150+ Uplifting Quotes for Difficult Times

You are probably going through a phase in your life. Reading these uplifting quotes is the best way to distract oneself and focus on the positive side of the situation.

Everybody experiences setbacks, disappointments, and tragedies at some point in their lives, but these painful periods are only temporary and will soon pass.

Finding a little boost can help you remember that life isn’t always horrible when you’re going through a difficult period.

So, whatever you’re going through in life, let this collection of uplifting quotes for tough times serve as a source of inspiration and motivation.

Uplifting Quotes and Sayings

Life has a tendency of knocking us down, but reading inspirational quotations will help you get back up.

Our ability to persevere through the most difficult situations without giving up will primarily determine if we are able to find joy in the everyday fight of life and achieve achievement.

1. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill

2. “Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.” — Lou Holtz

3. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert H Schuller

4. “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” — Benjamin Franklin

5. “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” — Chuck Swindoll

6. “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

7. “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.”―H.G. Wells

8. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.”—Robert H. Schuller

9. “Problems are not stop signs; they are guidelines.”—Robert Schuller

10. “We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us.”—William J. Brennan

11. “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” — Bob Riley

12. “Let perseverance be your engine and hope your fuel.”—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

13. “To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.”—Gail Sheehy

14. “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” — Helen Keller

15. “I learned there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead, others come from behind. But I bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me.” — Dr. Seuss

16. “If you always attach positive emotions to the things you want, and never attach negative emotions to the things you don’t, then that which you desire most will invariably come your way.” – Matt D. Miller

17. Storms make trees take deeper roots.-Dolly Parton

18. Gray skies are just clouds passing over.-Duke Ellington

19. “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

20. “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” – Robert Schuller

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

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

23. The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.-Nelson Mandela

24. We have nothing to fear but fear itself.-Franklin D. Roosevelt

25. When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.-Henry Ford

26. Most great people have attained their greatest success one step beyond their greatest failure.-Napoleon Hill

27. A problem is a chance for you to do your best.-Duke Ellington

28. He knows not his own strength who hath not met adversity.-William Samuel Johnson

29. 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

30. “The first step is you have to say that you can.” – Will Smith

31. Have great hopes and dare to go all out for them. Have great dreams and dare to live them. Have tremendous expectations and believe in them.-Norman Vincent Peale

32. We should always pray for help, but we should always listen for inspiration and impression to proceed in ways different from those we may have thought of.-John H. Groberg

33. Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.-Leroy Satchel Paige

34. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.-Dale Carnegie

35. Believe you can and you’re halfway there.-Teddy Roosevelt

36. In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity.-Albert Einstein

37. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb

38. 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

39. The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.-Unknown

40. Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.-L.M. Montgomery

41. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.-Golda Mier

42. A big part of being a well-adjusted person is accepting that you can’t be good at everything.-Kelly Williams Brown

43. I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.-Og Mandino

44. Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-Robert F. Kennedy

45. Let perseverance be your engine and hope your fuel.-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

46. Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me.-Audre Lorde

47. I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.-Jewish Proverb

48. Your dreams don’t have to be lofty; they just have to be lived.-Kelly Bouchard

Tough Times Quotes

If you’re dealing with tough times and quotes don’t seem like enough, these sayings will help you overcome them.

49. “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” – Edmund Hillary

50. Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.-Christopher Reeve

51. Light tomorrow with today.-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

52. If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.-Frank A. Clark

53. Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.-Les Brown

54. Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.-Elie Weisel

55. The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.-Chinese Proverb

56. Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.-Napoleon Hill

57. “If I persist long enough I will win.” – Og Mandino

58. If you embrace your flaws, nobody can use them against you.-Cara Alwill Leyba

59. Never give in. Never, never, never.-Winston Churchill

60. The oak sleeps in the acorn. The bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul, a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of reality.-Napoleon Hill

61. The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.-Ayn Rand

62. Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.-Truman Capote

63. All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.-Earl Nightingale.

64. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.-William James

65. Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.-Albert Schweitzer

66. Use what you’ve been through as fuel, believe in yourself, and be unstoppable!-Yvonne Pierre

67. It’s not exactly like you thought it would be, you think it’s a failure. What about the spectrum of colors in between.-Sara Evans

68. It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop.-Confucius

69. I learned there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead, others come from behind. But I bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me.-Dr. Seuss

70. The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it, skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.-Epictetus

71. The best way to get rid of the pain is to feel the pain. And when you feel the pain and go beyond it, you’ll see there’s a very intense love that is wanting to awaken itself.-Deepak Chopra

