Being a positive thinker can change your life for the better. Unfortunately, negative thoughts sometimes still happen even when you do everything you can to avoid them. When the negative thoughts come, you can’t let them overwhelm you and control your life.

It’s essential to address those negative thoughts so that they don’t impact your life and relationships. One way to do this is by consciously changing your thought process. By forcing yourself to think positive thoughts during a stressful time, you’ll be able to get through it better.

It can be hard to teach yourself to change your thoughts, however. After a while of consciously doing it, you’ll get better at it. In the meantime, though, you may need some guidance and motivation to remember to be positive.

Fifteen Quotes Every Positive Thinker Lives By

These quotes every positive thinker lives by can help you the next time your negative thoughts are overwhelming you. With their tips and encouragement, you’re sure to feel better after reading them.

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

Negative thoughts breed negative encounters and experiences. So, optimistic people know to change their thought process if a negative thought creeps in. Stewing over those thoughts and letting them develop into worse ideas is something you should always avoid.

On the other hand, when you think positively, you’ll experience positivity in return. Most of the time, positive thinking leads to a positive life, so keep that in mind when you are experiencing negativity.

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2. “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Each seemingly small aspect of your life can affect the positivity or negativity you experience. This habit includes your thoughts, your words, your behaviors, your habits, and your values. Positive people know this and remember it each day as they go about their lives.

By changing those thoughts before you allow them to become words, you will be saving yourself from much more negativity. Once they become words, they become behavior, habits, and values, as Gandhi explains.

3. “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

You can’t just say you are a positive thinker and suddenly become one. Instead, you have to behave in a way that brings positivity to your life. This action means changing the way you think and act to better yourself.

Another benefit of this lifestyle is that those around you will become more positive, too. Keep in mind that this means the people you surround yourself with can impact your energy, also. So, make sure to surround yourself with positive people so that you can all benefit each other.

4. “Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life.” – Joel Osteen

You can choose to be positive by consciously changing your thought process and behaviors. When you find yourself feeling or thinking negatively, begin thinking of all the things you are grateful for. It will help stop the negativity and allow you to live a better, more joyous life.

5. “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” – Zig Ziglar

Take it from motivational speaker Zig Ziglar. It’s hard to perform at your best when you are always thinking negatively. It will negatively impact every part of your life, from your work life to your relationships and home life. Positive people know this and make sure to keep their thoughts and actions positive.

6. “Positive thinking can be contagious. Being surrounded by winners helps you develop into a winner.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you are a positive person, you know to surround yourself with other positive people. As Schwarzenegger explains, positive thinking is contagious. Remember that negative thinking is contagious, too. Positive thinkers will avoid negativity because they don’t want it to affect their energy.

7. “Always end the day with a positive thought. No matter how hard things were, tomorrow is a fresh opportunity to make it better.” – Unknown

Even when positive people feel that they’ve had a bad day, they end the day with positivity. This practice can be done by only thinking positively before bed or writing positive thoughts in a journal.  Whichever method of ending the day with a positive idea you choose, remember that tomorrow can be better.

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8. “You have to open up to the world and learn optimism…Contentment with the past, happiness with the present, and hope for the future. Learned optimism.” – Jennifer Crusie

Teach yourself to be happy and optimistic all the time. Acknowledging that the past is settled and can’t be changed will help you become more content. When you can do that, you will be able to be happier and more hopeful for the future.

9. “In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.” – Les Brown

Positive thinkers know that one wrong moment shouldn’t ruin an entire day. Each minute is a new opportunity for positivity, and you can change your course at any moment. Remember this the next time you’re struggling, because it is never too late in the day to start being positive.

10. “Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.” – Francesca Reigler

You are the only one who can choose the way you want to live because it all depends on your attitude. The choice to be happy is yours alone, and positive people know this. As Reigler explains, they choose to be comfortable and healthy instead of being miserable.

11. “We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves.” – Swami Vivekananda

As explained before, it is up to you to decide how you want to live your life. You’re the only one with the power to make changes and to better yourself. If you remember this the next time you’re thinking negativity, it can help you change the course of your thoughts.

12. “Don’t let mental blocks control you. Set yourself free. Confront your fear and turn the mental blocks into building blocks.” – Dr. Roopleen

Frequently, negative thoughts occur because you are scared or worried about something. You can’t let these thoughts control you, however. To begin thinking positively again, you have to free yourself of what’s blocking you.

The most positive thinkers know this and choose to confront their fears. This helps them change their thinking and return to a positive mindset. Then, the thing they were afraid of won’t cause those negative feelings anymore, either.

13. “Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.” – William James

Positive people know that pessimism or negativity will make them weak. Likewise, they see that positivity will give them more power. This power helps them go further in life and develop in better ways.

14. “There is strange comfort in knowing that no matter what happens today, the Sun will rise again tomorrow.” – Aaron Lauritsen

What happened today or yesterday won’t ruin your life. Even if you feel like it might, there is always a new chance for you the next day. The past is settled, and all you can do is build a new future, which you can begin doing at any time.

The sun will rise, you will conquer, and life will go on. Be positive in these situations and look for the next opportunity or life step. When you do, you’ll see that life can always get better if you choose to be positive.

15. “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo

Positive thinkers know that they may encounter negative situations or people sometimes. When this happens, they have to rely on themselves to keep their thoughts positive. You can’t blame others for your negative thoughts or actions, so take the positivity with you wherever you go.

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Final Thoughts on Quotes Every Positive Thinker Lives By

Positive thinking can be lifechanging, but you have to learn to be a positive thinker. If you follow the advice and encouragement offered by other positive people, you’ll get there in no time. Recall these quotes every positive person lives by, and it can help you when you need some guidance.

The next time you find yourself getting caught up in negative thoughts, remember to change your thought process. Think about the things that mean the most to you, and all of the blessings you’ve encountered. Then, remember that challenging moments don’t last forever, and you will get through it.