post written by: Marc

60 Quotes that Will Change the Way You Think


60 Quotes that Will Change the Way You Think

In your quiet moments, what do you think about?  How far you’ve come, or how far you have to go?  Your strengths, or your weaknesses?  The best that might happen, or the worst that might come to be?  In your quiet moments, pay attention to your thoughts.  Because maybe, just maybe, the only thing that needs to shift in order for you to experience more happiness, more love, and more vitality, is your way of thinking.

Here are 60 thought-provoking quotes gathered from our sister site, Everyday Life Lessons, and from our blog archive that will help you adjust your way of thinking.

  1. You cannot change what you refuse to confront.
  2. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
  3. Don’t think of cost.  Think of value.
  4. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
  5. Too many people buy things they don’t need with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t know.  Read Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
  6. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.
  7. If a person wants to be a part of your life, they will make an obvious effort to do so.  Think twice before reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
  8. Making one person smile can change the world – maybe not the whole world, but their world.
  9. Saying someone is ugly doesn’t make you any prettier.
  10. The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well.
  11. Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.
  12. The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.
  13. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.
  14. As we grow up, we realize it becomes less important to have more friends and more important to have real ones.
  15. Making a hundred friends is not a miracle.  The miracle is to make a single friend who will stand by your side even when hundreds are against you.
  16. Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go and move on.
  17. Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, etc…
  18. If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
  19. Don’t choose the one who is beautiful to the world; choose the one who makes your world beautiful.
  20. Falling in love is not a choice.  To stay in love is.
  21. True love isn’t about being inseparable; it’s about two people being true to each other even when they are separated.
  22. While you’re busy looking for the perfect person, you’ll probably miss the imperfect person who could make you perfectly happy.
  23. Never do something permanently foolish just because you are temporarily upset.
  24. You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.  Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
  25. In life, if you don’t risk anything, you risk everything.
  26. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
  27. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
  28. There isn’t anything noble about being superior to another person.  True nobility is in being superior to the person you once were.
  29. Trying to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.
  30. You will never become who you want to be if you keep blaming everyone else for who you are now.
  31. People are more what they hide than what they show.
  32. Sometimes people don’t notice the things others do for them until they stop doing them.
  33. Don’t listen to what people say, watch what they do.
  34. Being alone does not mean you are lonely, and being lonely does not mean you are alone.
  35. Love is not about sex, going on fancy dates, or showing off.  It’s about being with a person who makes you happy in a way nobody else can.
  36. Anyone can come into your life and say how much they love you.  It takes someone really special to stay in your life and show how much they love you.
  37. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.  Don’t save it for a special occasion; today is special.
  38. Love and appreciate your parents.  We are often so busy growing up, we forget they are also growing old.
  39. When you have to start compromising yourself and your morals for the people around you, it’s probably time to change the people around you.
  40. Learn to love yourself first, instead of loving the idea of other people loving you.
  41. When someone tells you, “You’ve changed,” it might simply be because you’ve stopped living your life their way.
  42. Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right.
  43. Be happy.  Be yourself.  If others don’t like it, then let them be.  Happiness is a choice.  Life isn’t about pleasing everybody.
  44. When you’re up, your friends know who you are.  When you’re down, you know who your friends are.
  45. Don’t look for someone who will solve all your problems; look for someone who will face them with you.
  46. If you expect the world to be fair with you because you are fair, you’re fooling yourself. That’s like expecting the lion not to eat you because you didn’t eat him.
  47. No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.
  48. The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.
  49. Many people are so poor because the only thing they have is money.
  50. Learn to appreciate the things you have before time forces you appreciate the things you once had.
  51. When you choose to see the good in others, you end up finding the good in yourself.
  52. You don’t drown by falling in the water.  You drown by staying there.
  53. It’s better to know and be disappointed than to never know and always wonder.
  54. There are things that we don’t want to happen but have to accept, things we don’t want to know but have to learn, and people we can’t live without but have to let go.
  55. Happiness is not determined by what’s happening around you, but rather what’s happening inside you.  Most people depend on others to gain happiness, but the truth is, it always comes from within.
  56. If you tell the truth, it becomes a part of your past.  If you lie, it becomes a part of your future.
  57. What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.  Read The Power of Habit.
  58. You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
  59. Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out.
  60. If you don’t like something, change it.  If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.

Photo by: Andrew Evans

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79 Comments

Filed under Hacks, Inspiration, Life


79 Comments

  • Kristy
    June 8th, 2012 at 12:42 am

    I’ve been trying so hard to learn how to change my thinking… Reading, reading and reading… and practicing. These tips are a big help. Thank you.

