There’s nothing like a unique phrase or mantra to help you get a fresh perspective on life.
The quotes we hear and share each day represent our perspectives—be it on life, on relationships, on love, or on just about anything else.
And while some people may think that what you hear and say doesn’t have much of an impact on your mental and spiritual well-being, we think that surrounding yourself with words of wisdom and encouragement can do so much good in a person’s life.
And despite the harsh realities of life, we all know intrinsically that there is so much to be treasured about joy. Joy, unlike happiness, is a stronger and more deep-seated emotion and is very important in everyday life.
We might feel happy about the way our paychecks look, or the present we received from a loved one, but joy can feel like many different things at once. Joy can feel more like inner peace than just about any other emotion and includes happiness, pleasure, and many other positive emotions all in one.
If you’re struggling to maintain joy in your life or just need a quick pick-me-up after a hard day’s work, we recommend checking out our top five joy quotes to spark happiness in your life today. We’ll go into who said each quote, as well as a little bit of background information about how we’ve interpreted the words that he or she said.
And of course, you’re more than welcome to come to your conclusions.
How We’ve Chosen Our Quotes
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We wanted to seek out quotes from a variety of different sources. And while we know that everyone has a different perspective on what is and is not a good quote, we felt that touching base with influential figures, public, private, spiritual or otherwise, was the best path for the most basic and true quotes on joy.
We considered:
We’ve cited the authors of each of these quotes as well—so if you find one of these quotes particularly poignant, it may be worth taking the time to look into the author of the quote to see if you can find similar information.
Everyone has a different perspective on life. Some of our quotes come from religious figures that may feel as if living one type of way is the key to happiness, while others may speak from a broader podium—hoping for more of a universalist message.
We’re not condoning or denying any of the backgrounds of these men and women, but rather, recognizing the best aspects of what they said and highlighting how some of these joy quotes can be used to spark happiness in your life.
Top 5 Best Joy Quotes
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Need a new perspective on your daily routine or a boost from a hard day’s work? Check out our favorite quotes on joy and chase away any negative thoughts you may have.
Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.
Henri Nouwen
This first quote comes from Henri J.M. Nouwen—a priest and theologian who was famous for his work in psychology as well as spirituality and social justice. Nouwen’s quote reminds us of a very important lesson in life.
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Often, we sit and wait and hope for things to improve. You may be in a position to where you feel as if you have to ride the waves of life and simply wait for your position or condition to improve. Or, you may have given up—and are simply going through the motions that you know worked in the past.
Nouwen wants us to know that the onus is on us to find joy. The battle against negativity, depression, and other dark aspects of like is ongoing—which means that we need to seek out the positive aspects of our lives each day to help us better understand that things may not be as bad as they seem.
By taking the concept of joy and making it a conscious, daily decision, we can work to radically improve our lives by simply making a fundamental choice of happiness.
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.
Buddha
This second quote builds on what Nouwen said—and reminds us of the fundamental power of our thoughts.
The choice of joy has to come from the thought that we deserve and need it in our lives, which is why it is incredibly important that we keep ourselves conscious and aware of the thoughts we have each day.
If you increasingly dwell on negative or unhelpful thoughts and struggle to find joy, you may find that these two concepts are more connected than you think. We don’t want to undermine the threats of serious depression and mental illness, but generally speaking, we all have to leave to control our thoughts and focus on what’s best for us.
If we do so, the Buddha teaches, we’ll be able to live in abundant joy and know how to stay joyful for years to come.
Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.
Helen Keller
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As another quote that focuses on the agency of ourselves over our mental state, we can recognize the value that this quote has due to the struggles and wonderful life of its author.
We can all recognize that Helen Keller, more so than most, had a reason to be better and frustrated at her lot in life. As both a blind and deaf woman, the number of difficulties, prejudices, and challenges to overcome in her lifetime cannot be overstated.
However, Helen Keller beat the odds and became one of the most influential voices of the early 20th century. And much of that has to do with her indomitable mindset.
Unlike Buddha or Nouwen, Keller states that the joys we feel in life are already in us—there’s no reason to have to find it or fake it. By utilizing that joy as a means to protect ourselves against negative thoughts and criticism from others, we can weaponize our joy as a sort of shield.
It’s a bold and unique perspective from a person that was just as bold herself.
Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
Mark Twain
This quote from Mark Twain reminds us about the importance of keeping others around us to share the joy with—and in some cases, finding a spouse or a partner.
It’s no secret that we are social creatures, and need communion in others to feel more connected and more in tune with the greater world. In many ways, serving others is how we can feel valuable ourselves.
Mark Twain recognized that and knew that sharing the joy with another person is one of the best ways to keep happiness in your life and find meaning within it. Twain also recognized that grief, unlike joy, can be taken care of all on its own.
Joy needs to be kindled and supported, and with another person by your side to do so; you have all the more chance to keep that joy for as long as you both may live.
With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things.
William Wordsworth
Our final quote pick focuses on the things we can and cannot see—and how joy needs a steady and true eye to come into fruition.
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Throughout life, and especially in the modern day, it’s too easy to get distracted by the things that may not matter. It’s when sharing simply harmony with others that we can separate our minds from the things that tie us down and recognize the beauty of all things.
Wordsworth, who himself wrote this quote as a part of a poetry collection written along a shoreline, recognized the immense power of a calm and focused mind. Since we spend so much of our time physically in one place while mentally in another, he wanted to remind us that joy can be found when all other things fade away.
We hope that Wordsworth’s quote, alongside our other four authors, has helped you recognize the deep need for joy in your life. Without joy, life may seem pointless, but with it, we can cherish and value each of the days that we are given.
So take some time to medicate or dwell on your favorite joy quotes, and recognize the value or changing your mindset for the better. You may be glad that you did.
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