Have you been facing difficulties in your endeavors these past few days? Here are some adversity quotes to cheer you up!
Encountering adversity is inevitable. It is a part of our human life. But how do you think successful people were able to overcome their mishaps?
It all depends on how you deal with the obstacles life throws your way. You can either let these obstacles bring you down, or use them as motivation to lift you up.
There is no way to win without risking the pain of losing.
In this post, we have gathered 71 adversity quotes that can inspire you to overcome adversity. They will help you create a life full of perseverance and determination. Overcoming adversity is a key element of happiness.
Our first set is a compilation of quotes on overcoming adversity.
These quotes are from inspirational people who overcame adversity right after hitting rock bottom. They didn’t let life throw their dreams away. Instead, they challenged the world and proved their worth.
Let’s get to it!
Famous Quotes about Overcoming Adversity
- “You can use the stumbling blocks to build your success.” – Lailah Gifty Akita
- “When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the most calm. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on.”– LL Cool J
- “But if everything was always smooth and perfect, you'd get too used to that, you know? You have to have a little bit of disorganization now and then. Otherwise, you'll never really enjoy it when things go right.” – Sarah Dessen
- “Adversity, which looks and feels like such a determined enemy, can become a valuable ally. Only you can decide which it will be.” – Joni Eareckson Tada
- “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
- “Facing it, always facing it, that’s the way to get through. Face it.” – Conrad Joseph
- “The eagle has no fear of adversity. We need to be like the eagle and have a fearless spirit of a conqueror!” – Joyce Meyer
- “Having nothing to struggle against, they have nothing to struggle for.”– Charles Bukowski
- “Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.” – Roy T. Bennett
- “Just as silver linings can only be found on dark clouds, rays of hopes can be found, when one is facing hardships.” – M. K. Soni
- “The journey is never ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to live in the moment.” – Antonio Brown
- “Adversity in our life may seem like a problem, however, adversity can make us grow and learn, an opportunity that we may never have experienced. It all depends on how you look at it.” – Catherine Pulsifer
- “We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.” – Barbara de Angelis
“We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.” – Barbara de Angelis
- “Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with.”– Thomas Carlyle
- “Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.” – William Arthur Ward
- “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
- “You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.”– Robin Sharma
Don’t expect every moment to be great. There are times when you will need to push yourself to your limits to achieve what you have always been dreaming of.
Life is a struggle, but you can set the odds to be in your favor.
As we have mentioned earlier, it’s how you take on those challenges that will make the difference. Be strong, and never let the circumstances make you feel like you cannot make it through.
Speaking of being strong, you might want to keep reading. Our next set is a compilation of quotes that can keep you strong whenever you feel like giving up.
These quotes are from people who overcame failure simply because they didn’t let adversity stand in their way.
Strength through Adversity Quotes
- “You will know the limit of your strength when you fight for what you are afraid to lose. If you know what to be scared of, then you fight harder. Eventually, you learn how to win.” – Mystqx
- “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. Strength comes from overcoming the things you thought you couldn’t.” – Unknown
- “Anyone can give up; it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone would expect you to fall apart, that’s true strength.” – Chris Bradford
- “I am the bended, but not broken. I am the power of the thunderstorm. I am the beauty in the beast. I am the strength in weakness. I am the confidence in the midst of doubt. I am Her!” – Kierra C.T. Banks
- “Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness.”– Susan Gale
- “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 strongest people are not those who show strength in front of the world but those who fight and win battles that others do not know anything about.” – Jonathan Harnisch
- “When something bad happens, you have three choices: You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you.” – Unknown
- “Truth be told, you will never really know just how strong and adamant you are unless adversity strikes. Then you learn courage, you build resilience, you learn to persevere, you build character.” – T. Whitmore
- “Events may be horrible or inescapable. Men have always a choice – if not whether, then how, they may endure.” – Lois McMaster Bujold
- “Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” – Bruce Lee
- “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne
- “True strength is keeping everything together when everyone expects you to fall apart.”– Unknown
- “As they expect to see you drowning, keep on floating.” – Gift Gugu Mona
- “Your strength doesn't come from winning. It comes from struggles and hardship. Everything that you go through prepares you for the next level.” – Germany Kent
- “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” – Bob Riley
- “Vulnerability may seem like a weakness, but in truth, it is a strength for being able to show you can be vulnerable, shows you are just human. And being just human is our strength.” – Kailin Gow
The best time to learn how strong you are is when adversity strikes. When this happens you don’t have any other choice but to fight and win.
Actually, I take that back. There are actually two choices: give up or fight until the end. But who would want to choose the first option? Hopefully most of you have the spirit to keep fighting.
Yes, you were made to be broken. But you were not made to lose. Keep the positive vibe and embed in your heart that you are, and always will be, destined to succeed.
And while you struggle so hard to thrive and prosper, don’t forget to smile and be happy. During tough times, one of the best ways to insult your trials is through smiling.
Our third set of quotes will teach you how to smile in times of adversity. Don’t stress yourself too much with the problems that you have to deal with. Smile – it makes a lot of difference in how you face your difficulties.
