Some things in life start with the ending in sight, like opening a box of cookies or buying a car on finance. But marriage isn’t one of those things.
We don’t declare ‘I do' whilst being on the lookout for the end. We don’t check for expiration dates or signs that things are going sour.
Or at least, not until the end is all we can think about. And divorce is bringing down the final curtain.
It is undeniably tough. No matter what the reason behind the breakup, misery weighs heavy. And recovery seems impossible.
But the end of a relationship doesn’t have to mean the end of happiness, as seen in these divorce quotes. Instead, it’s a chance to start over. And discover a new brighter path ahead.
How Can You Feel Empowered After A Divorce?
No one wants to be a statistic. No one wants to tick the ‘divorced’ box on questionnaires. And admit that though once blissfully married, life came crashing down and left them alone.
But sometimes being alone, at least for a while, is exactly what you need. It's during these moments of solitude that you have the opportunity to rediscover yourself, to heal, and to grow.
Though hard to imagine, being alone doesn't mean you’re going to be lonely. It means you have the chance to focus on your own well-being, rather than allowing it to be overshadowed by someone else’s needs.
It’s a chance to try out new foods, rather than the predictable Tuesday-night tacos that you've grown to resent. A chance to explore further than your local town or city; to watch that documentary, find new hobbies, and meet new people.
Divorce is only the end of a marriage, not your entire life. And if like most divorcees, the relationship had grown cold and bitter long before the papers were signed, this new chapter brings with it the warmth that you’ve needed.
It’s time to say goodbye to being stuck in a loveless marriage. Now you can join that pottery class you always wanted to try or maybe even take up skydiving. You could take up go-karting, drawing, or join a gym. The possibilities are endless, rather than ended.
So, don't let a divorce define you. And instead, see it as an incredible opportunity to start over and rediscover yourself. Now is the time to pursue your passions, take risks, and do all the things that you couldn't while you were married.
It’s a chance to create the life you've always dreamed of. And there’s no better place to start than with these empowering divorce quotes.
85 Empowering Divorce Quotes About the End of a Marriage
- “Divorce isn’t such a tragedy. A tragedy’s staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about love. Nobody ever died of divorce.” – Jennifer Weiner
- “Even the darkest nights come to an end, and the Sun will rise.” – Victor Hugo
- “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” – Lucille Ball
- “You might not be able to control all the events that happen to you, but you can choose to not be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
- “Your dream doesn’t have an expiration date. Take a deep breath and try again.” – KT Witten
- “Sometimes divorce is better than marriage.” – Sumner Redstone
- “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor Frankl
- “If you spend your time hoping someone will suffer the consequences for what they did to your heart, then you’re allowing them to hurt you a second time in your mind.” – Shannon L. Adler
If you spend your time hoping someone will suffer the consequences for what they did to your heart, then you’re allowing them to hurt you a second time in your mind.” – Shannon L. Adler
- “Remember that happiness comes from your own self, not from a marriage.” – Unknown
- “When two people decide to get a divorce, it isn’t a sign that they ‘don’t understand’ one another, but a sign that they have, at least, begun to.” – Helen Rowland
- “Every ending gives way to a new beginning. Divorce is no exception to that.” – Unknown
- “And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – J.K. Rowling
- “Divorce is a fire exit. When a house is burning, it doesn’t matter who set the fire. If there is no fire exit, everyone in the house will be burned!” – Mehmet Murat ildan
- “Nice people don’t necessarily fall in love with nice people.” – Jonathan Franzen
- “Sometimes it is better to accept the fact that some people enter your life to give you temporary happiness.” – Unknown
- “Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” – Robert H. Schuller
- “Never feel lonely and afraid of starting it once again. Remember that it is a way of rebuilding your life just the way you wanted to be.” – Unknown
- I wanted to turn my divorce into a positive. What if I didn’t blame the other person for anything, and held myself 100 percent accountable? What if I checked my own s— at the door and put my children first? And reminded myself about the things about my ex-husband that I love, and fostered the friendship?” – Gwyneth Paltrow
- “Sometimes you’re going to have to let one person go a thousand different times, a thousand different ways, and there’s nothing pathetic or abnormal about that. You are human.” – Heidi Priebe
- “Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got.” – Robert Brault
- “All endings are also beginnings. We are just not aware of it at the time.” – Mitch Albom
- “Tough times never last but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schuller
- “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
- “And then the dream dies and the dream breaks into a tiny million pieces which leaves you with a choice. You can either stick with it, which is unbearable, or you can go off and dream another dream.” – Rachel (Meryl Streep)
And then the dream dies and the dream breaks into a tiny million pieces which leaves you with a choice. You can either stick with it, which is unbearable, or you can go off and dream another dream.” – Rachel (Meryl Streep)
- “Getting a divorce doesn’t mean that you have a failed marriage, it means that you have tried your best.” – Unknown
- “Anyone who gets divorced goes through a lot of pain, but you come out of it.” – Ryan Reynolds
- “Don’t have regrets. You can learn something from every experience.” – Ellen Degeneres
- “Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.” – Lily Tomlin
- “We cannot change the past, but we can start a new chapter with a happy ending.” – Nishan Panwar
- “You cannot start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” – Michael McMillan
- “Divorce is a time of change. It really rocks the foundation of most people’s lives. When we have our heart broken or our dreams taken away from us, it is a time of growth and change.” – Debbie Ford
- “Anything you can’t control is teaching you how to let go.” – Jackson Kiddard
