What does it mean to be “optimistic?”
Does it mean seeing only the good side of life, and never the bad? Does it mean disregarding all negativity and fully embracing positivity?
Of course not. Life isn’t always great. Things can get out of control, and problems may arise unexpectedly. You never know what the future holds, and sometimes there can be more bad than good.
That’s where optimism comes in. Optimism means realizing that no matter how bad things may turn out today, there will always be a window of opportunity tomorrow.
It starts with accepting that life may not always be the way you want it to be, so you need to turn the odds in your favor and keep moving forward.
In this article, we share with you 33 optimism quotes from famous people who have had their fair share of unimaginable challenges and obstacles. However, they maintained their optimism and were able to flip the tables and became successful.
Before we proceed to our list, we want to share with you why reading optimism quotes can be quite handy when it comes to dealing with life.
Why Read Optimism Quotes?
Famous people are influential, and the things they say are often seen as having credibility. Hence, when these people tell you to be optimistic, you get that feeling that you should believe in what they say.
After all, they’re speaking from experience, and it is likely their optimism that helped them get through life’s challenges.
Reading optimism quotes is essential to keep you moving and growing. You shouldn’t stop when you fall; you try harder to get to your destination. And one thing that can keep you moving forward is inspiration from those who have traveled the road before you.
We hope that these optimism quotes can help you become a better, happier individual. We pray that, through them, you’ll be able to look on the brighter side of life.
33 Optimism Quotes Reminding You to Look on the Bright Side of Life
- “Sometimes when you're in a dark place you think you've been buried, but you've actually been planted.” – Christine Caine
- “What is hope but a feeling of optimism, a thought that says things will improve, it won’t always be bleak, there’s a way to rise above the present circumstances. Hope is an internal awareness that you do not have to suffer forever and that somehow, somewhere there is a remedy for despair that you will come upon if you can only maintain this expectancy in your heart.” – Wayne W. Dyer
- “Optimism is the essence of every fighter; the belief that no matter what you’ll find a way to win.” – MMA
- “You really need to love something or someone in order to work hard enough to be very successful. You have to believe in something and have a certain optimism. Faith and optimism come from love.” – Maya Soetoro-Ng
- “Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress.” – Nicholas M. Butler
- “So many people grew up with challenges, as I did. There weren't always happy things happening to me or around me. But when you look at the core of goodness within yourself – at the optimism and hope – you realize it comes from the environment you grew up in.” – Sonia Sotomayor
- “An optimist understands that life can be a bumpy road, but at least it is leading somewhere. They learn from mistakes and failures, and are not afraid to fail again.” – Harvey Mackay
- “Choose to be optimistic. It feels better.” – Dalai Lama
- “There are so many difficult things we're living through in the world today, so many horrible events, but we cannot let them stop us. No matter what happens, I feel you must move forward with optimism and not get totally sideswiped.” – Gloria Estefan
- “Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” – Roy T. Bennett
- “It is the hopeful, buoyant, cheerful attitude of mind that wins. Optimism is a success builder; pessimism an achievement killer.” – Orison Swett Marden
- “Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” – Vaclav Havel
- “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “We can choose to wake up and grumble all day and be bitter and angry and judge others and find satisfaction in others doing bad instead of good. Or we can we wake up with optimism and love and say, ‘Just what is this beautiful day going to bring me?’” – Margaret Trudeau
- “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller
- “My optimism has helped me through some hard times. If you try to send out good things, good things come back to you.” – Jan Brett
- “Human spirit is the ability to face the uncertainty of the future with curiosity and optimism. It is the belief that problems can be solved, differences resolved. It is a type of confidence. And it is fragile. It can be blackened by fear and superstition.” – Bernard Beckett
- “Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.” – Noam Chomsky
- “I am an optimist… I choose to be. There is a lot of darkness in our world, there is a lot of pain and you can choose to see that or you can choose to see the joy. If you try to respond positively to the world, you will spend your time better.” – Tom Hiddleston
- “Optimism – the doctrine or belief that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly.” – Ambrose Bierce
- “The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- “While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.” – Benjamin Franklin
- “Optimism can be more powerful than a battery of artillery or squadron of tanks. It can be contagious and it’s necessary to be a leader.” – Gen. Rick Hillier
- “The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns. The pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose.” – Khalil Gibran
- “True hopefulness and optimism are what leads one to dare. It is also what lifts one back up to dare again after a failed attempt.” – Bibi Bourelly
- “You have to look to the future with optimism instead of negative ideas. Take the good and the bad and face it head-on.” – Goldie Hawn
- “It’s not that optimism solves all of life’s problems; it is just that it can sometimes make the difference between coping and collapsing.” – Lucy MacDonald
- “The way you look at life can determine your success. As they say, look on the bright side. Have an optimistic attitude.” – Catherine Pulsifer
- “Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” – Mary Lou Retton
- “I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.” – Walt Disney
- “Optimism inspires, energizes, and brings out our best. It points the mind toward possibilities and helps us think creatively past problems.” – Price Pritchett
- “In the hour of adversity, be not without hope; for crystal rain falls from black clouds.” – Nizam
Final Thoughts on Optimism Quotes
It is important to remember that being optimistic doesn’t literally mean seeing rainbows and butterflies all the time. Instead, being optimistic means that you know things won’t always go your way, but despite that, you remain confident that you will overcome your challenges eventually.
Having an optimistic mindset is a trait that most successful people possess. Once you master the balance between optimism and accepting reality, you’ll have discovered how to be happy, content, and ultimately victorious.
And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 75 Positive Vibes Quotes to Feel Better Daily
- 101 Stay Strong Quotes to Be Positive During a Crisis
- 35 Viktor Frankl Quotes on Challenges, Suffering & Finding Purpose
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
