183 Uplifting Quotes To Choose Happiness And Joy In Life

As humans, we all want to be happy, but sometimes life can throw us curve balls that make it difficult to maintain a positive attitude. However, a simple reminder to yourself will be a good option to keep your positivity intact. You can choose happiness quotes to kick-start your day.

When faced with challenging situations, it's easy to become overwhelmed and let negativity take over.

That's why it's important to have tools and resources to help us choose happiness even in difficult times. One of those tools is inspirational quotes.

Inspirational quotes have the power to uplift and motivate us when we need it most.

They can help us to shift our perspective, remind us of our inner strength, and inspire us to take action towards our goals.

When it comes to choosing happiness, there are countless quotes that can help us to stay focused on the positive aspects of our lives and cultivate a more joyful outlook.

Whether you're feeling stuck in a rut, dealing with a difficult situation, or simply want to focus more on the positive aspects of your life, quotes about choosing happiness can be a powerful tool. By reading and reflecting on these quotes, you can remind yourself of the importance of cultivating a positive mindset and choosing happiness even when it's difficult.

In this article, I will share some of my favorite quotes about choosing happiness and explore the ways in which they can help us to cultivate a more positive mindset.

From famous authors and philosophers to modern-day influencers, these quotes offer wisdom and inspiration that can help us to stay focused on what really matters and cultivate a sense of joy in our lives.

Whether you choose to write them down, repeat them to yourself, or simply reflect on their meaning, incorporating quotes about choosing happiness into your daily routine can be a powerful tool for personal growth and happiness.

So let's explore some of the most inspiring quotes about choosing happiness and see how they can help us to create a more joyful and fulfilling life.

Happiness Quotes To Lift Mood

1. “So we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?” ― Hunter S. Thompson
2. “Happiness is holding someone in your arms and knowing you hold the whole world.” ― Orhan Pamuk
3. “The happiness of life is made up of the little charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment." — Samuel Taylor Coleridge
4. “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
5. “I'm choosing happiness over suffering, I know I am. I'm making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert
6. “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien
7. “Happiness is a warm puppy.” ― Charles M. Schulz
8. “Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
9. “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” ― John Lennon
10. “The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.” — Louisa May Alcott
11. “Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” ― Guillaume Apollinaire
12. “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
13. "Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity." — Carl Jung
14. “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
15. "True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." — Helen Keller
16. “There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will. ” ― Epictetus
17. "If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes." — Andrew Carnegie
18. “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” — Oscar Wilde
19. “Happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them.” ― Steve Maraboli
20. “Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” — Winnie the Pooh
21. “I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.” — Groucho Marx
22. “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” ― Oprah Winfrey
23. “Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything - anger, anxiety, or possessions - we cannot be free.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
24. "When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us." — Helen Keller
25. “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust
26. “There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.” ― Stephen Chbosky
27. "Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling." — Margaret Lee Runbeck
28. “If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.” — Edith Wharton
29. “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." — Buddha
30. "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." — Dale Carnegie
31. “The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.” — James Oppenheim
32. “To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness.” — Mary Stuart
33. “All happiness depends on courage and work.” ― Honoré de Balzac
34. “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” — Aristotle
35. "We all get report cards in many different ways, but the real excitement of what you're doing is in the doing of it. It's not what you're gonna get in the end—it's not the final curtain—it's really in the doing it, and loving what you're doing." — Ralph Lauren
36. “It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.” — Lucille Ball
37. “Happiness is a risk. If you’re not a little scared, then you’re not doing it right.” ― Sarah Addison Allen
38. “Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.” — Albert Schweitzer
39. “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.” ― Martha Washington
40. “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” — Mahatma Gandhi
41. “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.” ― Audrey Hepburn
42. “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
43. “The first recipe for happiness is: avoid too lengthy meditation on the past.” — Andre Maurois
44. “If you want happiness for an hour—take a nap. If you want happiness for a day—go fishing. If you want happiness for a year—inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime—help someone else.” — Chinese Proverb
45. “There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures, and feeling that your presence is an addition to their comfort.” ― Charlotte Brontë
46. “Whoever is happy will make others happy.” ― Anne Frank
47. “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” — Mother Teresa
48. "Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are." — Chinese Proverb
49. "Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting." — Bernard Meltzer
50. “Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind.” ― Daphne du Maurier
51. “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” ― Marcus Aurelius
52. “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. ” ― William James