Smile in the Face of Adversity Quotes
- “It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
- “To everyone battling a difficulty or under attack right now, smile, keep your head up, keep moving and stay positive, you'll get through it.” – Germany Kent
- “I’ve had to learn to fight all my life – got to learn to keep smiling. If you smile, things will work out.” – Serena Williams
- “Nothing is more beautiful than the smile that has struggled through the tears.”– Demi Lovato
- “Smile, smile, smile at your mind as often as possible. Your smiling will considerably reduce your mind’s tearing tension.” – Sri Chinmoy
- “In the face of adversity, you must become a rock, unbending and absolutely impregnable.”– Izaya Harden
- “It takes a lot of energy to be negative. You have to work at it. But smiling is painless. I’d rather spend my energy smiling.” – Eric Davis
- “I have always felt that laughter in the face of reality is probably the finest sound there is and will last until the day when the game is called on account of darkness. In this world, a good time to laugh is any time you can.” – Linda Ellerbee
- “Instead of giving up on the face of adversity, you should face it with a positive attitude and smile.” – Anurag Prakash Ray
- “Remember, even though the outside world might be raining, if you keep on smiling, the sun will soon show its face and smile back at you.” – Anna Lee
- “A forced smile covers many struggles and has the power to improve perspective. Despite any difficulties, a smile can change everything!” – Karen Gibbs
- “Grit your teeth and smile. In the face of adversity, go. They don’t deserve you.” – Christine Lagarde
- “When I look out at the people and they look at me and they’re smiling, then I know that I’m loved. That is the time when I have no worries, no problems.” – Etta James
- “If the storm of life gives you a big blow, don't worry, just give it a great smile and pursue to leave distinctive footprints with perseverance and tenacity regardless of how arduous the errand may be. It may not be so easy but, dare to win!” – Ernest Agyemang Yeboah
- “The truth is, we all face hardships of some kind, and you never know the struggles a person is going through. Behind every smile, there’s a story of a personal struggle.”
– Adrienne C. Moore
You’ve heard it a million times before, but we are still going to repeat it – a smile can change a lot. You are entitled to be happy even if you feel like the whole world is already against you. No one can take that away from you.
Besides, smiling makes things a bit lighter. If you smile and laugh, you’ll never know how life can be so much happier. For more smile quotes, click here.
Our last set of quotes is about overcoming adversity and finally helping yourself persevere. This is the way to reach the top. Let adversity drive you to become more determined in achieving your dreams.
Quotes about Adversity and Perseverance
- “Life is very interesting. In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.”– Drew Barrymore
- “And one has to understand that braveness is not the absence of fear but rather the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear.”– Paulo Coelho
- “I strongly believe that through dedication and perseverance, one can overcome adversity to achieve success.” – Ginni Rometty
- “Just remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears.”– Gillian Anderson
- “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
- “A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but its persistence.” – Unknown
- “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie
- “Of all that is good, sublimity is supreme. Succeeding is the coming together of all that is beautiful. Furtherance is the agreement of all that is just. Perseverance is the foundation of all actions.” – Lao Tzu
- “Remind thyself, in the darkest moments, that every failure is only a step toward success, every detection of what is false directs you toward what is true, every trial exhausts some tempting form of error, and every adversity will only hide, for a time, your path to peace and fulfillment.”– Og Mandino
- “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” – Newt Gingrich
- “Grit is that ‘extra something’ that separates the most successful people from the rest. It’s the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.” – Travis Bradberry
- “We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.” – Helen Keller
- “Life may try to knock you down but be persistent with your passions – cultivate grit, resilience, tenacity and endurance success will come.” – Amit Ray
- “The harder you fall, the heavier your heart; the heavier your heart, the stronger you climb; the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal.” – Criss Jami
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve
- “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve
- “There are two ways of attaining an important end, force and perseverance; the silent power of the latter grows irresistible with time.” – Sophie Swetchine
- “Adversity, and perseverance and all these things can shape you. They can give you a value and a self-esteem that is priceless.” – Scott Hamilton
- “Permanence, perseverance, and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: it is this that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” – Thomas Carlyle
- “Through perseverance, many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.” – Benjamin Disraeli
- “If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.”– William J. Clinton
- “The truth is, we all face hardships of some kind, and you never know the struggles a person is going through. Behind every smile, there’s a story of a personal struggle.”
– Adrienne C. Moore - “Determination is not giving up when adversity strikes. Determination is seeing your dream or goal to completion.” – Sullins Stuart
Final Thoughts on Adversity Quotes
Adversity builds resilience – the ability to withstand difficult situations that you may encounter in achieving success. It is the driving force that pushes you to keep moving forward.
Without adversity, you will never learn how to persevere and you will never experience life’s sweetest success. So, when life throws you challenges, take them all in. You are brave, and you’ll make it through.
What’s your favorite quote from the ones above? Feel free to tell us in the comments field below.
If you happen to have an experience about overcoming adversity, let the world learn from your story and share it in our comments box as well.
If one or some of the images hit you right, a share through your favorite social media platform will be highly appreciated!
And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 91 Quotes About Perseverance Through Hard Times
- 67 Self-Reflection Quotes to Help You Grow as a Person
- 47 Uplifting Grief Quotes for Dealing with Loss & Pain
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