  • lefty
    June 8th, 2012 at 1:17 am

    Thanks for motivating me when I needed it this evening. A few of these quotes and lessons have already changed my thinking about a few things.

  • Andy
    June 8th, 2012 at 2:13 am

    Such great wisdom to follow. I will add one of my own favorites: “Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day.”

  • Glori
    June 8th, 2012 at 6:36 am

    My day is complete! You guys are great in making one’s day awesome and inspired!
    Favorite: “Saying someone is ugly doesn’t make you any prettier.” (for all the bullies in the world?)

  • Kristine
    June 8th, 2012 at 6:42 am

    Good choices of brilliant quotes! I am exactly at my quiet moment right now. Perfect timing! Bless you guys :)

  • Kristin
    June 8th, 2012 at 8:10 am

    Thank you so much for this. I write down inspirational sayings, and here I had to write down almost all 60 of them. A lot of your words have helped me. Please, never stop writing and publishing inspiring content on your site.

  • Will
    June 8th, 2012 at 8:20 am

    Great quotes and sayings. These quotes make much more sense now that I am getting older (and hopefully wiser).

    Kristy - keep at it. It’s a process of replacing bad habits with good ones. I know. ;)

  • Cheryl
    June 8th, 2012 at 8:53 am

    Such motivating quotes and tips! All are so true….Thank You!!!

  • TB at BlueCollarWorkman
    June 8th, 2012 at 9:41 am

    Nothing endures but change. — I’ve always liked that one. It really captures a lot of things. Change of job, boss, location, family, relationships, TV shows, clothes… change change change. It’s the only thing that keeps on.

  • Abinaya
    June 8th, 2012 at 9:42 am

    Such beautiful quotes. They made my evening :)
    You guys are awesome!

  • martianman
    June 8th, 2012 at 10:02 am

    yes, these ring so true to my heart.. troubles of the mind, and troubles of the heart and mind sometimes seem so overwhelming.. but these reminders bring me back to myself and my strength that is always there though sometime hidden underneath layers of emotions. thanks for putting them out there so they may be remembered.
    “Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.” Shakespeare

  • Ginette
    June 8th, 2012 at 10:54 am

    I am so thankful that I found this website. I look forward to the emails daily. So many wonderful posts that resonate with me. Thank you!!

  • JennyD
    June 8th, 2012 at 11:23 am

    Awesome list of quotes. They all hit home in one way or another <3

  • Tracy
    June 8th, 2012 at 11:32 am

    Awesome!! Thank you! These come to me right when I (or someone I love!) need them the most!

  • Madria
    June 8th, 2012 at 11:41 am

    Thank you for this. I need to make some changes, and this list provides the right motivation.

  • Lace
    June 8th, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Most interesting, Thank you (40, 43) . On my continued path to personal growth, I’ve felt that in order for me to move forward I first needed to truly accept and love who I am as a person.
    ~Namaste :)

  • V
    June 8th, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    I loved this one:
    Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, etc…

    Really made me think.

  • Violet
    June 8th, 2012 at 1:13 pm

    Such inspiring quotes Thank you for making my evening good.

  • Sathish
    June 8th, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    Awesome as always…….

  • Jo Lynn
    June 8th, 2012 at 1:41 pm

    I recommend reading them all because you will find several that appeal to you and apply to your life in some way. For me, 46 made me laugh out loud, 53 is difficult to do but worth it in the long run, and the last one is really, really hard to do.

    Thank you for all you do!

  • Kimbundance
    June 8th, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    Wonderful and inspiring tips for life. I enjoyed all of them!

  • Allison
    June 8th, 2012 at 1:59 pm

    Thanks again for inspiring wonderful quotes. I have learned that I have a deep seated fear of failure… currently am raging against and trying to learn to walk through it. However, utter sheer uncomfortable-ness of it makes me run any direction but in the possiblity of failing.. so #53 hits me entirely too hard. It is a process towards needed growth that get me out of my year long rut.

  • Jo-Anne
    June 8th, 2012 at 6:56 pm

    As I read down this list I kept thinking of my sister Sue, as in I should tell her that over and over again. Thanks for the inspiring reminders.

  • Sandy
    June 8th, 2012 at 9:12 pm

    It’s good to be reminded of the things that you already know and to open up to knowing more! My partner turned me on to your site today and I’m hooked. I will pass it on to others I meet through my work. Namaste!

