40+ Law of Attraction Quotes (Sourced)

The law of attraction is the New Thought belief that your thoughts and feelings shape what you experience. The phrase spread through the New Thought movement, was popularized by William Walker Atkinson's 1906 book Thought Vibration, and reached millions through The Secret (2006). Law of attraction quotes are short lines from that tradition's writers, used as daily reminders.

What is the law of attraction?

The law of attraction is the belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person's life. It comes from New Thought, a 19th-century American spiritual movement. Believers pair affirmations and visualization with the feeling that a wish has already come true.

The term shows up as early as 1855, and Prentice Mulford wrote about it in the 1880s. William Walker Atkinson's Thought Vibration, or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World (1906) helped the phrase catch on. Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life and Rhonda Byrne's The Secret carried it to later generations (Wikipedia).

It is worth being clear: the law of attraction has no demonstrated scientific basis. We treat it here as a tradition with useful reminders, not as physics. If you want a plain-English primer first, read what manifestation means.

Who wrote the most famous law of attraction quotes?

Most classic law of attraction quotes come from a small group of New Thought and self-help writers. Florence Scovel Shinn, James Allen and Napoleon Hill wrote the early books. Neville Goddard, Louise Hay, Esther Hicks and Rhonda Byrne shaped the modern version. Knowing who they were helps you judge each quote.

James Allen (1864–1912): A British writer whose short book As a Man Thinketh (1903) argues that character and circumstance grow out of thought. It is free on Project Gutenberg.

Florence Scovel Shinn (1871–1940): An American illustrator who became a New Thought teacher. The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925) is her best-known book, also on Project Gutenberg.

Napoleon Hill (1883–1970): Author of Think and Grow Rich (1937), one of the best-selling self-help books ever written. He focused on desire, persistence and repeated thought.

Neville Goddard (1905–1972): A lecturer who taught that you should "assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled" — living inside the imagined outcome (Wikipedia).

Louise Hay (1926–2017): Author of You Can Heal Your Life (1984) and a pioneer of spoken affirmations. See our guide to Louise Hay affirmations.

Esther Hicks (Abraham-Hicks): Co-author with Jerry Hicks of Ask and It Is Given (2004). She says she channels a group consciousness called "Abraham."

Rhonda Byrne (born 1951): Creator of the film and book The Secret (2006), which brought the idea to a mass audience.

Writer	Key book	Year	Core idea
James Allen	As a Man Thinketh	1903	Thought shapes character and circumstance
Florence Scovel Shinn	The Game of Life and How to Play It	1925	Words and expectations return to you
Napoleon Hill	Think and Grow Rich	1937	Desire plus persistence builds success
Neville Goddard	The Power of Awareness	1952	Assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled
Louise Hay	You Can Heal Your Life	1984	Self-approval through affirmations
Rhonda Byrne	The Secret	2006	Thought plus feeling attracts experience

What are the best classic law of attraction quotes?

The best classic law of attraction quotes come from books written between 1900 and 1940. James Allen's "A man is literally what he thinks" and Florence Scovel Shinn's "The game of life is a game of boomerangs" are two of the most quoted. Both books are public domain, so you can read every line in context.

1. "The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Man's thoughts, deeds and words, return to him sooner or later, with astounding accuracy." — Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925). A reminder that how you treat people tends to come back around.

2. "A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts." — James Allen, As a Man Thinketh (1903). Allen's core claim in one sentence.

3. "He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: Environment is but his looking-glass." — James Allen, As a Man Thinketh (1903). From the short poem that opens the book.

4. "Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits." — James Allen, As a Man Thinketh (1903). Thought leads to action, and action leads to results.

5. "If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get the situation he has prepared for." — Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925). A good check on your backup plans.

6. "When the student is ready the teacher appears." — William Walker Atkinson, writing as Yogi Ramacharaka, Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy (1905), per Wikiquote.

7. "All that we are is the result of what we have thought." — The Dhammapada, verse 1, in Max Müller's translation (Wikiquote). Much older than New Thought, and often quoted by its writers.

8. "Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact." — William James, "Is Life Worth Living?" (1897), per Wikiquote.

What are the best law of attraction quotes for money and success?

The best-known law of attraction quotes about money come from Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich (1937) and Florence Scovel Shinn. Hill ties riches to a clear idea, repeated thought and persistence. Shinn ties supply to faith. Read them as prompts to plan and act, not as promises of wealth.

