5 Encouraging Happy Life Quotes And Sayings To Support You Through The Tough Times

Where do you turn when life throws you a curveball, dashes your dreams, and leaves you empty-handed and brokenhearted? Are there any encouraging, happy life quotes and sayings that have more substance than a greeting card?

Tough times almost beg the indulgence of self-pity and a dismal life forecast. Leave the falls and immediate rebounds to the professional athletes making millions of dollars. They’re trained to be good sports and get back into the game.

You, on the other hand, have real-life issues to deal with, and they don’t pay well.

You know, as everyone does, that life is what you make of it. It comes with predictable and unpredictable ups and downs, but it always offers you freedom to choose your response.

Being happy isn’t a destination. It’s also not only about what you “do.”

Happiness depends on not doing certain things as much as it depends on doing others.

And, more than anything else, it depends on the attitude you choose.

So let’s look at 5 “happy life” quotes and sayings you’ll probably never read in the card aisle.

1. We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.  – Martin Luther King, Jr.

   Life is full of disappointments. No secret there. They come in micro, macro, and mega forms. And there is no “catching up” on them so you can check them off your list and be done with them.

   The big disappointments – betrayals, loss of relationships, unexpected defeat – can cut deeply and leave you believing you will never recover.

   But who better than Martin Luther King, Jr. to remind us of the chasm of difference between finite disappointment and infinite hope?

   Every disappointment is finite in its endurance and its power to hold you down.

   But hope? Hope is infinite in its endurance and its power to lift you up.

   The bridge over that chasm is built by choice. Will you choose resignation or will you choose hope?

2. Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.  – Thich Nhat Hanh

   In keeping with the spirit of MLK’s call to hope, this example of happy life quotes and sayings is a reminder of hope’s power in the moment.

   The inherent gift of this life perspective isn’t limited to “Sigh…I wish…I hope…if only…What if?” Its magic lies in its transformation of the moment at hand.

   When you are experiencing the pain of loss or disappointment, you can, of course, choose to accept it as your destiny. “I will always feel this way.” “My life is a failure.” “I can’t bear the heartache.”

   And so goes the dirge of despair.

   But hope, though not a crystal ball or prognosticator with detailed assurances, allows you to rise above the negative frequency of despair. It delivers your mind’s attention over to a higher frequency of thinking, feeling, and choosing present and future action.

   This isn’t just philosophizing from a goodwill pulpit. It’s scientific.

   A feeling of hopefulness elicits physiological effects.It causes your brain to release feel-good endorphins and enkephalins, thereby accelerating healing and recovery.

   The expectation of good possibilities (probabilities?), however far in the future, can be life-saving in the wake of heartbreak, fear, loss, and disappointment.

3. Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want. – Jim Rohn

   Learning how to be happy with what you have can sound like a mantra for those with no ambition.

   But there is a fine line between donning a laissez faire attitude toward life and choosing to be happy and grateful in the moment.

   One posture is a slouching “Whatever. Que sera, sera.” And the other is an upright, shoulders-back, eyes-forward greeting of life, both in the present moment and in pursuit of the next.

   Why is this relevant to being happy and feeling supported during tough times?

   Because your dreams will almost always be bigger than your reality. That’s what dreams are for.

   They keep you moving forward – exploring, discovering, learning, contributing, connecting, believing, striving.

   But dreaming should never be a disregard of the blessings of the moment.

   Just as feelings of hopefulness bring about chemical changes in the brain, newly divorced singles, especially women, are often shocked by the change in finances and lifestyle.

   If you have gone through a similar experience, you know what an adjustment it can be.

   But you always have the option of focusing on what you do have – perhaps things that had lost your attention in the past. Your health, your sanity, your children, your own space and schedule, the opportunity to rediscover yourself and pursue your own interests….

   There really is so much for which to be grateful and happy right here, right now. And happy people make positive choices with enlightened awareness.

   If you can bask in gratitude for having all you need today, you will find yourself invigorated to strive for the possibilities of tomorrow.

4. The happiest people don’t bother about whether life is unfair. They just concentrate on wha they have. – Andrew Matthews, Happiness in Hard Times

   Disappointment is rooted in expectation and a sense of what should and shouldn’t be. “I have all the credentials and should have gotten that promotion.” “How could he walk out on me when I have been faithful and devoted?”

   Sometimes it’s rooted more in what we want and don’t want than in what we honestly believe should and shouldn’t be.

   Regardless of its reason, disappointment can get confused with justice. “It’s not fair! I did all the work and she got all the money!” “Why do I always get the short end of the stick?”

   Focusing on the (perceived) unfairness of life, let alone on the futility of trying to correct it, will suck all the joy out of an otherwise happy life. Quotes and sayings could be taped on every mirror in your home; but if your focus is on how unfair life is, you will never be happy.

5. You’re never fully dressed without a smile. – Annie (the musical)

   Your clothes may be Beau Brummelly
   They stand out a mile –
   But Brother,
   You’re never fully dressed
   Without a smile!
   Who cares what they’re wearing
   On Main Street,
   Or Saville Row,
   It’s what you wear from ear to ear
   And not from head to toe
   (That matters)…

Life is, in large part, an organic, unscripted process of gracefully co-existing with hardship and disappointment. It’s a balancing act that, in its finest expression, speaks to your commitment to equilibrium, regardless of what seeks to shake it.

Hope, gratitude, and being present to the gifts of the moment are all miracle workers when it comes to getting through tough times.

And, of course, you really are never fully dressed without a smile.

I’m Dr. Karen Finn and I’m a life and divorce coach. Schedule a 30-minute private consultation for support in putting together the pieces so you can create a happy and healthy life for yourself.

Looking for more information about how to live a happy and healthy life? You’ll find what you’re looking for in Building A Happy Life.