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110 Tough Times Quotes to Help You Build Strength And Resilience
Staying happy and motivated when times are challenging is not easy. Here are some deep and inspirational tough times quotes to help you keep going.
Life is like a roller-coaster ride, filled with ups and downs. Some days you feel like you’re on top of the world and then suddenly something happens that brings your world crashing down. But such is life — it’s highly unpredictable and the only way you can go through tough times is to be strong enough to face life as it comes. For sure, it’s easier said than done but we are here to help you out with this! Words have soothing powers and our list of the tough times quotes can help you find the encouragement you need to weather the storm.
Going through a tough time is no child’s play — when life hurls challenges at you, it’s quite common for emotional and mental strength to take a backseat and for people to feel lost. This is the time when these quotes about getting through times can help one feel motivated and get back on track. Below are some of the best quotes that would definitely make you feel at ease.
Tough Times Quotes to Stay Strong
1. “You need to spend time crawling alone through shadows to truly appreciate what it is to stand in the sun.” - Shaun Hick
2. “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” - Bob Riley
3. “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo — far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance.” - Jodi Picoult
4. “You're going to go through tough times — that's life. But I say, 'Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.' See the positive in negative events.” - Joel Osteen
5. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” - Maya Angelou
6. "Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle." - Unknown
7. “Life is at its best when everything has fallen out of place, and you decide that you're going to fight to get them right, not when everything is going your way and everyone is praising you.” - Thisuri Wanniarachchi
8. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” - Robert H Schuller
9. “Surprise yourself everyday with your own courage.” - Denholm Elliott
10. “There are certain life lessons that you can only learn in the struggle.” - Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability
11. "It's your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life's story will develop." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
12. “On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin.” - Gregory S. Williams
13. “Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds.” - Marta
14. “Energy and persistence conquers all things.” - Benjamin Franklin
15. “Courage is only an accumulation of small steps.” - George Konrad
16. “All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don't. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.” - Robert Kennedy
17. "This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure." - Winston Churchill
18. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” - Oprah Winfrey
19. “It is exactly in tough times when we discover our full potential, it allows our mind and body to push ourselves beyond our limits.” - Leonardo Bonucci
20. “We face up to awful things because we can't go around them, or forget them. The sooner you say 'Yes, it happened, and there's nothing I can do about it,' the sooner you can get on with your own life. You've got children to bring up. So you've got to get over it. What we have to get over, somehow we do. Even the worst things.” - Annie Proulx, The Shipping News
21. “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” - Chuck Swindoll
22. “I like to use the hard times in the past to motivate me today.” - Dwayne Johnson
23. "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." - Martin Luther King Jr.
24. “My scars remind me that I did indeed survive my deepest wounds. That in itself is an accomplishment. And they bring to mind something else, too. They remind me that the damage life has inflicted on me has, in many places, left me stronger and more resilient. What hurt me in the past has actually made me better equipped to face the present.” - Steve Goodier
25. “Never give up. There are always tough times, regardless of what you do in anything in life. Be able to push through those times and maintain your ultimate goal.” - Nathan Chen
26. “You can make heaven out of hell, or hell out of heaven. The choice is yours.” - Shannon L. Alder
27. "Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good." - Elizabeth Edwards
28. “Anyone can take the wheel of the ship in calm water but it's not so easy when it's not calm water. You can't just enjoy the good times, you have to be resilient in the tough times.” - Sean Dyche
29. “These black times go as they come and we do not know how they come or why they go. But we know that God controls them, as he controls the whole vast cobweb of the mystery of things.” - Elizabeth Goudge
30. “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow." — Mary Anne Radmacher" - Mary Anne Radmacher
31. "Adversity is the first path to truth." - Lord Byron
32. “Never say that you can't do something, or that something seems impossible, or that something can't be done, no matter how discouraging or harrowing it may be; human beings are limited only by what we allow ourselves to be limited by: our own minds. We are each the masters of our own reality; when we become self-aware to this: absolutely anything in the world is possible." - Mike Norton
33. “Tough times call for tougher decisions.” - Prabhas
34. “You start with a darkness to move through but sometimes the darkness moves through you.”- Dean Young
35. “It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.”- Doe Zantamata
36. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” - Oprah Winfrey
37. “On your darkest days do not try to see the end of the tunnel by looking far ahead. Focus only on where you are right now. Then carefully take one step at a time, by placing just one foot in front of the other. Before you know it, you will turn that corner.” - Anthon St. Maarten
38. “I believe, as human beings, we sometimes indulge in self pity more than it's necessary. Over my life's journey, I have realised that overthinking about your problems and indulging in self-pity is not the answer to get through tough times.” - Sonali Bendre
39. "Life doesn't get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient." - Steve Maraboli
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40. “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” - Helen Keller
41. “There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” - Michael Phelps
42. “We all have battles to fight. And it's often in those battles that we are most alive: it's on the frontlines of our lives that we earn wisdom, create joy, forge friendships, discover happiness, find love, and do purposeful work.” - Eric Greitens
43. “Tough times not only make you stronger, but you grow from those experiences. The same is true with fighting. You have to lean into it.” - Cub Swanson
44. “And hard times are good in their own way, too. Because the only way you can achieve true happiness is if you experience true sadness as well. It's all about light and shade. Balance.” - Gabrielle Williams
45. “No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That's the only way to keep the roads clear.” - Greg Kincaid
46. “Tough times call for tough choices and pinching every penny.” - John Hickenlooper
47. “Humor can make a serious difference. In the workplace, at home, in all areas of life – looking for a reason to laugh is necessary. A sense of humor helps us to get through the dull times, cope with the difficult times, enjoy the good times and manage the scary times.” - Steve Goodier