72. We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.-Kenji Miyazawa

73. If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.-Mary Engelbreit

74. People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.-Simon Sinek

75. Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.-John Wooden

76. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.-James Allen

77. In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.-Robert Frost

78. The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.-Jodi Picoult

79. I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.-Maya Angelou

80. 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

81. The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.-Robert Jordan

82. 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

83. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey

84. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.-Arnold Schwarzenegger

85. It may sound strange, but many champions are made champions by setbacks.-Bob Richards

86. My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon.-Mizuta Masahide

87. If you’re going through hell, keep going.-Winston Churchill

88. “A good half of the art of living is resilience.” – Alain de Botton

89. We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.-Charles R. Swindoll

90. When you do not know what you are doing and what you are doing is the best – that is inspiration.-Robert Bresson

91. What helps you persevere is your resilience and commitment.-Roy, T. Bennett

92. If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces.-Shane Koyczan

93. Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.-J.K. Rowling

94. There is meaning in every journey that is unknown to the traveler.-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

95. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.-Thomas Edison

96. He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions.-Louisa May Alcott

97. Resilience is based on compassion for ourselves as well as compassion for others.-Sharon Salzberg

98. Nothing is more beautiful than the smile that has struggled through the tears.-Demi Lovato

99. We are not a product of what has happened to us in our past. We have the power of choice.-Stephen Covey

100. When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.-Jaeda Dewalt

101. Hard times are sometimes blessings in disguise. We do have to suffer but in the end, it makes us strong, better, and wise.-Anurag Prakash Ray

102. I realized sometimes the worst possible thing isn’t really that bad.-Ben Shenkman, Billions

103. Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.-Leo Buscaglia

104. 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

105. The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity.-Seneca

106. Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them.-Publilius Syrus

Hard Times Quotes

107. Everyone experiences hardships, but how we handle them defines who we are.

108. There are many various ways to respond to challenging situations, and developing stronger coping mechanisms is essential for better living.

109. These quotes are meant to encourage you when times are tough so you may figure out how to make things easier once more.

110. Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity.-Coco Chanel

111. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

112. Hard times are like thunder. They make a lot of noise but do little harm. Don’t fear hard times.-Debasish Mridha

113. Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.-Helen Keller

114. In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.-Lee Iacocca

115. “…I’ve discovered that if you want to reach your true potential, it’s much more effective to ignite a new passion for life than to dwell on past problems.” – Neil A. Fiore

116. Hard times lift the seeking souls to higher spiritual realms.-Lailah Gifty Akita

117. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person.-Rita Mero

118. Hard times always lead to something great.-Betsey Johnson

119. 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

120. “We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, maybe the very reason why you don’t have something better.” – C. JoyBell C.

121. Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.-Gever Tulley

122. The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.-Ulysses S. Grant

123. Prosperity is not without many fears and disasters, and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.-Francis Bacon

124. Hard times build determination and inner strength. Through them, we can also come to appreciate the uselessness of anger.-Dalai Lama

125. “Every goal first started as something in our mind. You have it all within you!” – Deborah Day

126. “At the root of all misery is unfulfilled desire.” – Scott Hahn, ‘Hope for Hard Times

127. “In life, we make the best decisions we can with the information we have on hand.” – Agnes Kamara-Umunna

128. “He worked with her as she was and not as he wanted her to be.” – Colin Clark

129. “How can you love people without encouraging them? And how can you be loyal to people without educating them.” – Confucius

130. It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

131. 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

132. “For the rest of his life, Oliver Twist remembers a single word of blessing spoken to him by another child because this word stood out so strikingly from the consistent discouragement around him.” – Charles Dickens

133. “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

134. “The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.” — Epictetus

135. “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” – Bob Riley

136. Confidence, courage, and a determined spirit are vital for surviving hard times.-Lailah Gifty Akita

137. Man is fond of counting his troubles but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up, as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it.-Fyodor Dostoevsky

138. Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.-Mario Fernandez

 139. “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”— Carlos Castaneda

140. “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” — Randy Pausch

141. “Hard times are sometimes blessings in disguise. We do have to suffer but in the end, it makes us strong, better, and wise.” — Anurag Prakash Ray

142. Defeat is simply a signal to press onward.-Helen Keller

143. “Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” ― Roy T. Bennett

144. “All of life is a test and we all have our challenges to meet.” ― Marjory Sheba

145. “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

146. “Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.” – Muhammad Ali

147. “The trick is to enjoy life. Don’t wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead.” – Marjorie Pay Hinckley

148. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt

149. “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

 150. “There have been some hard times, but people around me supported me.” – Laure Manaudou

151. “Never give up. Things may be hard, but if you quit trying they’ll never get better. Stop worrying and start trusting God. It will be worth it.” ― Germany Kent

152. “Going through challenging things can teach you a lot, and they also make you appreciate the times that aren’t so challenging.” – Carrie Fisher

153. “Hard times may have put you down sometimes but they will not last forever. When all is said and done, you will be wise and strong.” – Anurag Prakash Ray

154. “Hard times, when held with open hands and a tender heart, can prepare us for the future.” ― Cindee Snider Re

155. There is nothing wrong with occasionally needing a little boost. The sun shines again after even the worst storms, so the difficult times won’t last forever.

So keep your head up and prepare to experience better times after the challenging ones. It’s never too late to get back up or to cheer someone else up who is down.

We hope that these uplifting quotes will help you develop the fortitude required to overcome the difficulties and trials of life.

CSN Team.