If you think it’s going to rain, it will.
—Clint Eastwood (b.1930) American Film Director, Film Producer, Film Actor
The man who is a pessimist before 48 knows too much; if he is an optimist after it, he knows too little.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Be an optimist—at least until they start moving animals in pairs to Cape Canaveral.
—Unknown
So always look for the silver lining
And try to find the sunny side of life.
—P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975) British Novelist, Short-story Writer, Playwright
When fortune empties her chamber pot on your head, smile and say We are going to have a summer shower.
—John A. Macdonald (1815–91) Prime Minister of Canada
Great things are not something accidental, but must certainly be willed.
—Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) Dutch Painter
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Of course all life is a process of breaking down, but the blows that do the dramatic side of the work – the big sudden blows that come, or seem to come, from outside – the ones you remember and blame things on and, in moments of weakness, tell your friends about, don’t show their effect all at once. There is another sort of blow that comes from within – that you don’t feel until it’s too late to do anything about it, until you realize with finality that in some regard you will never be as good a man again. The first sort of breakage seems to happen quick – the second kind happens almost without your knowing it but is realized suddenly indeed. Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation – the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American Novelist
Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is the one thing that insures the successful outcome of our venture.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Optimism is a kind of heart stimulant—the digitalis of failure.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
He who has not faith in others shall find no faith in them.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself.
—Felix Adler (1851–1933) German-Born American Philosopher
We think in generalities, but we live in detail.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
What you think means more than anything else in your life.
—George Matthew Adams (1878–1962) American Columnist, Journalist
They can because they think they can Virgil As a man thinketh so is he and as a man chooseth so is he.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
I’ve never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation.
—Mike Todd (1907–58) American Theater Personality, Film Producer
It’s better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right
—Indian Proverb
One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. No man has learned anything rightly, until he knows that every day is Doomsday.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts, therefore guard accordingly, and take care, that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
The man who works need never be a problem to anyone. Opportunities multiply as they are seized; they die when neglected. Life is a long line of opportunities. Wealth is not in making money, but in making the man while he is making money. Production, not destruction, leads to success.
—John Wicker
Some people are so fond of ill-luck that they run half-way to meet it.
—Douglas William Jerrold (1803–57) English Writer, Dramatist, Wit
It’s still possible to be a cockeyed optimist these days – you just have to be a little more cockeyed.
—Robert Brault
An optimist is a person who sees only the lights in the picture, whereas a pessimist sees only the shadows. An idealist, however, is one who sees the light and the shadows, but in addition sees something else: the possibility of changing the picture, of making the lights prevail over the shadows.
—Felix Adler (1851–1933) German-Born American Philosopher
The point of living, and of being an optimist, is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come.
—Peter Ustinov (1921–2004) British Actor, Playwright, Director
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
The optimist thinks this is the best of all worlds. The pessimist fears it is true.
—J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904–67) American Nuclear Physicist
I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.
—Arthur Rubinstein (1888–1982) Polish-born American Pianist
Every man is free to rise as far as he’s able or willing but the degree to which he thinks determines the degree to which he’ll rise.
—Ayn Rand (1905–82) Russian-born American Novelist, Philosopher
‘Tis very certain the desire of life prolongs it.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
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