48. “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me…. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” - Walt Disney
49. “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.” - Babe Ruth
50. “The night taught me never to fear the dark times, by giving way to the dawn of a new day.” - Michael Bassey Johnson
51. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon
52. “Resilience is very different than being numb. Resilience means you experience, you feel, you fail, you hurt. You fall. But, you keep going." - Yasmin Mogahed
53. “If you get good things, you must endure the tough times also.” - Randhir Kapoor
54. “It's funny how, when things seem the darkest, moments of beauty present themselves in the most unexpected places.” - Karen Marie Moning, Dreamfever
55. “I learned there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead, others come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me.” - Dr. Seuss
56. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas A. Edison
57. “We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.” - Isabel Allende
58. "The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived." - Robert Jordan
59. “Everybody has to deal with tough times. A gold medal doesn't make you immune to that. A skater is used to falling down and getting up again.” - Dorothy Hamill
60. “Accept hardship as a necessary discipline.” - Lailah Gifty Akita
61. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” - Michael Jordan
62. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” - Vince Lombardi
63. “The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of. Not the circumstances.” - Unknown
64. “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” - Vincent Van Gogh
65. "Don't despair: despair suggests you are in total control and know what is coming. You don't – surrender to events with hope." - Alain de Botton
66. “You must bear losses like a soldier, the voice told me, bravely and without complaint, and just when the day seems lost, grab your shield for another stand, another thrust forward. That is the juncture that separates heroes from the merely strong.” - Margaret George
67. “You've got to fight through some adversity. You've got to have some tough times. You've got to have some rainy days.” - Tom Izzo
68. “Let the darkness find you if it must. Throw off the quick and tempting escapes, and seek help only from those who would teach you to grow, feed your soul, embrace your heart, but would not steal away your journey.” - Jennifer DeLucy
69. “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” - Carlos Costaneda
70. “Strong people alone know how to organize their suffering so as to bear only the most necessary pain.” - Emil Dorian
71. “When you have tough times, and when you learn you can't be perfect in every situation, it's hard to accept, you know, because I still do expect that. But you just have to, because, you know, it's not about the situation. It's how you deal with it. You always have a choice.” - Ana Ivanovic
72. “Storms are good winds that blow away the bad people around you.” - Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu
73. “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” - Randy Pausch
74. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” - Henry Ford
75. “All warriors of a free life share a hardcore mantel that brindles them through troubled times.” - Kilroy J. Oldster
76. "It is our attitude toward events, not events themselves, which we can control. Nothing is by its own nature calamitous – even death is terrible only if we fear it." - Epictetus
77. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” - Arnold Schwarzenegger
78. “I wouldn't ever say if you're having tough times then there must be something wrong with you or your attitude. Life's a fight. It's a good fight of faith. I encourage people to stay up, stay hopeful, stay faith-filled.” - Joel Osteen
79. “Difficulty delivers durability.” - Abhijit Naskar
80. “Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” - Roy T. Bennett
81. “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” - Maya Angelou
82. “It's the difficult years that makes you ready for a phenomenal life.” - Hiral Nagda
83. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” - Nelson Mandela
84. "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided." - J.K. Rowling
85. “It may sound strange, but many champions are made champions by setbacks.” - Bob Richards
86. “You've just got to keep going through the tough times and try your best every time you play.” - Tammy Abraham
87. “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” - Dale Carnegie
88. “When you know what you want, and want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to get it.” - Jim Rohn
89. “Life is very interesting…in the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.” - Drew Barrymore
90. “No one escapes pain, fear, and suffering. Yet from pain can come wisdom, from fear can come courage, from suffering can come strength — if we have the virtue of resilience." - Eric Greitens
91. “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” - Khalil Gibran
92. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” - Helen Keller
93. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” - Ernest Hemingway
94. “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong... I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” - Audrey Hepburn
95. “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” - Frederick Keonig
96. “Every problem is a gift. Without problems we would not grow.” - Tony Robbins
97. "You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice." - Bob Marley
98. "Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself-and be lenient to everybody else.” - Henry Ward Beecher
99. “There is neither happiness nor unhappiness in this world; there is merely the comparison of one state to the other. Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss.” - Alexandre Dumas
100. “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” - C.S. Lewis
101. “Only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly.” - Robert F. Kennedy
102. "My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon." - Mizuta Masahide
103. “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus
104. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” - Theodore Roosevelt
105. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” - Japanese Proverb
106. “Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.” - Muhammad Ali
107. “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
108. "When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." - Peter Marshall
109. “Listen to the people who love you. Believe that they are worth living for even when you don’t believe it. Seek out the memories depression takes away and project them into the future. Be brave; be strong; take your pills. Exercise because it’s good for you even if every step weighs a thousand pounds. Eat when food itself disgusts you. Reason with yourself when you have lost your reason.” - Andrew Solomon
110. "Hard times may have held you down, but they will not last forever. When all is said and done, you will be increased." - Joel Osteen
Conclusion
Life is not always beautiful — it keeps throwing challenges at different points in time that could make anyone feel gloomy. But as the famous adage goes, “Things change. Stuff happens. Life goes on” — know that good things are waiting for you even if it doesn’t seem like it right now. Our tough times quotes will help you regain lost confidence and gather the courage to fight things. As said by Dumbledore, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." Remember that every cloud has a silver lining — try to find happiness in small things when times are difficult and know that you would pass through any storm if you have the will.
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