There are times when exposing oneself to the short positive thoughts and optimistic reflections of some cultural references and thinkers is the best complement to face challenges or difficult moments that day to day life brings. They are essential so that we can motivate ourselves and achieve what we set out to do.

Of course, just reading a few positive phrases will not automatically make our day better, but if we open up our receptivity to this way of seeing life and learn to soak up optimism, we will be making it much more likely that we will improve our level of well-being .

Related article: “100 Short Positive Sentences for Living Day by Day with Optimism”

Short phrases with content that can help lift your spirits

So, to start adopting a more cheerful point of view, nothing like giving ourselves a dose of short positive thoughts every day that we can relate to any situation we are living in.

Reflections by Gandhi , Albert Einstein , Steve Jobs , Dalai Lama and others who bring us a positive outlook on life. Are you ready?

A selection of positive and optimistic thoughts to motivate

What follows is a selection of these short positive phrases based on optimism.

1. Things don’t have to change the world to be important (Steve Jobs)

A reflection on the small successes of everyday life .

2. Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them (Albert Einstein)

Albert Einstein, on the paradoxes of success .

3. If you look in the direction of the sun you will not see the shadows (Hellen Keller)

One of Hellen Keller’s most memorable phrases is also one of the most powerful positive thoughts .

4. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier (Colin Powell)

On the potential of maintaining an optimistic and positive mentality .

5. Write in your heart that every day is the best day of the year (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

A recommendation made to value the present.

6. It’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer (W. C. Fields)

A sample of the extent to which positive thoughts can refer to the way in which we live those events that are beyond our control.

7. You can do it, you should do it, and if you are brave enough to start, you will do it (Stephen King)

A reminder of the power that lies in the very act of starting.

8. The real opportunity for success lies in the person, not in the job (Zig Ziglar)

A reflection on the importance of knowing how to identify the sources of what makes us happy .

9. Every noble mission seems impossible at first (Thomas Carlye)

A positive phrase to better cope with difficult beginnings .

10. Defeat is not bitter unless you swallow it (Joe Clarck)

A nuance to be taken into account. We can decide how to react to failures.

11. To perform a positive action, a positive vision must be maintained (Dalai Lama)

A vision of life in which our point of view becomes important about what happens beyond our body.

12. Each day brings new choices (Martha Beck)

The optimism of this sentence lies in the way it points out that the passage of time itself brings new options.

13. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I believe in miracles (Heart Aquinas)

Believing that the most unexpected surprises can happen is in itself a way to stay optimistic .

14. The power of imagination makes us infinite (John Muir)

In the imagination resides an unlimited force to create , according to John Muir.

15. Every moment is a fresh start (T. S. Elliot)

Another of those positive thoughts focused on the emergence of new options and opportunities.

16. Learning is a gift, and even pain is a master (Maya Watson)

A different way of valuing apparently negative experiences.

17. Success is falling nine times and getting up ten times (Bon Jovi)

Positive thinking about self-improvement and willpower.

18. Everything you can imagine is real (Pablo Picasso)

Pablo Picasso, about the power of imagination and creativity .

You may be interested in: “The 7 personality traits of creative people”

19. If you can change your mind, you can change your life (William James)

One of the pioneers of modern psychology, William James, talks here about the importance of knowing how to manage mental processes.

20. Make Every Day Your Masterpiece (John Wooden)

An inspiring recommendation that can be applied to everything.

21. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened (Dr. Seuss)

Everything that has a beginning has an end . The important thing is to have enjoyed it while it lasted.

22. What will never come back is what makes life sweet (Emily Dickinson)

Emily Dickinson explores the idea of carpe diem .

23. Even the darkest night will give way to sunrise (Victor Hugo)

We all go through bad times, but we must keep fighting for better times to come .

24. The harder I work, the luckier I get (Gary Player)

Gary Player was aware that luck does not come by itself, we must make it come by making an effort every day .

25. You will never see a rainbow if you are always looking down (Charles Chaplin)

The actor Charlot was able to leave us hundreds of short positive phrases.

26. My optimism wears heavy boots and is noisy (Henry Rollins)

An optimist is always a little more strident in his daily actions.

27. Success teaches us nothing; only failure does (Hyman G. Rickover)

Rickover teaches us that we learn much more from failures than from successes .

28. The best way to predict the future is to invent it (Alan Kay)

We should not be passive spectators of life, but building it day by day .

29. To make the world a better place, start seeing the world as a better place (Alan Cohen)

Your mentality helps you start to see things differently.

30. Laughter is a small holiday period (Milton Berle)

The benefits of laughter are widely demonstrated. We just need to put a little humor and optimism into our lives.

31. Mistakes are portals to discovery (James Joyce)

We learn from mistakes , and they help us to find better ways to face certain challenges.

32. It always seems impossible until it becomes a reality (Nelson Mandela)

South African leader Nelson Mandela knew that the impossible does not exist, it is just a little further away.

33. The problems are not STOP signs, but guidelines to follow (Robert H. Schuller)

Problems are inevitable in life, but with tenacity and optimism we can face and overcome them .

34. Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star (W. Clement Stone)

A positive thought that makes our imagination fly.

35. Failure is the spice that gives success its flavor (Truman Capote)

If we didn’t know failure, we wouldn’t know how to taste the honeys of success. A great truth.

36. Freedom comes from within (Frank Lloyd Wright)

Don’t expect others to recognize your freedom, you decide to be free .

37. Beauty is power, and a smile is its sword (John Ray)

When we offer the world our best version, things are more likely to work out for us.

