When life knocks you down, even getting out of bed can feel impossible. You might feel stuck, tired, or completely alone.

But words, just a few powerful ones, can spark something in you. This is where quotes on adversity can help you. They’re short, honest, and sometimes exactly what you need to hear.

I’ll share quotes that comfort, push, and encourage. Some are fierce, some are gentle, and all remind you: you’re not the only one struggling. Keep reading for wisdom from everyday people to ancient thinkers.

Quotes on Adversity You Can’t Miss

Hard times can make us feel alone, lost, or overwhelmed. But hearing someone else’s words, especially those who’ve faced challenges too, can be deeply comforting.

If you’re looking for motivation, hope, or peace, you’ll find something here to lift you up.

Powerful Quotes About Overcoming Adversity

When life pushes you to the edge, these powerful quotes offer strength. They’re bold, inspiring, and remind you that resilience often begins where comfort ends.

1. “The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.” – Robert Jordan.
2. “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.
3. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou.
4. “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” – Chinese Proverb.
5. “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – J.K. Rowling.
6. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford.
7. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
8. “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” – Bob Riley
9. “The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.” – Marjorie Pay Hinckley
10. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” – Ernest Hemingway
11. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi
12. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey
13. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” – Maya Angelou.
14. “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Green.e
15. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schuller
16. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
17. “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
18. “The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.” – Epicurus
19. “You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.” – Edwin Louis Cole
20. “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” – Robert H. Schuller
21. “The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost
22. “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
23. “Out of difficulties grow miracles.” – Jean de La Bruyère
24. “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” – Molière
25. “We acquire the strength we have overcome.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
26. “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
27. “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” – Edmund Hillary
28. “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me.” – Walt Disney
29. “Strength grows in the moments when you think you can’t go on but you keep going anyway.” – Unknown
30. “The harder you fall, the higher you bounce.” – Unknown

Comforting Quotes for Hard Times

These gentle quotes bring calm in chaos. They’re soothing words for heavy days, offering hope, warmth, and a quiet reminder that you’re not alone in your struggles.

31. “This too shall pass.”
32. “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
33. “Courage, dear heart.”
34. “The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow.”
35. “Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.”
36. “Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness.”
37. “The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.”
38. “When you’re going through hell, keep going.”
39. “Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.”
40. “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”
41. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
42. “Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing the best you can.”
43. “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”
44. “Just keep swimming.”
45. “Healing is not linear.”
46. “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
47. “Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.”
48. “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
49. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
50. “You are stronger than you know, more capable than you ever dreamed.”
51. “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.”
52. “It’s okay not to be okay—as long as you don’t stay that way.”
53. “Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.”
54. “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”
55. “No matter how much it hurts now, someday you will look back and realize your struggles changed your life for the better.”
56. “It’s not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
57. “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
58. “Breathe. It’s just a bad day, not a bad life.”
59. “Rock bottom has built more heroes than privilege.”
60. “Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.”

Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Quotes About Adversity

Wisdom from ancient thinkers who faced hardship with strength. These Stoic quotes guide your mindset, showing how clarity, courage, and control can grow from any challenge.

61. “The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.” – Epicurus
62. “If any external thing pains you, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it.” – Marcus Aurelius.
63. “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus.
64. “Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: ‘Is this the condition that I feared?'” – Seneca.
65. “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius.
66. “The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable.” – Seneca
67. “First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus
68. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius
69. “He who fears death will never do anything worthy of a living man.” – Seneca
70. “Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.” – Epictetus

Quotes on Adversity and Growth

Hardships often teach what success can’t. These quotes tell how struggle leads to personal growth, offering insight into how pain, failure, and challenge shape a stronger you.

71. “Adversity is the first path to truth.” – Lord Byron
72. “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus
73. “The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and beautiful of all.” – Walt Disney Company, “Mulan”
74. “When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways – either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.” – Dalai Lama
75. “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time.” – Malcolm X
76. “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa
77. “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” – William Ellery Channing
78. “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
79. “Seeds grow in darkness.” – Unknown
80. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
81. “Sometimes painful things can teach us lessons that we didn’t think we needed to know.” – Amy Poehler
82. “The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.” – Pelé
83. “You’ll never find a better sparring partner than adversity.” – Golda Meir
84. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
85. “Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.” – William Arthur Ward
86. “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.
87. “No garden without its weeds.” – Thomas Fuller
88. “A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.” – John Neal.
89. “Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.” – Lou Holtz.
90. “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.” – Thisuri Wanniarachchi.
91. “Prosperity is not without many fears and disasters, and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.” – Francis Bacon.
92. “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” – Thomas Edison.
93. “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine.
94. “Beautiful people are not always good, but good people are always beautiful.” – Unknown.
95. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill.
96. “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve.
97. “Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter.” – Dan Reeves.
98. “The capacity to learn from and grow through adversity is at the heart of resilience.” – Unknown.
99. “Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place.” – Unknown.
100. “The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” – Rabindranath Tagore.

