Unfortunately, bad days in life cannot be avoided. There will always be those horrible days when nothing you do is successful. During these days, it seems as if everything you touch fails horribly. To make things worse, every task you approach comes with incredibly difficult challenges and obstacles that are almost impossible to overcome. No matter where you go and what you do, failure, setbacks, and great disappointments follow you mercilessly. Especially during those horrible days when nothing works out as planned, we can all make some good use of encouraging quotes that lift us up. In the following, you can find a neat selection of inspiring words of encouragement that will help you to overcome all the difficulties you’re confronted with.
We all know how beneficial it can be when someone encourages us to keep fighting for our dreams despite all the great challenges we’re confronted with. In fact, having someone or something that encourages you to overcome what is holding you back can make a true difference in life.
Encouraging quotes can help you to reignite the fire within you.
Unfortunately, there is not always a person around that can skillfully lift your spirits whenever you feel discouraged. However, there is a great substitute that you can use in these situations: encouraging words of incredibly inspiring and truly brilliant individuals. Reading through a carefully selected list of encouraging quotes can powerfully inspire and motivate you.
The encouragement quotes by those wise men and women will not only lift your spirits during difficult times but they will also encourage you to never give up on your dreams.
80 Encouraging Quotes – The Best Words of Encouragement
By reading these words of encouragement, you will quickly discover that their authors were not only confronted with similar challenges but also that they always found a way to overcome these difficulties.
Enjoy the following selection of encouraging words
1. Jimmy Dean on being able to adapt
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
Jimmy Dean
There are many things about life that you simply cannot change. You cannot change where you come from, the family you grew up with, and the way you look. However, you can always change how you think about these things. Even more so, you can always treat negative developments in your life as important lessons that help you to become better and stronger. You may not always be able to change the direction of the wind but you can always adjust your sails.
2. Harriet Stowe on giving up
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Far too many people gave up without knowing that success was only one step away. Don’t be that person and try to pursue your goals with the greatest determination.
3. Theodore Roosevelt on believing in yourself
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Whether you believe you can or are convinced that you can’t, you’re right in both cases.
4. David Brinkley on dealing with obstacles
“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.”
David Brinkley
Let’s face it, there will always be people who criticize you and blame you. Don’t allow these people to stop you from pursuing your dreams. Instead, use whatever constructive feedback you can get so that you can continuously improve yourself.
5. Thomas Paine on being triumphant
“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
Thomas Paine
A victory that you don’t really have to fight for feels somehow not at all triumphant.
6. Og Mandino on persisting
“If I persist long enough I will win.”
Og Mandino
In the end, all that matters is persistence and the will to continue. Only those that resist the urge to give up will be successful.
7. Franklin D. Roosevelt on patience
“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
In times of difficulty, it is sometimes the best choice to patiently wait how things unfold. Doing so will help you to develop a plan so that you can break free from whatever is holding you back.
8. Napoleon Hill on never giving up
“Most great people have attained their greatest success one step beyond their greatest failure.”
Napoleon Hill
With every failure, important lessons can be learned. If you make use of these invaluable experiences, you will be able to use them to your advantage in the future.
9. Mark Twain on having the courage to explore
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”
Mark Twain
The disappointment that comes with a failure lasts a couple of weeks, the regret about not having tried lasts a lifetime.
10. Martha Washington on being determined
“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”
Martha Washington
Some aspects of life cannot be changed but you can always change how you let these things influence you.
11. Maya Angelou on encountering failure
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”
Maya Angelou
It’s okay to fail and it’s okay to be defeated. However, don’t allow these experiences to defeat you and to stop you from continuing the pursuit of your dreams.
12. St. Jerome on the desire to strive for more
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. ‘Til your good is better and your better is best.”
St. Jerome
Life is a journey of constant improvements.
13. Winston Churchill on the importance to keep going
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
Winston Churchill
The worst thing you can do when confronted with great challenges is to become paralyzed. In almost all cases, the best recipe to free yourself from whatever is troubling you is to take an active approach.
14. Robert Schuller on problems
Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.”
Robert H. Schuller
At the same time, problems help you to develop your perseverance. If you persist, there’s almost no obstacle and challenge that you cannot overcome.
15. Lao Tzu on difficulties
“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
Lao Tzu
Don’t let the sheer size of difficult tasks stop you from tackling them one step at a time.
16. Og Mandino on doing your best
“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.”
Og Mandino
For this reason, it is tremendously important to plant the right seeds in the present so that you can prosper in the future.
17. Joseph Campbell on the treasures of life
“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.”
Joseph Campbell
Even though failures and setbacks can make you feel quite miserable, there may always come something of value with these experiences.
18. Charles Swindoll on how you react to what happens
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”
Charles R. Swindoll
In life, it does not matter so much what happens to you but how you think about it and how you are able to respond to it.
19. Helen Keller on the developing of character
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
Helen Keller
Whenever confronted with pain and suffering, remind yourself that these experiences ultimately help you to become stronger.
20. John Shedd on safe harbors
“A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for.”
John A. Shedd
Sometimes in life, there is no use in playing it safe. Sometimes, you simply need to have the courage to risk something in order to succeed greatly.
21. Clement Stone on failure and success
“Like success, failure is many things to many people. With a positive mental attitude, failure is a learning experience, a rung on the ladder, a plateau at which to get your thoughts in order and prepare to try again.”
W. Clement Stone
No failure is ever fatal – it is the willingness to move on that counts.
22. Nido Qubein on a person’s circumstances
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”
Nido Qubein
Isn’t that a wonderful way to think about one’s circumstances?
23. Anne Frank on making the world a better place
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
Anne Frank
Many people feel totally overwhelmed when thinking about all the problems mankind is confronted with. They forget that in order to make the world a better place, it is necessary to take one step after the other.