  • Rhea
    June 9th, 2012 at 1:25 am

    thank you guys for making my day special.
    sitting and reading your posts is always inspiring and plays a good part in changing our point of view.
    bless you.

  • Ali Davies
    June 9th, 2012 at 2:05 am

    What a great list. One of the sayings I like to live by jumped to my mind as I read your list, so I thought I would share it with you as you might like it:

    You can’t always choose what happens to you, but you can always choose how you respond.

  • Marc
    June 9th, 2012 at 4:45 am

    Thanks for all the inspiring comments! And to those of you who shared one of your own favorite quotes, thank you. We’d love to see some more.

  • Teresa
    June 10th, 2012 at 12:41 am

    I truly enjoy your blog and I loved this post. Thank you guys for being so inspiring. Sometimes I just need a reminder of what matters most in my life, and no one does it better than you guys. Thank you!

  • Jeff
    June 10th, 2012 at 1:38 am

    #11 I like this quote very much, though I would exchange the word “react” with respond. Zig Ziegler explains the difference as such ” when a doctor tells you you are reacting to the medicine that’s bad, when he tells you you are responding to the medicine that’s good. So I try my best to respond not react.

  • lexy
    June 10th, 2012 at 4:48 am

    Oh my gosh I love this list!! It’s like my life principles! Love it!!

  • Alejandro Zubayd
    June 10th, 2012 at 8:24 am

    These fabulous quotes and life lessons are a big step to change the current path which I’m in now

    Thank you so much… you inspired me this morning.

  • Jerachine
    June 10th, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    Thank you it takes so many efforts to change our way of thinking and I need to reread your posts sometimes cause practice makes perfect. Thank you

  • Josh
    June 10th, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    The best post you have ever made and you do so many good ones :)

    loved it and agree with it all :)

  • Yaphii
    June 10th, 2012 at 3:06 pm

    Every point in this post was just what i needed. Thanks for the help.

  • Shane
    June 11th, 2012 at 12:02 am

    Why did it take so long to come across this site? I love it! Keep up the good work guys :) !!!!

  • El
    June 11th, 2012 at 4:26 am

    Wow! What a superb article! The biggest truth that I needed to be reminded of:
    7.If a person wants to be a part of your life, they will make an obvious effort to do so. Think twice before reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.

  • dave
    June 13th, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    Just be yourself. Everyone else is taken.
    …dave

  • Bowdy Ragas
    June 15th, 2012 at 3:20 am

    You’re posts are truly rich blessings to the blogsphere! Keep it up!

  • Mercedes
    July 1st, 2012 at 7:02 am

    Thanks for this, and thanks for the dedication and love you give out. It really helps to know that you can explain things so simply and yet so beautifully. I’m so thankful for everything I read here!!!!!

  • Geraldine
    July 3rd, 2012 at 8:54 am

    Mind detox - thanks keep it up:-)

  • timothy celestin
    July 5th, 2012 at 1:58 am

    i love those quotes

  • Terry
    July 6th, 2012 at 3:36 am

    Awesome words of encouragement. Read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Great read. Everyone shoud get this one

  • C.Wright.Thru.
    July 13th, 2012 at 2:21 am

    Beautiful quotes! Infinite and Eternal Divine Blessings to all, always!

  • Jordan
    July 27th, 2012 at 9:19 pm

    Absolutely wonderful quotes.

    If everyone in the world took just a minute to truly understand what each of them mean, life would simply fall into place for all of us.

    I used to think these kind of quotes were for people who didn’t know how to live; now I realise they’re for people who’ve identified a better way to live. It just so happens the doors to heaven are noticed more by those accustomed to hell. And I’m not even religious.

    They should teach this stuff in schools. Seriously.

    Peace to all of you.

  • constantine Fanaritis
    September 8th, 2012 at 7:46 pm

    “Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right.” This is one of my favorites. But I like them all. Wisdom is rare to find these days.

  • Chris Betten
    September 17th, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    WOW. All 60 of these quotes resonates with me! My favorite has to be: No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Another reminder that life is precious and meant to be enjoyed. Thank you for the inspiration

  • justine R.
    October 4th, 2012 at 5:31 am

    Loved the quotes. They really make me think.

  • Adria
    October 8th, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    Jewels.. Distilled wisdom.. I put them on my Facebook… Thank you so much…

  • Ross W. Pendergraft
    October 11th, 2012 at 10:23 am

    Love your website. Here’s my quote:
    “Relationships are not a commodity, they are a gift to be savored.”

  • Sixpence
    October 13th, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    Love this blog! Thank you!!!

