us. What that means is that if you want the strength and positivity to get through anything, you must keep your circle of friends and associates as healthy as you can. Wherever possible, you must remove toxic relationships from your life, regardless of how tough it may be. And in situations such as work where you many not have control, you must learn how to practice positivity so its spreads to those around you.

“People inspire you or they drain you – pick them wisely.” – Hans Hasen

“I think it’s important to get your surroundings as well as yourself into a positive state – meaning surround yourself with positive people, not the kind who are negative and jealous of everything you do.” – Heidi Klum

“Surround yourself with the dreamers, and the doers, the believers, and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.” – Edmund Lee

“Bad company corrupts good character.” – Anonymous

“Surround yourself with those who only lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey

“It’s most important that you surround yourself with positivity always, and have it in your mind at all times.” – Tyler Perry

“Don’t hang with negative people. They will pull you down with them. Instead, invite them into your light and together you will both shine strong.” – L.F. Young

Positivity is an attractive quality

Because positivity is so infectious, it naturally becomes a quality that other people want in their lives. Those of us who can keep a positive attitude in the face of tough times, become an inspiration for everyone else. Positivity is an attractive personality trait, and can go far when it comes to personal and professional relationships. If you are not an inherently positive personal, there are a number of ways by which you can change this. Writing, meditation, affirmations, and integrating more play into your life are all ways that you can rewire your brain to be more focused on the positive aspects of your experience.

“An attitude of positive expectation is the mark of the superior personality” – Brian Tracy

“The most important thing you will ever wear is your attitude.” – Jeff Moore

“Be the attitude you want to be around.” – Tim DeTellis

“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” – Duke Ellington

“Being sexy is all about attitude, not body type. It’s a state of mind.” – Amisha Patel

“Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.” – Harvey Mackay

“A powerful attitude awakens inner strength, energy, motivation, and initiative.” – Remez Sasson

Although our lives are filled with unexpected challenges, and some of us will have a more difficult time than others, positivity, we hope these 32 quotes about positivity will help you get through anything.