38. If you want to be happy, be (Leo Tolstoy)

This apparently unfinished sentence by Leo Tolstoy contains a great truth: if you want to be happy, just be.

39. Where there is love there is life (Gandhi)

Hindu peace leader Mahatma Gandhi on the importance of love

  • More quotes and thoughts from Gandhi

40. No excellent soul is exempt from a touch of madness (Aristotle)

The Greek philosopher, about the little madness inherent in every happy person .

41. You are capable of much more than you are imagining or doing now (Myles Munroe)

Creativity is only one step away . With effort, all goals are possible.

42. It’s a wonderful thing to be optimistic. It keeps you healthy and resilient (Daniel Kahneman)

Optimism is not only good for facing challenges, but it improves our mood . Why not try it?

43. Think for yourself and let others enjoy that privilege too (Voltaire)

Critical thinking also gives us optimism and positivity to face life.

44. I didn’t miss.I’ve just found ways that don’t work. (Thomas Edison)

Failure does not exist, it is part of your path to success . Patience always gets its just reward.

45. I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone (Bill Cosby)

American comedian Bill Cosby knows that one must remain true to his principles if he wants to achieve great things in life.

46. Luck is proportional to sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you are (Ray Kroc)

Excellent metaphor: the more we work on it, the easier it is for things to go well and great opportunities to emerge.

47. Reality leaves much to the imagination (John Lennon)

The mythical singer and guitarist of the Beatles left us with this very inspiring optimistic thought.

48. You must do the things you think you can’t (Eleanor Roosevelt)

American activist Eleanor Roosevelt offered this positive thinking to encourage people to go beyond their comfort zone.

49. Life is not about finding yourself, but creating yourself (George Bernard Shaw)

Building a future for ourselves is built by the small actions we take every day, without exception.

50. Life is really simple, but we insist on making it difficult (Confucius)

The Eastern thinker left us a powerful message: life must be lived , let’s not make it more complicated than it really is.

51. Colours are the smiles of nature (Leigh Hunt)

A nice reflection on the color map of everything around us.

52. It is better to travel well than to arrive (Buddha)

One of the phrases that best express Chinese philosophy and the importance given to the process, rather than the result.

53. You must be the change you wish to see in the world (Mahatma Gandhi)

A way of understanding personal change as part of social progress.

54. Think of all the beautiful things that are still around you and be happy (Anne Frank)

Another positive thought to help us build resilience.

55. Live life to the fullest and focus on the positive (Matt Cameron)

A very useful life maxim to experience everything.

56. Because you smile, you make life more beautiful (Thich Nhat Hanh)

One of the most inspiring phrases from the monk and activist Thich Nhat Hanh .

57. If music is the food of love, let it keep on playing (Shakespeare)

A very inspired interpretation of the nature of love relationships.

58. Sometimes the soul that sees beauty can walk alone (Goethe)

About sensitive people and their way of connecting with others.

59. The greatest privilege in life is to be yourself (Joseph Campbell)

Being in one’s own skin is a unique experience and therefore special and stimulating.

60. I want to touch the heart of the world and make it smile (Charles de Lint)

One of the most appropriate short positive thoughts to face the mornings with optimism.

61. Suppress the negative, emphasize the positive (Donna Karan)

One of the simplest guidelines about optimism.

62. People who live deeply do not fear death (Anais Nin)

The attitude to life that we take influences the way we experience loss.

63. Let the beauty of what you love be what you do (Rumi)

Yalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī was a Muslim mystic and intellectual with a very poetic view of life , and this thought reflects him perfectly.

64. Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it (Confucius)

A reflection to take into account all the good that we could experience if we developed sensitivity for it.

65. A positive attitude can make dreams come true (David Bailey)

Changes in mentality can create reality in the best possible way.

66.It is good to accept the natural beauty that comes from within you (Victoria Justice)

Self-acceptance and good self-esteem are basic ingredients to stay positive .

67. The smile is a universal welcome (Max Eastman)

This original conception of the act of smiling is reminiscent of psychologist Paul Ekman’s research on micro-expressions.

68. Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet (Rousseau)

One of the positive thoughts that encourage patience in long term projects.

69. Pleasure in work adds perfection to the result (Aristotle)

A reflection on the potential for enjoyment in the trades and professions.

70. There is no greater wealth than life (John Ruskin)

A brief positive thought to remember the intrinsic value of life .

71. When you think positive, good things happen (Matt Kemp)

This phrase perfectly sums up the essence of positive thinking.

72. Only I can change my life (Carol Burnett)

A reminder of the sovereignty we have over our lives.

73. Expect trouble and eat it for breakfast (Alfred A. Montapert)

Seeing problems as a surmountable challenge is very motivating and helps us not to get stuck.

74. If you fell yesterday, get up today (H. G. Wells)

A call to do not give up .

75. We live in the world when we love it (Rabindranath Tagore)

About the need to love what we are, what we do and what surrounds us in order to experience life fully.

76. With discipline almost anything is possible (Theodore Roosevelt)

Knowing how to commit to projects makes them have great potential .

77. Reach for the Stars (Christa McAuliffe)

A powerful and poetic image to remind us what it means to maintain ambitious goals.

78. Today is worth two mornings (Benjamin Franklin)

The possibility of experiencing what we live in real time makes the present have a special value.

79. The best way to start is to stop talking and start doing (Walt Disney)

Just a little push might be enough to get us going.

80. From difficulties are born miracles (Jean de la Bruyere)

Another positive thought is about the opportunities that lie within the apparent challenges and obstacles.