24. Walt Disney on dreams
“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney
Every great accomplishment always starts with a person that dares to dream.
25. Kenji Miyazawa on embracing pain
“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.”
Kenji Miyazawa
Pain is inevitable. Use it to fuel your journey and to become stronger.
26. George Burns on being a failure
“I’d rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.”
George Burns
At the same time, if you’re doing something that you really love, you are much more likely to succeed than someone who absolutely hates their profession.
27. Confucius on going slowly
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
Confucius
Even the longest journey begins with one step. Similarly, setbacks and failures will never be able to stop you when you have the courage to always keep going.
28. Albert Einstein on difficulties
“In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity.”
Albert Einstein
The world is not just black and white. In fact, many successful individuals have noticed that there always came a new opportunity with every setback and failure.
29. Philip Sidney on moving ahead
“Either I will find a way, or I will make one.”
Philip Sidney
That’s the mindset it takes to move ahead in life.
30. Albert Schweitzer on light that goes out
“Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.”
Albert Schweitzer
If all else fails, try to seek the advice and counsel of another person. In many cases, you will be amazed how your friends and family members can encourage you to keep going.
31. Og Mandino on failure
“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”
Og Mandino
32. Samuel Beckett on trying again
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
Samuel Beckett
33. Nelson Mandela on things that seem to be impossible
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Nelson Mandela
34. Florence Nightingale on making excuses
“I attribute my success to this – I never gave or took any excuse.”
Florence Nightingale
35. Ayn Rand on the desire to achieve
“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.”
Ayn Rand
36. Alexander Graham Bell on closing doors
“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
Alexander Graham Bell
37. Harvey Fierstein on being made a victim
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.”
Harvey Fierstein
38. Stephen Hawking on curiosity
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”
Stephen Hawking
39. Eleanor Roosevelt on the strength
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
40. Michael Jordan on failure
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Michael Jordan
41. Sam Levenson on the importance of perseverance
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”
Sam Levenson
42. Thich Nhat Hanh on the importance of hope
“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
43. Abraham Lincoln on predicting the future
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Abraham Lincoln
44. Georgia O’Keeffe on being terrified
“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.”
Georgia O’Keeffe
45. Thomas A. Edison on a person’s greatest weakness
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
Thomas A. Edison
46. Les Brown on being too old
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
Les Brown
47. Tony Robbins on directing your life
“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
Tony Robbins
48. Frederick Douglass on making progress
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Frederick Douglass
49. Norman Vincent Peale on problems
“How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself. So always think positively.”
Norman Vincent Peale
50. Bradley Whitford on taking action
“Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.”
Bradley Whitford
51. Confucius on the desire to succeed
The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”
Confucius
52. Julie Andrews on perseverance
“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.”
Julie Andrews
53. Ralph Marston on the importance of the moment
“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.”
Ralph Marston
54. Pope John on the importance of focus
“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.”
Pope John XXIII
55. L.M. Montgomery on success and failure
“Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.”
L.M. Montgomery
56. Mark Twain on getting ahead
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Mark Twain
57. Winston Churchill on giving up
“Never, never, never give up.”
Winston Churchill
58. Thomas A. Edison on giving up
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
Thomas A. Edison
59. Crossing the sea
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”
Rabindranath Tagore
60. Audrey Hepburn on things that seem to be possible
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!”
Audrey Hepburn
61. George S. Patton on being victorious
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”
George S. Patton
62. Doc Rivers on champions
“Never underestimate the heart of a champion!”
Doc Rivers
63. Robert F. Kennedy on failing greatly
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
Robert F. Kennedy
64. Norman Vincent Peale on believing in yourself
Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.”
Norman Vincent Peale
65. Alfred A. Montapert on dealing with problems
“Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.”
Alfred A. Montapert
66. Abdul Kalam
“We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us.”
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
67. Muhammad Ali on being free
“I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”
Muhammad Ali
68. James E. Faust on challenges and difficulties
“Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. The reason for some of these trials cannot be readily understood except on the basis of faith and hope because there is often a larger purpose which we do not always understand. Peace comes through hope.”
James E. Faust
69. Victor Kiam on the importance to keep going
“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.”
Victor Kiam
70. Aldous Huxley on continuous self-improvement
“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”
Aldous Huxley
71. Robert H. Schuller on being successful
“I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.”
Robert H. Schuller
72. Arthur Ashe on using what you have
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Arthur Ashe
73. Helen Keller on defeat
“Defeat is simply a signal to press onward.”
Helen Keller
74. Søren Kierkegaard on having courage
“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.”
Søren Kierkegaard
75. Davis Carlson on failing in life
“The fear that we are going to fail in life is really the fear that we are not good enough for whatever we have to do. Be yourself and you will be able to do anything you want. Let the soul within you be itself and you will never fail. Don’t boast, but understand that letting your light shine invites others to do the same.”
Davis Carlson
76. Charles F. Glassman on endless opportunities
“I will always find a way and a way will always find me.”
Charles F. Glassman
77. Eleanor Roosevelt on fear
“There is nothing to fear except fear it’s self.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
78. Clement Stone on dreaming big
“Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.”
W. Clement Stone
79. William James on making a difference
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
William James
80. Donald Trump on aiming high
“Get going. Move forward. Aim High. Plan a takeoff. Don’t just sit on the runway and hope someone will come along and push the airplane. It simply won’t happen. Change your attitude and gain some altitude. Believe me, you’ll love it up here.”
Donald Trump
81. Helen Keller on being optimistic
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
Helen Keller
I hope you enjoyed reading this collection of encouraging quotes and words of encouragement.
Stay victorious!