Insightful Quotes To Choose Happiness

53. "You are in charge of how you react to the people and events in your life. You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead." — Anais Nin
54. "Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day." — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
55. "Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are." — Marianne Williamson
56. "Happiness is a journey, not a destination." — Ben Sweetland
57. "When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." — Alexander Graham Bell
58. "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." — Abraham Lincoln
59. "Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won't have to hunt for happiness." — William E. Gladstone
60. "Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness." — Christian Dior
61. "The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." — Mark Twain
62. "Keep choosing happiness daily and happiness will keep choosing you back." — Fawn Weaver
63. "It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes us happy." — Charles Spurgeon
64. "Happiness is not a goal…it's a by-product of a life well lived." — Eleanor Roosevelt
65. "There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will." — Epictetus
66. "Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and celebrating it for everything that it is." — Mandy Hal
67. "Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy marshmallows which are kinda the same thing."
68. "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." — Albert Zweiter

Choose Happiness Quotes For Happy Life

69. "It’s not that life has been easy, perfect, or exactly as expected. I just choose to be happy and grateful no matter how it turns out. Suppose people are good only because they fear punishment and hope for reward. In that case, we are a sorry lot indeed." — Albert Einstein
70. "Don’t stay in a bad situation, whether a relationship or a job, out of fear of failure. It’s not a failure to walk away and choose to be happy. It takes a lot of courage." — Danielle Trussoni
71. "Your mind is just like your body. It’s a muscle you can train and get better at." — Rose Namajunas
72. "If you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal." — Norman Vincent Peale
73. "Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life." — Joel Osteen
74. "Be so happy that when others look at you, they become happy too." — Harbhajan Singh Yogi
75. "Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside yourself to make you happy in the future." — Earl Nightingale
76. "Happiness is always there. You just have to choose to see it. There’s no point dwelling in the dark and ignoring the light of the stars." — Carrie Hope Fletcher
77. "Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today." — James Dean
78. "Trust your instincts, go inside, and follow your heart right from the start. Go ahead and stand up for what you believe in. As I’ve learned, that’s the path to happiness." — Lesley Ann Warren
79. "What we choose to focus on and what we choose to ignore—plays in defining the quality of our life." — Cal Newport
80. "The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives." — Russell M. Nelson
81. "Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best." — Theodore Isaac Rubin
82. "Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present." — Jim Rohn
83. "If you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal." — Norman Vincent Peale
84. "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the candle’s life will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." — Buddha
85. "Today, I choose life. Every morning when I wake up, I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain… To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices—today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it." — Kevyn Aucoin
86. "Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life." — Joel Osteen

Unusual Life Quotes While Choosing Happiness

87. "I am choosing happiness over suffering. I'm making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises." — Elizabeth Gilbert
88. "Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy." — Ralph Marston
89. "No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." — Mary Shelley
90. "Today, you can choose to be in good mood, or a bad mood. Give yourself permission to be happy every day." — Joel Osteen
91. "You can be smart and happy or stupid and miserable. . . it's your choice." — Gordon B. Hinckley
92. "Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be." — Michelle Yeoh
93. "Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you." — Ralph Marston
94. "A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him." — Alexandr Solzhenitsyn
95. "Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them." — Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
96. " comes when we choose to be who we are, to be ourselves, at this present moment in our lives." — Jean Vanier
97. "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle. Happiness never decreases by being shared." — Gautama Buddha
98. "I'm trying to broaden the scope of positive psychology well beyond the smiley face. Happiness is just one-fifth of what human beings choose to do." — Martin Seligman
99. "Life is going by. Don't waste a minute being negative, offended, or bitter. Choose to be happy." — Joel Osteen
100. "You have two choices: You can make a living, or you can design a life." — Jim Rohn
101. "A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him." — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
102. "I never understood the point of being sad when I could choose to be happy" — Megan McCafferty