9. "All achievement, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea!" — Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich (Wikiquote). Note the word "earned."

10. "Strong, deeply rooted desire is the starting point of all achievement." — Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.

11. "Remember, no more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity, than is required to accept misery and poverty." — Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.

12. "There is no substitute for persistence." — Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.

13. "Man's supply is inexhaustible and unfailing when fully trusted, but faith or trust must precede the demonstration." — Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925).

14. "Every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit." — Napoleon Hill, a maxim quoted in Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude (1960), co-written with W. Clement Stone.

15. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." — Commonly attributed to Napoleon Hill. Wikiquote notes it is widely quoted but could not confirm it in Think and Grow Rich.

For a practical plan to go with these lines, see how to manifest money. Affirmations and vision boards are a mindset practice, not a substitute for medical, mental-health or financial advice.

What are the best law of attraction quotes about belief and imagination?

The strongest quotes on belief and imagination come from Neville Goddard, Napoleon Hill and Rhonda Byrne. Goddard taught that a persistent assumption "will harden into fact." Hill taught that ideas take root through repetition. Byrne put thought first. Together they explain why many people repeat the same line every morning.

16. "An assumption, though false, if persisted in, will harden into fact." — Neville Goddard, Your Faith Is Your Fortune (1941), as quoted on Wikipedia.

17. "Assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled." — Neville Goddard's central instruction, from The Power of Awareness (1952).

18. "Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought." — Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich. This is the idea behind methods like the 369 method.

19. "You have absolute control over but one thing, and that is your thoughts." — Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.

20. "Truly, thoughts are things." — Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.

21. "Remember that your thoughts are the primary cause of everything." — Rhonda Byrne, The Secret (2006), per Wikiquote.

22. "Your power is in your thoughts, so stay awake. In other words, remember to remember." — Rhonda Byrne, The Secret (2006).

23. "Every desire, uttered or unexpressed, is a demand." — Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925).

Which law of attraction quotes focus on feeling and gratitude?

Quotes about feeling and gratitude mostly come from The Secret and the Abraham-Hicks teachings. Their shared idea is that how you feel now matters as much as what you think. Rhonda Byrne's line "Be grateful for what you have now" is the plainest version, and it pairs well with a daily gratitude list.

24. "Be grateful for what you have now." — Rhonda Byrne, The Secret (2006). The full passage goes on to say that grateful thoughts lead to more of them.

25. "Ask once, believe you have received, and all you have to do to receive is feel good." — Rhonda Byrne, The Secret (2006).

26. "If you are feeling good, it is because you are thinking good thoughts." — Rhonda Byrne, The Secret (2006).

27. "A belief is only a thought you keep thinking." — Commonly attributed to Abraham-Hicks (Esther Hicks). We could not match it to a specific book page.

28. "The object of the game of life is to see clearly one's good." — Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925).

What are the best law of attraction quotes for self-love?

The best self-love quotes in this tradition come from Louise Hay and Rhonda Byrne. Hay's message is to stop criticizing yourself and start approving of yourself. Byrne writes that you "deserve all good things." These lines work well said aloud in the mirror, next to your self-love affirmations.

29. "There is a truth deep down inside of you that has been waiting for you to discover it, and that truth is this: you deserve all good things life has to offer." — Rhonda Byrne, The Secret (2006).

30. "You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens." — Commonly attributed to Louise Hay and linked to You Can Heal Your Life (1984).

31. "Every thought we think is creating our future." — Commonly attributed to Louise Hay.

Which law of attraction quotes pair belief with action?

Many of the best law of attraction quotes insist on action. Napoleon Hill told readers not to wait for the time to be "just right." James Allen tied results to effort. Joseph Campbell, who was not a New Thought writer, is often quoted alongside them for "follow your bliss." These lines keep belief from turning into waiting.

32. "Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." — Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.

33. "Every great work, every big accomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, and often just before the big achievement, comes apparent failure and discouragement." — Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925).

34. "Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become." — James Allen, As a Man Thinketh (1903).

35. "Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals." — James Allen, As a Man Thinketh (1903). The full sentence says your world will be built from them if you stay true to them.

36. "The dreamers are the saviours of the world." — James Allen, As a Man Thinketh (1903).

37. "Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be." — Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth (1988), per Wikiquote.

38. "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work." — Steve Jobs, Stanford commencement address (2005), per Wikiquote.

For step-by-step methods, see how to manifest.

