41 Inspiring Happiness Quotes to Brighten Your Day
Updated: Mar. 30, 2023
Happiness is a practice, not just a feeling
Start your day with a smile
The secret to happiness is one of the most elusive questions of all time. Everybody wants to know how to be happy, but the truth is that life will always have up and downs, and nobody can be happy all the time. The true secret is finding things to appreciate in everyday life. You can always make small changes to be happier at home, or work to spread joy and kindness to others.
But sometimes when life has you down, it takes the wisdom of inspirational quotes to pick you back up again. From smile quotes to gratitude quotes, a well-timed reminder of the good things in life can be all you need. Ahead, we’ve rounded up our favorite happiness quotes that always help us approach the day with a smile.
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” —The Dalai Lama
These kindness quotes can inspire you to be more compassionate in everyday life.
“I think happiness is overrated. Satisfied, at peace—those would be more realistic goals.” —Brad Pitt, actor
Though we can’t always be happy, it’s easy to work small moments of joy into everyday life.
“I’ve always thought people would find a lot more pleasure in their routines if they burst into song at significant moments.” —John Barrowman, actor
He might agree that karaoke is the secret to happiness!
“People say that money isn’t the key to happiness, but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made.” —Joan Rivers, comedian
For more laughter in your day, check out some of the funniest quotes we know of.
“I think self-knowledge is a key to happiness. We can build happy lives only on the foundation of our own natures, our own values and our own interests.” —Gretchen Rubin, author
These quotes about being yourself are a great first step to being truly happy in your own skin.
“Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications are not your life.” —J.K. Rowling, novelist
J.K. Rowling is a Leo; find out her (and your!) inspirational quote by zodiac sign!
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and you will be happy.” —Stephen Fry, actor and writer
These are some great ways to practice gratitude so you can be thankful for all you have.
“Children are happy because they don’t have a file in their minds called ‘All the things that could go wrong.'” —Marianne Williamson, spiritual teacher
These other kids quotes will give you hope for the next generation.
“I’ve got nothing to do today but smile.” —Paul Simon, musician
If you need a little help cracking a smile, these short jokes might do the trick.
“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.” —The Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama’s wise words are a good way to get perspective on life and practice everyday happiness.
“Happiness is like a cloud—if you stare at it long enough, it evaporates.” —Sarah McLachlan, musician
“I often surprise myself by saying, ‘Wow, this is it. I guess I’m happy. I got a home I love. A career that I love. I’m even feeling more and more at peace with myself.’ If there’s something else to happiness, let me know. I’m ambitious for that too.” —Harrison Ford, actor
“Be happy in your body. It’s the only one you’ve got, so you might as well like it.” —Keira Knightley, actress
We love reading these body positivity quotes to help practice self-love.
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” —Steven Kloves, screenwriter
“The good news is that going blind is not going to make you as unhappy as you think it will. The bad news is that winning the lottery will not make you as happy as you expect.” —Daniel Gilbert, social psychologist
“In order to have great happiness, you have to have great pain and unhappiness—otherwise, how would you know when you’re happy?” —Leslie Caron, actress and dancer
No one can be happy all the time, and that’s OK. These broken heart quotes are there for you when you can’t smile.
“Don’t you think it’s better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?” —Audrey Niffenegger, writer
“Maybe happiness didn’t have to be about the big sweeping circumstances, about having everything in your life in place. Maybe it was about stringing together a bunch of small pleasures.” —Ann Brashares, author
“Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.” —Joanne Harris, author
These strength quotes will help you hold on through all the bittersweetness.
“A mathematical formula for happiness: reality divided by expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations.” —Jodi Picoult, author
“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” —Steve Maraboli, speaker and author
“You can’t be really happy unless you’re unhappy sometimes.” —Lauren Oliver, author
These other wise quotes have more great advice for a balanced life.
“A solved problem creates two new problems, and the best prescription for happy living is not to solve any more problems.” —Russell Baker, humorist
“If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem.” —Richard Bach, author
These time quotes will remind you that life is too short to put others in charge of your happiness.
“Every day is a new day, and you’ll never be able to find happiness if you don’t move on.” —Carrie Underwood, singer
“If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you.” —Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher
“You cannot judge what should bring others joy, and others cannot judge what should bring you joy.” —Alan Cohen, author
For some, that may be cute puppies, but others might think plants are the new pets. Whatever your joy, let these quotes about happiness remind you to chase it!
“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” —Albert Camus, author
Reframing your thoughts can change your life; these happy quotes are just the first step!
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” —Marcel Proust, author
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, author
If you love literature, see how many of these book quotes you recognize.
“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
The lovable bear always has some of the best happy quotes for the day ahead.
“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” —Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
“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
These karma quotes show the importance of using your life to spread kindness.
