Quotes about happiness have a way of encouraging us to dream bigger and smile brighter. These “be happy” quotes remind us of life’s greatest joys and give us optimists something to believe in.
The Best “Be Happy” Quotes for Optimists
Whether you’re an optimist or you are looking to add more happiness to your life, these “be happy” quotes are for you. Keep the following be happy quotes in mind to make your days just a little brighter:
1. “Happiness isn’t a ready-made object. This feeling comes from one’s own actions.” — The Dalai Lama
Society likes to create the idea that happiness is some product or service that can be bought or sold.
While advertising companies the world over like to paint the picture that we’re all just one purchase away from being happy, this quote shows us the opposite.
Optimists know that they have the power to create their happiness. Rather than relying on outside sources, take control of your happiness.
2. “Everyone must realize that the path to happiness is finally being happy for yourself and by yourself.” –Ellen DeGeneres
We all have the power to create our own lives. Whatever your deepest dream may be, it’s yours if you want it.
This quote by Ellen DeGeneres is a present reminder that we all can choose to be happy. Don’t fall for the trap of letting others tell you who to be or what you should do. Live your life for yourself and find the happiness you deserve to have.
3. “Don’t set aside your own happiness. Don’t wait for the future to be happy. Choose to be happy now; now is the best time.” –Roy T. Bennett
Be happy quotes like this show us how important it is to be satisfied in the present day. Though we all like to dream of a bigger and better future, the reality is that you don’t have to wait for your most magnificent dreams to come true to be happy.
There’s no better time than the present to bring positivity to your life. Choosing to be optimistic about where you are now will help you pave the way for a future filled with happiness.
4. “Happiness is made up of small pleasures or conveniences that we experience each day, rather than great amounts of good fortune that occur seldom in the course of one’s life.” –Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin’s quote is another way of saying that finding happiness is no stroke of luck. If you hope to be happy with your life, choose to do so right now.
By seeing life’s little pleasures for the blessings they are, you’ll find that feeling happy isn’t quite that difficult.
5. “Each day is new; you’ll never feel happy if you can’t move on.” –Carrie Underwood
Life has its fair share of good and evil. Though it’s easy to focus on the bad aspects of our lives, quotes like this remind us to take stock in the positive.
Don’t discount the unfortunate events that have happened to you, but don’t obsess over them either. Happiness is on the other side of moving on.
6. “If one day you find happiness, others might be jealous. Choose to be happy anyway.” –Mother Teresa
This quote is Mother Theresa’s way of telling us to ignore the naysayers. Everyone will have an opinion of your life, especially if you’re living your truth and are happy doing so.
Do yourself a favor and tune out the detractors. Keep the negativity away and tune in to your happiness.
7. “A modest and calm life brings much more happiness than any pursuit of success fraught with constant restlessness.” –Albert Einstein
We all have goals we hope to reach. Though there’s nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself or your life, spending your days chasing “success” and wearing yourself thin isn’t healthy.
Albert Einstein’s quote explains that the key to happiness is finding a way to lead a calm and modest life. Continue to work hard to achieve your goals, but remember that they shouldn’t come at the cost of finding peace in your life.
8. “Happiness is dependent upon ourselves.” –Aristotle
Optimists can successfully cultivate a positive lifestyle because they know that they are responsible for their happiness. Though there are many things we cannot control in life, we get a say in whether or not we get to feel happy.
If you want to feel happy, don’t depend on anyone else but yourself.
9. “Happiness shouldn’t be the goal…it is a by-product of having a well-lived life.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
The happiest among us don’t live their lives chasing the goal of finding happiness. These optimists naturally achieve satisfaction as a result of the type of experience they have.
10. “Think of life’s beauty still around you and decide to be happy.” –Anne Frank
Any of us can pick and choose something we’d like to change about our lives. Many of us often get overwhelmed by the struggles we contend with in life.
Anne Frank’s quote reminds us to choose happiness, despite everything. Next time you find yourself overcome by life, remember to appreciate the beauty around you.
11. “Happiness is all in the mindset. Happiness happens as a result of how you see things.” –Walt Disney
The creator of the “happiest place on earth” Walt Disney knew the power of thinking positively. Walt Disney was a man committed to happiness. By adopting a positive mindset, Disney was able to be one of the happiest men on earth.
12. “It isn’t who you are, where you are, or what you have that will make you unhappy or happy. Happiness comes from your thoughts.” –Dale Carnegie
Never underestimate the power of your thinking. Dale Carnegie’s quote may seem simple, but it hits home.
What do you think about during the day? The happiest people make sure they leave room for positive thinking.
13. “Anyone that wants to be happy can’t dwell on the past or worry about their future; they must focus on living life fully right now.” –Roy T. Bennett
Living in the moment is more complicated than it sounds.
Though the past can be stressful and the future may seem uncertain, the only way to find happiness in life is to plug into the present-day truly.
14. “One cannot protect themselves from sadness without keeping themselves from happiness.” –Jonathan Safran Foer
Getting hurt isn’t fun. At times, the pain can seem so unbearable that it makes us want to close ourselves off from feeling anything ever again.
If you’ve ever felt this way, remember that while the pain can be overwhelming, it won’t last forever. The only way to be happy again is to open yourself up emotionally.
15. “Happiness and sanity are quite an impossible combination.” –Mark Twain
To be joyful, Mark Twain proposes that one can’t be completely sane. While you don’t have to embrace insanity to find your happiness, this quote points out that frequently, others will classify what makes us happy as “crazy”.
Throw caution to the wind and pursue what you like if it makes you happy.
16. “There isn’t anything else quite like the feeling after a hard laugh. Nothing so good like having a sore stomach for these reasons.” –Stephen Chbosky
Little things like laughing are enough to remind us of how it feels to be happy. Should you ever need a pick-me-up, find something that makes you laugh. Sooner than later, you’ll forget what it was that made you sad in the first place.
17. “We should be grateful to all people that make us happy; our loved ones are the gardeners that make our souls blossom.” –Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust’s poetic words compare our lives to gardens. Finding happiness in this life is all about finding the “gardeners” that will nurture our hearts and souls.
Whether it’s a friend, significant other, or family member, spending time cultivating relationships with your loved ones will bring you happiness.
18. “A person only needs three things to find happiness: something to hope for, something to do, and someone to love.” –Tom Bodett
For someone to love, look to yourself, for something to hope for, think about building a better future. For something to do, strive to live your dream every day.
19. “Medicine can’t cure what happiness cannot.” –Gabriel García Márquez
Many of us turn to medicine as a way to heal what ails us. Though this medication can ease the pain, it won’t fill our need for happiness.
Optimists know that the only cure for life’s most significant ailments is happiness.
20. “In happiness, one finds the secret to beauty. There can be no beauty where there isn’t happiness.” –Christian Dior
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but many of us fail to see the beauty in our everyday lives. Take time to recognize the beautiful aspects of your life, and you’ll find that happiness is nearby.
Final Thoughts on Be Happy Quotes for Optimists
Be happy quotes remind us to take stock in gratitude and to count it all joy. Whatever stage you currently are in life, remember that you have every reason to be happy.
Keep these positive quotes close to keep the happiness alive. Quite like a plant, the more you feed your pleasure, the more it grows.