5 Quotes to Help You Succeed with a Positive Attitude

The authors of these five quotes have all suffered adversities, yet emerged successful in their lives. A positive attitude can go a long way toward helping you overcome illness, financial struggles, relationship issues, depression, or whatever obstacle that keeps you from being as successful as you want to be in life. Read the following quotes daily to help you modify your attitude to enhance your life.

1. If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.

--Mary Engelbreit

Mary Engelbreit is an artist who, as a child just wanted to draw pictures. She began drawing pictures at a table that was set up in the linen closet of her childhood home. Through her years, Engelbreit has worked for a small art store, an ad agency, and at a publishing house drawing illustrations for children’s books. Engelbreit was also editor-in-chief of the award-winning magazine Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion. Today, Engelbreit is a famous artist and thousands of stores sell Engelbreit’s gifts, cards, and artwork. In spite of the fact that many people tried to discourage Engelbreit through the years, Engelbreit says, “I believed in myself and now I’m living my dream.”

2. The only disability in life is a bad attitude.

--Scott Hamilton

Scott Hamilton is a world champion Olympic figure skating champion. He performed with many ice skating teams, including “Stars on Ice”. As a child, Hamilton was diagnosed with a mysterious illness that caused him to stop growing. His parents sought opinions and treatment from several specialists. Eventually, Hamilton was able to overcome his illness through a special diet and exercise program. In Hamilton’s early training days, he almost had to quit because it was too expensive to train with his coach who is also a former Olympic champion. Fortunately, Hamilton received financiers to support his ice skating training. On separate diagnoses of a brain tumor and testicular cancer, Hamilton was able to continue with his ice skating career after recovery. Hamilton co-authored the book, The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (Even When You Have Every Reason to Be Miserable.

3. Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don’t count on harvesting Golden Delicious.

--Bill Meyer

Bill Meyer (1893-1957) was a baseball player and manager. Meyer grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and started playing baseball as a child. Despite resistance from his father, when offered an opportunity to play baseball for a Florida team, Meyer went and played so well that another Florida team then offered him a position on their team. Meyer was a catcher who played for several teams throughout his career, including playing for the Chicago White Sox and for the Philadelphia Athletic. As a manager, Meyer managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1948-1952. Meyer was well respected in the baseball industry and received an award for “Major League Manager of the Year" in 1948. The Pittsburgh Pirates retired his uniform number (1) in 1952. Meyer suffered from physical illness off and on during the last ten years of his management career, still, Meyer was a highly successful manager. The baseball park in Knoxville, Tennessee (from 1955 to 2003) was named the Bill Meyer Stadium .

4. The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.

--William James

William James (1842 -1910) was a psychologist and philosopher. He was trained as a physician, but he never practiced medicine because his interest was in psychology. James was born into a wealthy family and lived an elite life among high society. In his life, James suffered from a variety of physical ailments. He also suffered from mild depression. The majority of his career was spent as a professor at Harvard University. James wrote many books, including, Principles of Psychology which gained widespread notoriety. James defined true beliefs as those that prove useful to the believer, James said, “Truth is the function of the beliefs that start and terminate among them."

5. The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude.

--Dennis S. Brown

The youngest of five children, Dennis S. Brown grew up in a modest home in central Louisiana. Brown is an honored motivational speaker, trainer, and author. His “attitude adjustment” seminars have made him nationally famous. Brown attributes his successful life to the positive influence of his parents and God. He contends that positive attitude is “action”. Brown says that “attitude is feeling, belief, and passion, and if we stir up those ingredients in the bowl of life—oh, how sweet our days will be!” Brown is the author of the book entitled, Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life!