“Positive thinking” sometimes gets a bad rap. Naysayers and cynics blow it off as pie-in-the-sky, head-in-the-clouds, unrealistic thinking.
Yet, when you study history’s top achievers in sports (and business), you find again and again that they are committed to positive thinking. There’s only one reason for that commitment: they’ve discovered that it works.
In fact, researchers have found that positive thinkers live longer, live healthier, have more energy, have more successful careers, make better decisions, are more productive, are less stressed, have healthier relationships, and (not surprisingly) are much happier than pessimists.
I have found that many of those who are skeptical about the power of positive thinking often misunderstand what positive thinking actually is.
It’s important to recognize that positive thinking is NOT the idea that you’ll never encounter any obstacles as long as you stay positive. Instead, positive thinking is all about how you respond to the obstacles you will most certainly encounter.
It’s whether you respond to adversity positively or negatively that makes the difference in life.
Here are 20 of my favorite motivational quotes about the power of positive thinking. Each one of them comes from one of the sports world’s top achievers. These quotes encapsulate what it means to be a positive thinker, why positive thinking is so important, and what positive thinking can do for you.
1- “Things have a way of working themselves out if we just remain positive.” – Lou Holtz
I have this quote on the wall just above my desk so that I see it often throughout the day. It’s a constant reminder of one of life’s most important truths.
2- “I don’t think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it.” – Mike Ditka
Nobody would ever confuse old-school, hard-nosed Mike Ditka with being a head-in-the-clouds, Pollyanna type of coach. Yet, Iron Mike recognized just how powerful the mind is in determining results. When it came to setting goals, he aimed high and refused to let others determine what was realistic for him.
3- “I believe one of my strengths is my ability to keep negative thoughts out. I am an optimist.” – John Wooden
The greatest coach of all time, John Wooden, recognized the power of optimism early in his career. It helped him win 10 National Championships while at UCLA.
4- “Be positive. Your mind is more powerful than you think. What is down in the well comes up in the bucket. Fill yourself with positive things.” – Tony Dungy
If you fill your mind with negativity, you shouldn’t be surprised when you experience a negative outlook on life. Be very careful about the type of news, music, books, movies, and opinions you fill your mind with.
5- “Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” – Michael Jordan
No matter who you are, what you do, or how you think, life will throw negative situations at you. Optimists recognize that they have the power to turn those obstacles into opportunities. They find the good in whatever negative situation they encounter and attack the problem with a can-do, find-a-way mentality.
6- “Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” – Mary Lou Retton
Positive thinkers remind themselves that every problem is temporary. By staying positive, good things will eventually come your way.
7- “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.” – Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi was one of the early proponents of positive-thinking books like Psycho-Cybernetics. Those books shaped his outlook in recognizing the power of the mind. He recognized that one’s inner-beliefs were more powerful than one’s perceived talent level.
8- “This is one of the most important themes I want you to take from me: Stay as positive and upbeat as you can possibly be. I’ll say it many times: if you can dream it, you can be it.” – John Calipari
Don’t put a limit on how positive you think you should be. Positive people and positive results are drawn to enthusiastic, upbeat people. Coach Cal believes that his dream-big outlook and upbeat attitude is critical to his success.
9- “I’m loud…but I’m positive. You don’t get anywhere by beating people down with negativity.” – Frank Martin
I like this quote because it’s a reminder that being a positive thinker doesn’t mean you always have to walk around with a forced smile on your face no matter what is going on. Positive thinkers aren’t weak-minded pushovers. Being a positive thinker doesn’t mean that you can’t be demanding. It doesn’t mean that you can’t be a disciplinarian with high standards. Being a positive thinker means that you’re relentless. It means that you never give up because you believe you can always find a way to get better and to move forward.
10- “Your attitude is critical to success. If you expect things to be difficult, it will always be easier to solve problems, overcome adversity, and have an enthusiastic energy about how you go about and enjoy your work.” – Nick Saban
This quote sums up a critical component of positive thinking. It would be delusional to never expect any adversity. Optimists don’t pretend they can avoid all adversity; instead, they believe they have the power to overcome whatever adversity comes their way.
11- “Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.” – John Wooden
Never underestimate the power of self-talk. Top achievers know that self-talk determines your future.
12- “There’s nothing more important than attitude, and it’s YOUR choice.” – Mike Krzyzewski
Your attitude is a choice. You have to take responsibility for the thoughts you choose to think. No matter what is going on, YOU get to decide whether you want to be positive or negative. And the choice you make will determine your eventual outcome. While there are many things you can’t control in life, you have complete control of the most important thing: your attitude.
13- “Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.” – Vince Lombardi
Confidence and optimism are closely tied to each other and both are extremely contagious. You owe it not only to yourself to be positive, but also to everyone around you.
14- “The attitude a person develops is the most important ingredient in determining the level of success…People who are negatively conditioned accept defeat. People who are positive don’t.” – Pat Riley
Positive thinkers never give up, no matter the situation. They never stop believing that there IS a way to turn things around.
15- “At some point, you just have to decide you’re going to be confident. Then, as you do, you’re going to have more success.” – Mike Leach
Too often, people want to wait for some sort of external validation before allowing themselves to dream big. But it doesn’t work that way. Success FOLLOWS positive thinking. You set the tone with your thoughts. If you want to start seeing positive results, start thinking positive first.
16- “Do not allow negative thoughts to enter your mind for they are weeds that strangle confidence.” – Bruce Lee
This is an important reminder whenever you’re going through tough times. If you get down on yourself, wallow in self-pity, and go around with a negative, what’s-the-use outlook, you’re only delaying a positive turnaround. You must protect yourself from negative thoughts; they will overtake your mind if you let them.
17- “To be an overachiever you have to be an over-believer.” – Dabo Swinney
Massive success won’t fall into your lap. It doesn’t just happen to you. You must decide to go for it. You can’t be afraid to dream BIG. Thinking small only limits your potential. Well-meaning naysayers will constantly tell you to be more realistic with your goals, but top achievers have always recognized that the size of your belief determines the size of your success.
18- “You gotta believe. I said it because I believed it, and I wanted my players to believe it. You gotta believe!” – Tommy Lasorda
You have to constantly remind yourself that results follow your beliefs. You set the tone for what you will achieve. If you don’t believe you can do it, you won’t. Each morning and throughout the day, remind yourself how powerful your beliefs are. You gotta believe!
19- “Being what most people think is realistic is only a way of justifying negative thinking. Go for something great.” – Dr. Bob Rotella
I love this quote from one of the world’s top sports psychologists. Naysayers and cynics love to call themselves realists. But, you have to ask: are they being realistic by lowering their ambitions or simply trying to justify lowered ambitions?
20- “If you put negative thoughts into your mind, you’re going to get negative results. It’s just as true that if you put positive thoughts in your mind, you will be a recipient of positive results.” – Lou Holtz
This quote succinctly sums up the power of your thinking. It won’t necessarily happen in an instant, but over the long term, positive thinking leads to positive results.
* For a powerful story on the difference positive thinking can make in your life, check out my bestselling book, Relentless Optimism: How a Commitment to Positive Thinking Changes Everything.