Happiness Quotes To Brighten Your Day

103. “Simplicity makes me happy.” — Alicia Keys
104. “Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” — Anne Frank
105. “The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy. It’s all that matters.” — Audrey Hepburn
106. “Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
107. “Never regret anything that made you smile.” — Mark Twain
108. “Today I will focus on stressing less and feeling blessed.” — Unknown
109. “Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness.” — Christian Dior
110. “Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things.” — Walt Disney
111. “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” — Mahatma Gandhi
112. “If you want to be happy, be.” — Leo Tolstoy
113. “Independence is happiness.” — Susan B. Anthony
114. “Always keep your chin up, otherwise you’re just staring at your boobs all day.” — Unknown
115. “Happiness is the best makeup.” — Drew Barrymore
116. “Happiness isn’t a goal… it’s a by-product of a life well lived.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
117. “True happiness is found inside the heart.” — Anurag Prakash Ray
118. “Happiness comes in waves. It’ll always come back.” — Unknown
119. “You don’t stop laughing because you grow older. You grow older because you stop laughing.” — Maurice Chevalier
120. “Life is too short to spend it at war with yourself.” — Unknown
121. “The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are.” — Goldie Hawn
122. “There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path.” — Buddha
123. “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.” — Walt Disney
124. “True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self, and in the next, from the friendship and conversation of a few select companions.” — Joseph Addison
125. “Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” — Denis Waitley
126. “Life is better when you cry a little, laugh a lot, and are thankful for everything you’ve got.” — Unknown
127. “Life is better when you’re laughing.” — Unknown
128. “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” — E.E. Cummings
129. “Never let anyone treat you like you’re regular glue. You’re glitter glue.” — Unknown
130. “Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.” — Mallory Hopkins
131. “And finally, in all of living have much of fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” — Gordon B. Hinchley
132. “True happiness… is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” — Helen Keller
133. “Laughter is the sound of the soul dancing.” — Jarod Kintz
134. “It’s okay if you don’t like me. Not everyone has good taste.” — Unknown
135. “Whenever I have a problem, I sing. Then I realize that my voice is worse than my problem.” — Unknown
136. “Breathe in the good shit, breathe out the bullshit.” — Karen Salmansohn
137. “The older you get the better you get… unless you’re a banana.” — Betty White
138. “My dream job would be the Karma Delivery Service.” — Bill Murray
139. “Laughter is an instant vacation.” — Milton Berle
140. “Laughter is the best medicine. But if you’re laughing without any reason, you need medicine.” — Unknown
141. “Trouble knocked at the door, but hearing laughter, hurried away.” — Benjamin Franklin
142. “Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadow will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman
143. “Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for it is counterfeit.” — Hosea Ballou
144. “There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.” — George Sand
145. “Some people call me crazy. I prefer the term happy with a twist.” — Unknown
146. “They say money doesn’t bring happiness, but everyone still goes out there to see it for themselves.” — Unknown

Short & Cute Happiness Quotes

147. “Being happy never goes out of style.” — Lilly Pulitzer
148. “Happiness is an inside job.” — Unknown
149. “When you focus on the good, the good gets better.” — Abraham Hicks
150. “Bad vibes don’t go with my outfit.” — Unknown
151. “In a world full of hate, be love.” — Unknown
152. “It’s not how much we have but how much we enjoy that makes happiness.” — Charles Spurgeon
153. “Exist to be happy, not to impress.” — Unknown
154. “See the good” — Unknown
155. “We grow through what we go through.” — Tyrese Gibson
156. “It’s better to be annoyingly positive and optimistic than destructively negative and hateful.” — Unknown
157. “No rain, no flowers.” — Unknown
158. “She wore a smile like a loaded gun.” — Atticus
159. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” — Dr. Seuss
160. “Some days you just have to create your own sunshine.” — Sam Sundquist
161. “Be somebody who makes everyone feel like a somebody.” — Courtney Shields
162. “I just want to spend the rest of my life laughing.” — Unknown
163. “A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.” — Coco Chanel
164. “When it rains look for rainbows, when it’s dark look for stars.” — Unknown
165. “Trust the next chapter because you are the author.” — Unknown

