16 famous quotes on attitude – what the right attitude will do for you

Our attitude plays a very important role in our lives.  If our attitude is positive, it can carry us over many obstacles. If we have a negative attitude, it can seriously affect every aspect of our lives, including our relationships, our careers and our own development. Our education, talent, opportunities, skills and appearance don’t make up for a negative attitude.

What helps us to maintain the right attitude?  We need to keep practicing daily to maintain it. The more we develop the habit of being positive, the easier it becomes.  The inspiring words of others can help to motivate us once again when we find ourselves becoming negative.  Here are some quotes about attitude from philosophers, teachers, preachers, heads of state and other well-known positive thinkers – some of them are no longer alive but their words live on.

William James was a leading American psychologist in the late nineteenth century. He was also an insightful philosopher who considered the practical impact of beliefs and ideas in people’s lives.  Novelist Rebecca West made the comment that while Henry James, his brother, wrote fiction as though it were philosophy, his older brother, William, wrote philosophy in a colorful style typical of fiction.  His ideas and the way he wrote about them has given them an impact that endures.

Norman Vincent Peale was the author of a book called The Power of Positive Thinking, an international best seller. He came under heavy criticism from the mental health community when his book was first published. However, his words are still quoted by people all over the world. He taught about about the power of vigorously canceling out all negative thoughts until they became weaker and weaker, eventually disappearing altogether.


Winston Churchill has much to teach us about persistence and the ability to face obstacles head-on. After years of failure, he held office for 60 years and was one of the most influential British leaders. He battled with depression and spoke openly about his ‘black dog’ and yet his words still have an impact on us today. Thomas Jefferson, one of America’s founding fathers and the main author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote more than 18,000 letters during his life and his words of wisdom still inspire us.


Earl Nightingale was a motivational speaker, author and radio personality. In 1956, he produced The Strangest Secret, a spoken word record, that sold over a million copies.



Stephen Covey wrote a book called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People which has been read by millions of people all over the world. He was recognized by Time magazine as one of 25 most influential Americans. He taught that there are three constants in life: principles, choice and change.


Zig Ziglar was an American author and motivational speaker. He wrote 25 books and ten of them were best sellers. He was in great demand as a motivational speaker. Lee J. Colan is presently a motivational speaker as well as a prolific author and a respected business consultant.


Charles R. Swindoll, born in 1934, founded Insight for Living which airs a radio program on more than 2,000 stations around the world in 15 languages. He has devoted his life to the accurate, practical application of the Word of God. John Calvin Maxwell, born in 1947, is a pastor, speaker and author who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership.


Maya Angelou was born in 1928 and died in 2014. She was an American poet and civil rights activist. She is best known for the seven autobiographies she wrote. Her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman. Viktor Emil Frankl was an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist and a Holocaust survivor. He created logotherapy, a type of existentialist thought and wrote a famous book called Man’s Search for Meaning.


Before we realize it, we can become overwhelmed by negativity and cynicism. With constant media bombardment about all the tragedy and horror in the world as well as our own problems, it may be difficult to stay upbeat. However, a negative attitude can impact not just our life but the lives of those around us. Our attitude to life is contagious and one of the best gifts we can give ourselves, our families and our friends is a positive attitude. As human beings we are creatures of habit. We can develop a positive mindset by making small adjustments on a daily basis. The choice is in our hands to turn our lives around and escape the cycle of negativity.