Quotes About Adversity Sorted by Mood

Different moods call for different messages. These curated quotes on adversity are grouped by tone (fierce, gentle, and honest) so you’ll find the one that speaks to your moment.

Fierce Quotes About Adversity

101. “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” – Carl Jung
102. “Fate whispers to the warrior, ‘You cannot withstand the storm.’ The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm.'” – Unknown
103. “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” – Mexican Proverb
104. “Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” – Bruce Lee
105. “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six 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
106. “Whatever doesn’t kill you, better run.” – Unknown
107. “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott.
108. “When something bad happens, you have three choices: Let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you.” – Unknown.
109. “I didn’t come this far to only come this far.” – Unknown
110. “You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.” – Unknown

Gentle Quotes About Adversity

111. “Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings.” – Victor Hugo
112. “When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars.” – Unknown.
113. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu.
114. “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller.
115. “The wound is the place where the light enters you.” – Rumi
116. “The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.” – Unknown
117. “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene
118. “Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard.” – Kurt Vonnegut
119. “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis
120. “Each morning we are born again. What we do today matters most.” – Buddha

Honest Quotes About Adversity

121. “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.” – Stephanie Bennett Henry
122. “Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.” – Brené Brown
123. “Not everything that weighs you down is yours to carry.” – Unknown
124. “The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” – Bob Marley
125. “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
126. “Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you’ve ever been, to stand up taller than you ever were.” – Unknown
127. “Nobody ever said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.” – Unknown
128. “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton
129. “You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” – Timber Hawkeye
130. “Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.” – Steve Jobs.

Quotes for Strength

When life feels heavy, a few strong words can help lift your spirit. These quotes remind you of your inner strength, even on the hardest day.

131. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
132. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
133. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
134. “The broken will always be able to love harder than most”.
135. “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations”.
136. “A problem is a chance for you to do your best”.
137. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly”.
138. “Scars remind us where we’ve been. They don’t have to dictate where we’re going”.
139. “Grief does not change you. It reveals you”.
140. “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional”.
141. “Success is not where you are, it’s what you overcame to get there”.
142. “Storms make trees take deeper roots”.
143. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today”.
144. “There is no education like adversity”.
145. “Even if happiness forgets you for a moment, don’t forget about it”.
146. “Life doesn’t always get easier, but you do get stronger”.
147. “What matters most is how you respond, not what happens to you”.
148. “Nothing is impossible if you’re willing to try”.
149. “Even the darkest hour only lasts sixty minutes”.
150. “Fear often makes things seem worse than they are”.
151. “A smile after tears is one of the bravest things”.
152. “Big things take time; keep going”.
153. “Let hope move you forward, and never give up”.
154. “Every try brings you closer to success”.
155. “There’s no fast way to somewhere truly worth going”.
156. “Being thankful makes what you have feel like enough”.
157. “Even a small spark of strength is enough to keep going”.
158. “You’re stronger and softer than you think—and that’s your power”.
159. “Without pressure, there would be no diamonds”.
160. “You grow courage by getting through the hard stuff, not avoiding it”.

How to Use These Quotes in Real Life

When life gets tough, these quotes can offer perspective and comfort. Here’s how to put them to work:

• For supporting friends: Choose quotes that match their specific situation, write them at the top of a note with your personal message below, and include a concrete offer of help rather than just words.
• In your journal: Create a dedicated “tough days” quote page, use quotes as weekly themes, tuck them into page corners for surprise encouragement, or add them after writing about challenges.
• On social media: Pair short quotes with personal reflections on how they helped you, ask a question to engage followers, and use hashtags like #flexibility to connect with others seeking strength.
• In speeches: Open with a powerful quote to set the tone, circle back to it at the end for closure, choose simple language for better connection, and memorize it for natural delivery.
• As daily reminders: Rotate quotes monthly so they don’t fade into the background, choose brief ones for quick reading, use dry-erase markers on mirrors for easy changes, and pair phone screen quotes with reinforcing images.

Conclusion

No matter what you’re facing right now, these quotes on adversity are here to remind you you are not alone, and you are stronger than you think.

From fierce motivation to quiet comfort, each quote speaks to a different part of your life path. Let them stay with you. Write them down.

Share them with someone who needs a lift. Save your favorites for the hard days. Strength comes in many forms, and sometimes, it starts with the right words.

If this helped you, bookmark it, share it, and revisit it whenever you need a little fuel to keep moving forward. You’ve got this.