Bad Day? These 20 Optimistic Quotes Will Turn it Around

Life isn’t always sunshine and daisies, whether it’s a result of a bad day at work, tense relationships, or family drama. Sometimes the pessimism and negative self-talk really takes its toll, no matter how hard you try and keep a positive attitude. And that's completely normal. You can't have a positive outlook all the time, even with the help of that inspirational quote hanging on the wall of your apartment. That's not how life works. Everybody is entitled to a few bad days here and there, but that doesn’t mean you should let them keep you down for good.

Here are 40 optimistic quotes to help brighten your day — even if it’s just for a fleeting moment.

1. “One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” —Lucille Ball

3. “While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.” —Benjamin Franklin

4. “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” —Helen Keller

5. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” ―Winston Churchill

7. “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” —Elie Wiesel

8. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” —Maya Angelou

9. “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” —J.K. Rowling

10. “Developing a cheerful disposition can permit an atmosphere wherein one's spirit can be nurtured and encouraged to blossom and bear fruit. Being pessimistic and negative about our experiences will not enhance the quality of our lives.” —Barbara W. Winder

12. “Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” —Golda Meir

13. “You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” —Shonda Rhimes

14. “Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.” —Oprah Winfrey

15. “All careers go up and down like friendships, like marriages, like anything else, and you can’t bat a thousand all the time.” —Julie Andrews

17. “We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” —J.K. Rowling

18. “Cherish forever what makes you unique, cuz you’re really a yawn if it goes.” —Bette Midler

19. “Whenever you are blue or lonely or stricken by some humiliating thing you did, the cure and the hope is in caring about other people.” —Diane Sawyer

20. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” —Albert Einstein

22. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” ―John Wooden

23. “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” ―Martin Luther

24. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” —Oscar Wilde

25. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” ―John Wooden

27. “Optimism is a kind of heart stimulant―the digitalis of failure." ―Elbert Hubbard

28. "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

29. "Everything will fall into place, just be patient."—Unknown

30. "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" —L. M. Montgomery

32. "Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success." —Swami Sivananda

33. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” ―Audrey Hepburn

34. "Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky." —Rabindranath Tagore

35. "An optimist is the human personification of spring." —Susan J. Bissonette

37. "Never regret a day in your life: good days give happiness, bad days give experience, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories." —Unknown

38. "To find optimism, look for the good things in life." —Catherine Pulsifer

39. "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

40. "I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship." —Louisa May Alcott