We can all use more joy in our lives, and some motivational words of wisdom can help you achieve it. Motivational quotes can help lift your mood and find joy in your daily life. They can also help you prepare for difficult moments, encouraging you to handle any situation.

When you find motivational quotes that resonate within you, write them down in a place you’ll see often. You can put them near your desk, on your mirror, or anywhere else you’re sure to see them.

The highs and lows of life are inevitable, and you’ll experience things that test you and others that bring joy. Motivational words will help you feel happy during either of those situations, allowing you to embrace positivity.

If you can, find a quiet place to read the quotes while taking a few deep breaths. Otherwise, read them wherever you are to help bring joy to your day.

Twenty Motivational Quotes to Feel Happy Today

motivational quotes

These motivational phrases will help you find peace and enjoy your day. They can boost your mood as you go through your daily routine and encourage you to focus on positivity.

1 – “If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu

Relying on others for joy won’t help you find it. It doesn’t depend on money or material items, either. Focus on being grateful for what you have and understanding that you have plenty.

2 – “Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi

When you’re true to yourself and your values, you’re more likely to feel good about your life. Don’t go against what you’re okay with, and make sure that your thoughts, words, and actions align.

3 – “We all get report cards in many different ways, but the real excitement of what you’re doing is in the doing of it. It’s not what you’re gonna get in the end—it’s not the final curtain—it’s really in the doing it, and loving what you’re doing.” – Ralph Lauren

Staying in the present instead of fixating on what you haven’t achieved yet can help you find joy. Find excitement in the smaller goals you’ve achieved along your journey to reaching your long-term goal.

4 – “Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.” – Benjamin Franklin

Don’t wait for something that may never happen before you find joy in your life. Look for the good in your life each day, helping you find pleasure in the things you sometimes take for granted.

5 – “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.” – Andrew Carnegie

Your goals should involve things that inspire you, make you think, and motivate you to keep pushing. If you don’t have dreams like that, you’ll struggle to find positivity in your daily life.

6 – “They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” – Tom Bodett

Being joyful doesn’t take much, and these motivational words remind you what to focus on. As Bodett encourages, think of the people you love, the things you enjoy doing, and what you hope for.

7 – “There’s nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.” – Stephen Chbosky

Laughter is one of the best ways to enjoy your day. When you need something to boost your mood, find something to laugh about or someone to laugh with.

8 – “Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Let go of the things that prevent you from finding joy in your day. Release negativity and choose to embrace the good in your life instead.

motivational quotes

9 – “The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are.” – Goldie Hawn

Self-acceptance and self-love are sure ways to find joy in your daily journey. As Hawn explains, embracing who you are can lead to feeling better.

10 – “It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” – L.M. Montgomery

Your thoughts contribute to how you feel, so choose joy. Once you decide to be happy, you’re sure to find it.

11 – “I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.” – Unknown

Some of the situations you find yourself in test your integrity and resilience. Motivational quotes can encourage you to push through your struggles and overcome challenges. They’ll inspire you to learn from everything you experience and become stronger as you continue your journey.

12 – “If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.” – Roy T. Bennett

Don’t let issues from the past interfere with your joy today. Likewise, avoid worrying about what might happen later. Instead, as Bennett suggests, you can find joy in focusing on the present.

13 – “The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher

This quote reminds you to count all the blessings in your life. Consider self-love or other positive quotes to help you feel even better. It’s a chance to celebrate joy and optimism.

14 – “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” – Marcus Aurelius

Your thoughts determine what happens in your life because you get what you fixate on. If you constantly have negative thoughts, you won’t find joy. On the other hand, positive thoughts can help you achieve your dreams and find meaning. These quotes help you shift your mindset, find joy, and embrace positivity.

15 – “Be a reflection of what you’d like to receive. If you want love, give love. If you want truth, be truthful. If you want respect, give respect. What you give out will always return.” – Kristen Butler

According to the law of attraction, what you put into the world is what you get back. If you want to be happy, try spreading joy to those around you. It’ll boost your mood and help someone else feel better.

kristen butler quote

16 – “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Sharing them with friends can bring a moment of brightness to their day. Plus, experts say that when you spread joy or do kind things, you become happier, too.

17 – “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Achieving your goals and finding ways to overcome obstacles is part of what brings joy to your life. Embrace your journey rather than wait for positivity at the finish line.

18 – “It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.” – Dale Carnegie

How you feel about yourself and your situation are essential components of a positive mindset. If you experience frequent negative thoughts, you’ll struggle with finding joy. However, when you can think positively and focus on the good, you can boost your mood and embrace all you have.

19 – “To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness.” – Mary Stuart

Stuart shared that being kind to others, having loved ones, and feeling wanted are sure ways to find joy. Focus on the people around you and appreciate those closest to you, and you’ll feel better each day.

20 – “Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.” – Alice Walker

Waiting for someone else to make you happy won’t help you find joy. When you take control of your feelings, you’ll find joy much quicker, and it can last longer.

motivational quotes

Final Thoughts on Motivational Quotes to Feel Happy Today

These quotes can help you feel good about your life and look forward to your future. You’ll know that anything is possible, and you can do everything that makes you feel fulfilled.

Reading motivational quotes can help when you’re having a bad day or feel like you’re in a funk. They can bring a smile, give you an idea for how to fix your situation, or help calm your mind.