  • innawake
    October 18th, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    My heart feels light and happy when i read this article. These quotes make me think, and motivate me to make changes. Thank you for putting this piece together.

  • Raj
    October 27th, 2012 at 1:44 am

    Brilliant! This helped me clear a few negative thoughts out of my head.

  • Miriam
    October 27th, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    Wonderful stuff

  • Yoni
    November 10th, 2012 at 6:47 pm

    Great list! Lots of valid points =)

  • yeyet
    November 25th, 2012 at 1:24 am

    thank you for sharing the quotes , they are really inspiring ;)

  • Craig Daniels
    November 27th, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    I love lists that are immediately useful and quotes are at the top of my way to start the day. Thanks for the great list.

  • Andrej
    December 16th, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    Thanks for sharing this article… made me change my thinking. Really helped :)

  • Jiten
    December 23rd, 2012 at 5:04 pm

    Everything is in the thinking?

  • Noel
    December 23rd, 2012 at 7:46 pm

    Born.. Live.. Die..
    Life’s one story, no matter how short or long we cannot rewrite. We are what we are, the authors.

  • Donna
    January 9th, 2013 at 10:34 pm

    Thanks, I only hope that I can live by some of these quotes.

  • sarah
    January 14th, 2013 at 6:30 am

    This list is amazing. I am saving it so I can refer back to it when times get rough.

  • Matsi
    January 15th, 2013 at 4:11 am

    Reading #4 has truly helped me solve a severe crisis I was having. Now I can solve #60; I can change how I see something looking from outside-in. I sincerely feel more at peace with myself and profoundly more secure with my identity. I shall now take #52 to heart now that I realized I was underwater.

    Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

  • David
    January 22nd, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    Thanks for sharing - these quotes are a great reminder to keep a good attitude and a clear perspective. Change is part of life and these will help make the process less painful.

  • D. L.
    January 23rd, 2013 at 5:00 pm

    I truly live by #27, and have grown to know the importance of #42. LIFE IS GOOD.

  • Toyyiebah
    February 8th, 2013 at 3:55 pm

    I had a wonderful conversation with my dad concerning whether he agrees with this or not… and it was all positive. Great points!

  • JAMES
    February 12th, 2013 at 1:37 am

    I grateful for these inspiring tips. Thanks.

  • Nthabi
    February 28th, 2013 at 3:18 am

    Thank you for all the wonderful words of encouragement. I was at a brink of breaking but now I know better.

    I’m now looking forward to a better relationship and better life.

    Thanks again

  • hello
    March 8th, 2013 at 4:44 pm

    Thank you for the words of wisdom. Cheers!

  • Saransh
    March 17th, 2013 at 4:59 am

    beautiful quotes. Loved it. Small things written that have so much meaning. :)

  • oumissa
    March 20th, 2013 at 6:26 pm

    I’ve always loved quotes and these 60 are among the most inspiring I’ve ever read. Keep up the good work with what you share here.

  • aniA
    March 21st, 2013 at 8:00 am

    These are inspiring quotes about change. I especially loved: “In your quiet moments, pay attention to your thoughts. Because maybe, just maybe, the only thing that needs to shift in order for you to experience more happiness, more love, and more vitality, is your way of thinking.” - I put that on an image and posted it as my cover photo in FB. :0)

  • Minh Tran
    March 25th, 2013 at 12:36 am

    Wow these quotes are really nice and help change my thinking in a positive way, thank you. It is helpful to read other people’s philosophies and inspirations.

  • Saturn
    April 5th, 2013 at 5:00 pm

    Some of these quotes really do change the way I think, thanks so much for this wisdom.

  • sivaprasad.k
    April 8th, 2013 at 1:40 am

    I think simply reading these quotations helped me change my life a little. Thanks!

  • Rocky
    April 9th, 2013 at 2:59 am

    I always look upon quotes, whenever I feel low. Such things help keep my concise very clear. Thanks for posting all the quotes together.

    Fav: If you tell the truth, it becomes a part of your past. If you lie, it becomes a part of your future.

    As I’ve experienced both :-)

  • Apple Bridges
    April 17th, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    Words can have an amazing effect on our quality of life. Thanks for this thoughtful compilation!

  • manoj
    April 19th, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    Thank you for these amazing quotes and inspiring sayings.

  • shazana
    May 13th, 2013 at 5:54 am

    I love all my friends, but when i read #15 it reminded me about my best friend and how I miss her lot. Thank you for posting such beautiful quotes.

  • Piyush
    May 22nd, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    These quotes and saying are the outcome of the combination of mind and heart… hats off!

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