Why are so many law of attraction quotes misattributed?

Many law of attraction quotes are misattributed because short lines travel faster than their sources. A quote gets paired with a famous name on social media and is copied thousands of times. Wikiquote lists several popular examples as misattributed, which is why we checked each named quote on this page.

Three common examples:

• "Wealth is the ability to fully experience life." Often credited to Henry David Thoreau, but Wikiquote lists it as misattributed.
• "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." Often credited to William James, but Wikiquote lists it under misattributed.
• "What we think, we become." Often credited to the Buddha. It is a loose paraphrase; the closest source is the opening of The Dhammapada (quote 7 above).

If a quote has no book, speech or date attached, treat the name as a guess. You can find more checked lines in our manifestation quotes collection.

Our own lines: short reminders from the Manifest Mosaic team

These lines are ours. They are not quotes from any teacher, and we have not attached anyone's name to them. Use them the same way as the quotes above.

39. "Decide what you want before you decide it's impossible."

40. "Picture the finish line, then take the next step toward it."

41. "Belief is the spark. Action is the fuel."

42. "Write it down, say it out loud, then do one thing about it today."

43. "Your story about yourself is a draft. You can revise it."

44. "Small daily steps add up to a life you chose."

✨ Key Insight: A quote is a reminder, not a plan. The quotes that change your week are the ones you connect to one concrete action.

How do you use law of attraction quotes every day?

The simplest way to use law of attraction quotes is to pick one per week and connect it to a small action. Read it each morning, write a sentence about what it asks of you, and do one thing that fits it. This keeps the idea in front of you without turning it into wishful thinking.

1. Choose one quote for the week. Pick a line that fits your current goal. Put it on your phone lock screen or a sticky note.

2. Read it each morning. Pair it with your morning affirmations. One or two minutes is enough.

3. Journal on it. Finish the sentence: "This quote asks me to…" Then name one step.

4. Turn it into an affirmation. Rewrite the quote in first person. Our free affirmation generator can help you draft one.

5. Picture it. Pair the line with a clear image of your future self, or pin it beside the pictures on a 2027 vision board.

6. Keep it believable. Research on self-affirmation suggests that reflecting on your core values can engage the brain's reward and self-related systems (Cascio et al., 2016). But one study found that repeating a strong positive statement like "I am a lovable person" made people with low self-esteem feel worse (Wood, Perunovic & Lee, 2009). If a line feels false, soften it to something you can accept today.

💜 Pro Tip: Make a quote jar. Write your ten favorite lines on slips of paper and pull one each morning.

Does the law of attraction actually work?

There is no scientific evidence that thoughts attract events on their own. The law of attraction is a spiritual belief, and critics call it pseudoscience. What many people do find helpful are the habits around it: writing goals down, noticing what they are grateful for, and acting on a clear plan.

So read these quotes as encouragement from a tradition, not as rules of the universe. To see how people put the ideas into practice, read these manifestation examples, or compare the other words for manifestation. If a quote leads you to set a clear goal and take a step, it has done its job. If it leads you to blame yourself for things outside your control, put it down. Affirmations and vision boards are a mindset practice, not a substitute for medical, mental-health or financial advice.

See yourself living it in 2027 — make your first picture free →

Want to see a goal instead of only reading about it? Start from the Manifest Mosaic homepage.

Sources & Methodology

We checked every named quote on this page against at least one of these sources. Where we could only find a line in wide circulation, we marked it "commonly attributed." Lines written by our team are in their own section, with no person's name.

• Law of attraction (New Thought) — Wikipedia — definition, history, Atkinson (1906), The Secret (2006), and scientific criticism
• New Thought — Wikipedia — background on the movement
• Neville Goddard — Wikipedia — "assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled" and "an assumption, though false…"
• The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn — Project Gutenberg — full text used to check each Shinn quote
• As a Man Thinketh by James Allen — Project Gutenberg — full text used to check each Allen quote
• Napoleon Hill — Wikiquote — Think and Grow Rich quotes and the "conceive and believe" note
• Rhonda Byrne — Wikiquote — quotes from The Secret with page numbers
• William James, Joseph Campbell, Steve Jobs, Henry David Thoreau, The Dhammapada and William Walker Atkinson — Wikiquote pages
• Wood, Perunovic & Lee (2009), Psychological Science — positive self-statements and low self-esteem
• Cascio et al. (2016), Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience — self-affirmation and brain activity