Happiness & Smiling Quotes

166. “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.” — Robert Morley
167. “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
168. “Don’t be sad because sad backwards is das and das not good.” — Unknown
169. “I have witnessed the softening of the hardest of hearts by a simple smile.” — Goldie Hawn
170. “Peace begins with a smile.” — Mother Teresa
171. “If you ever have to decide between winning a fight or being happy, choose happiness. Being happy automatically makes you a winner.” — Karen Salmansohn
172. “Never feel guilty for doing what’s best for you.” — Dushant Isankar
173. “So many people love you. Don’t focus on the people that don’t.” — Soyen
174. “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” — Mother Teresa
175. “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” — Phyllis Diller
176. “Forgive yourself for not having the foresight to know what seems so obvious in hindsight.” — Judy Belmont
177. “A simple smile. That’s the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.” — Dalai Lama
178. ”The best revenge is to have enough self worth not to seek it.” — Courtney Jarvis
179. “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama
180. “If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.” — Dolly Parton
181. “Smile at strangers and you just might change a life.” — Masashi Kishimoto
182. “She was trouble, chaos really, but her smile, her smile dared me to fall in love with her.” — Atticus
183. “The key to being happy is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go.” — Dodinsky

How Can Reading Quotes About Choosing Happiness Be Beneficial?

Reading quotes about choosing happiness can be incredibly beneficial for several reasons.

Firstly, these quotes can serve as a reminder to focus on the positive aspects of life and to choose happiness even in difficult times.

When we read inspiring quotes, we are reminded that happiness is a choice, and that even when life is challenging, we can choose to look for the good in every situation.

In addition, reading quotes about choosing happiness can be a great way to shift our perspective and gain a new outlook on life.

When we feel stuck in negative thought patterns, it can be difficult to see a way out.

But by reading quotes that encourage us to focus on the positive, we can gain a new perspective and start to see things in a more optimistic light.

Quotes about choosing happiness can also be a source of inspiration and motivation.

When we read about people who have overcome adversity and chosen to live a joyful and fulfilling life, we are reminded of our own inner strength and resilience.

This can be incredibly motivating, and can inspire us to take action towards our own goals and dreams.

Finally, reading quotes about choosing happiness can be a form of self-care.

When we take the time to read inspiring words and reflect on their meaning, we are nourishing our minds and souls.

This can be a powerful form of self-care, and can help us to feel more grounded, centered, and at peace with ourselves and the world around us.

Next Steps

Implementing quotes about choosing happiness into daily life can be a great way to cultivate a more positive mindset and live a happier, more fulfilling life.

Here are a few ways to incorporate these quotes into your daily routine:

1. Make A Habit Of Reading A Quote Every Day: Choose a quote that inspires you and make it a habit to read it every day. You can write it down and keep it in a place where you'll see it often, such as on your desk or on your phone's lock screen.
2. Use Quotes As Affirmations: Turn quotes about choosing happiness into affirmations by repeating them to yourself throughout the day. For example, you could repeat a quote like "Happiness is a choice" whenever you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
3. Share Quotes With Others: Share inspiring quotes with friends and family members who may be going through a difficult time. You could send them a quote via text or email, or even write it in a card or letter.
4. Create A Gratitude Journal With Quotes: Start a gratitude journal and write down things you're grateful for each day, along with a quote about choosing happiness. This can be a great way to reflect on the positive aspects of your life and stay motivated to choose happiness.
5. Use Quotes To Set intentions: Choose a quote about choosing happiness that resonates with you and use it as a guide for setting intentions and goals. For example, you could set an intention to focus on the positive aspects of your life each day, inspired by a quote like "Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Reading Quotes About Choosing Happiness Really Make A Difference In My Life?

Absolutely! Reading inspiring quotes about choosing happiness can help shift your mindset and motivate you to make positive changes in your life.

By reminding yourself of the power of choosing happiness, you can cultivate a more positive outlook and start taking steps towards living a happier, more fulfilling life.

Where Can I Find Quotes About Choosing Happiness?

There are many resources online where you can find inspiring quotes about choosing happiness.

You can search for quotes on social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, or check out websites dedicated to inspirational quotes.

You can also find books and journals filled with uplifting quotes at your local bookstore or online.

How Do I Know Which Quotes About Choosing Happiness Will Resonate With Me?

Choosing the right quotes about choosing happiness is a personal decision that depends on your unique needs and preferences.

Take some time to reflect on what aspects of happiness are most important to you, and look for quotes that speak to those values.

You may also want to try out a few different quotes and see which ones resonate with you the most over time. Remember, the key is to find quotes that inspire you and motivate you to make positive changes in your life.