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Sometimes it might seem like nothing is going your way, but you always have to remember that you can overcome any obstacle in life. You are strong and you can do it.
The toughest battles make the strongest warriors. If you keep believing in yourself, nothing can stop you from achieving what you dream about.
However, sometimes you might not be able to pass a stumbling block. In those cases, there is no need to beat yourself up or believe that you are not strong enough. All you might need is a push toward the right path.
Suppose you face those days when a mental or physical barrier is in front of you, and you cannot pass it. Here are some quotes that might make you feel different and give you the push you need.
Quotes About Strength & Resilience
You might feel like you lack the strength to overcome adversity in your life; these quotes say otherwise.
- "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." — Christopher Reeves
- "I really believe in the old expression that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It's through adversity that you find the strength you never knew you had." — Christie Brinkley
- "Well, if it can be thought, it can be done, a problem can be overcome."― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly,
- "I am more than my scars." — Andrew Davidson, The Gargoyle
- “Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
- "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." — Jimmy Dean
- "Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future." — Steve Jobs
- "The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today." — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
- "You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find Strength." — Marcus Aurelius
- "Strength and courage aren't always measured in medals and victories. They are measured in the struggles they overcome. The strongest people aren't always the people who win, but the people who don't give up when they lose." — Ashley Hodgeson
- "The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." — Ernest Hemmingway
- "There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.' No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster." — Dalai Lama XIV
- "Happiness is dependent on self-discipline. We are the biggest obstacles to our own happiness. It is much easier to do battle with society and with others than to fight our own nature." — Dennis Prager
- You will live many lives: reinvent yourself and don’t dwell on grief.
- Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.
Quotes From Famous People About Their Struggles
The names that have made their way in history also had to overcome many obstacles to reach that point in their life. Here are some quotes that will show how they overcame them.
- 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
- "Life keeps throwing me stones. And I keep finding the diamonds". — Ana Claudia Antunes
- "You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice." — Bob Marley
- "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'" — Muhammad Ali
- "You can't solve a problem on the same level it was created. You have to rise above it to the next level," — Albert Einstein
- "The most beautiful people I've known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths."— Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
- "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." — George Bernard Shaw
- "Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." — Calvin Coolidge
- "Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not." — Bobby Kennedy
- "No one can make me feel inferior without my consent." — Eleanor Roosevelt
Motivational Quotes to Thrive in Adversity
Your adversities are what make the best of you. Here are some quotes to help you overcome them and make you the person you are meant to be.
- "Adversity has ever been considered the state in which a man most easily becomes acquainted with himself." — Samuel Jackson
- "There are uses to adversity, and they don't reveal themselves until tested. Whether it's a serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths." — Sonia Sotomayor
- "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage." — Niccolo Machiavelli
- "Be grateful for all the obstacles in your life; they have strengthened you as you continue with your journey." — Anonymous
- "If you are facing a new challenge or being asked to do something that you have never done before, don't be afraid to step out. You have more capability than you think you do, but you will never see it unless you place a demand on yourself for more." — Joyce Meyer
- "There are many people in the world who have succeeded in climbing the ladder of achievement. Some of these people have persevered throughout their career having met what appeared insurmountable obstacles yet overcame these challenges to keep moving forward." — Byron Pulsifer
- "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
- "Our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant, and to face the challenge of change." — Martin Luther King Jr.
- "And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about." — Haruki Murakami
- "Too many of us wait to do the perfect thing, with the result we do nothing. The way to get ahead is to start now. While many of us are waiting until conditions are 'just right' before we go ahead, others are stumbling along, fortunately, ignorant of the dangers that beset them. By the time we are, in our superior wisdom, decided to make a start, we discover that those who have gone fearlessly on before have, in their blundering way, traveled a considerable distance. If you start now, you will know a lot next year that you don't know now and that you will not know next year if you wait." — The William Feather Magazine
- "Man learns through experience, and the spiritual path is full of different kinds of experiences. He will encounter many difficulties and obstacles, and they are the very experiences he needs to encourage and complete the cleansing process." — Sai Baba
- "No difficulty can discourage, no obstacle dismay, no trouble dishearten the man who has acquired the art of being alive. Difficulties are but dares of fate, obstacles but hurdles to try his skill, troubles but bitter tonics to give him Strength, and he rises higher and looms greater after each encounter with adversity." — Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Quotes to Help You Motivate Yourself
- “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
- “The phoenix must burn to emerge.” - Janet Fitch
- “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein
- “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” - Oscar Wilde
- “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” - Edmund Hillary
- “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill
- “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
- “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." - Marcus Aurelius
- “If you want something you have never had, then you have to do something you have never done." - Unknown
- “No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying." – Tony Robbins
- “Success is nothing more than the long-term investment of time.” -Nicolas Cole
- Success is not a goal, but a by-product. Working toward success is useless, as it cannot be acted upon directly. Showing up every day to put in the work is what matters now.
Uplift yourself in a Hard Time
I love this poem by Douglas Malloch. It gives me new energy and hope. And I hope it does the same for you.
"The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men, good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life."
This poem teaches us that success comes from hard work and determination. It encourages us to strive to be the best version of ourselves and to never give up despite the challenges that may come our way.
Just like a tree needs strong winds and storms to grow strong, we need to face life's difficulties with courage and resilience in order to reach our highest potential.
Life is full of ups and downs, but if we remain focused, determined, and brave, great things can be achieved.
Proverb To Help You Think More Clearly
- Swedish proverb: The pillow is the best advisor.
Meaning: Sleep over a problem and see how you feel in the morning. - Kenyan proverb: When elephants fight, it is the grass that gets hurt.
Meaning: Fights of the powerful hurt only the little guys. - Ancient Roman proverb: Hunger is the best sauce.
Meaning: Everything tastes better when you are hungry. - Japanese proverb: A frog in a well does not know the great sea.
Meaning: There is more going on than you know, try and see the big picture. - Turkish proverb: If the world flooded, it would not matter to the duck.
Meaning: Things that are bad for you, aren’t always bad for everyone. - Russian proverb: To live with the wolves, you have to howl like a wolf.
Meaning: In every situation, try to blend in. - Kenyan proverb: Slippery ground does not recognise a king.
Meaning: Even the most powerful people are just humans deep down. - Gaelic proverb: A cat in mittens won’t catch mice.
Meaning: Being careful and polite doesn’t always get things done.
You might be stuck in an endless loop of failure for now, but know that it will not last forever. You have the strength to power through it, and only you can make yourself believe that. If you have more quotes for overcoming obstacles, do let me know in the comments.