- “Success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared.” – Sonia Sotomayor
- “When a relationship is over, let it go. Do not waste time watering a dead plant.” – Unknown
- “When people divorce, it’s always such a tragedy. At the same time, if people stay together it can be even worse.” – Monica Bellucci
- “Moving on is a process where one lets things happen. On the other hand, moving forward is a choice in making things happen.” – Unknown
- “When your heart is broken you plant seeds in the cracks and wait for rain.” – Andrea Gibson
- “You will know you made the right decision; you feel the stress leaving your body, your mind, and your life.” – Brigette Nicole
- “Divorce is like a bridge between who you were in the past and who you are turning to in the future.” – Unknown
- “The divorce has lasted way longer than the marriage, but finally it’s over. Enough about that. The point is that for a long time, the fact that I was divorced was the most important thing about me. And now it’s not.” – Nora Ephron
The divorce has lasted way longer than the marriage, but finally it’s over. Enough about that. The point is that for a long time, the fact that I was divorced was the most important thing about me. And now it’s not.” – Nora Ephron
- “Being single with a peaceful mind is much better than being in a relationship where you feel single without any peace of mind.” – Unknown
- “Maybe part of finding what you wanted was recognizing what you didn’t want. Maybe there was hope for me yet.” – Claire Cook
- “Divorce is just a part of your life. It doesn’t define who you are. You decide that.” – Karen Finn
- “Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” – Toni Morrison
- “Today expect something good to happen to you no matter what occurred yesterday. Realize the past no longer holds you captive. It can only continue to hurt you if you hold on to it. Let the past go. A simply abundant world awaits” – Sarah Ben Breathnach
- “Divorce may put a full stop to your marriage, but remember it’s not the end of your life.” – Unknown
- “Divorce does not lead to failure; it is just the beginning of a new chapter in your life.” – Unknown
- “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” – Nora Ephron
- “Always have trust in yourself to know when it is time to move on and start with something new.” – Unknown
- “Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.” – Deborah Reber
- “Sometimes the only option of saving yourself is to let off the person who is responsible for your drowning.” – Unknown
- “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
- “It helps to walk away sometimes, even though it was super hard.” – Wiz Khalifa
- “When we deny our stories, They define us. When we own our stories, we get to write the ending.” – Brené Brown
- “Divorce is the freedom to become yourself once again.” – Unknown
- “The good thing about getting divorced young – if there is a good thing – is that it makes you realize there’s no schedule in life. It blasts you wide open and frees you to be honest with yourself.” – Olivia Wilde
The good thing about getting divorced young – if there is a good thing – is that it makes you realize there’s no schedule in life. It blasts you wide open and frees you to be honest with yourself.” – Olivia Wilde
- “In the aftermath of divorce, you are the constructor of your own happiness and freedom.” – Unknown
- “Divorce is always terrible, but I haven’t met anyone who went through it and isn’t happier now.” – Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
- “Drink from the well of yourself and begin again.” – Charles Bukowski
- “I used to hope that you’d bring me flowers. Now I plant my own.” – Rachel Wolchin
- “Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered.” – Michelle Obama
- “It’s true that a divorce is painful. But it also makes it easier to learn and grow from your past mistakes.” – Unknown
- “For a lot of people, divorce is an incredibly healthy move to make in your life.” – Adam Scott
- “Everything is going to be alright. Maybe not today but eventually.” – Unknown
- “When you let go of the wrong person, the right one comes along. Remember this during your divorce.” – Unknown
- “Divorce is a declaration of independence with only two signers.” – Gerald F. Lieberman
- “If you aren’t comfortable with a decision, the chances are that it’s not the right one. If you can change it, do it!” – Rossana Condoleo
- “When one of you wanted one life, and the other wanted something completely different, there was a technical term for that: irreconcilable.” – Anna Quindlen
- “At the end of your marriage, your job, at least in part, is to let go and move away from the wreckage to create something better.” – Karen Finn
- “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou
- “We don’t have the power to change the facts of divorce, but divorce definitely gives us the power to change ourselves.” – Karen Finn
- “Divorce is never easy. I don't care who you are or what the circumstances are. It's a very, very heavy feeling, and at the same time, it feels like a weight has been lifted.” – Catt Sadler
Divorce is never easy. I don't care who you are or what the circumstances are. It's a very, very heavy feeling, and at the same time, it feels like a weight has been lifted.” – Catt Sadler
- “If you’re still looking for a happy ending, I suggest you start searching for a new beginning.” – Unknown
- “Divorce is not the end of the world. It’s worse to stay in an unhealthy marriage. That’s a worse example for the children.” – Jerry Hall
- “You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.” – Mandy Hale
- “Perhaps sometimes reminding ourselves that we do have a choice makes it easier to pick the harder one.” – Eva Melusine Thieme
- “Despite the pain, if minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, you keep going, you will get through your divorce.” – Karen Finn
- “Just because your marriage did not work, do not think of yourself as a loser. Remember, you are a survivor.” – Unknown
- “Surviving divorce does not mean that you are weak- rather it makes you strong as an independent and inspirational person.” – Unknown
- “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” – Carol Burnett
- “Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make peace with that and all will be well.” – Buddha
- “Divorce sets off a tidal wave of changes – physical, mental, emotional, social, and existential.” – Karen Finn
- “I was a high-functioning depressive, seemingly pulled together and buttoned down. But inside deep, I was numb and mute. Now on the other side of divorce, I know that was me fragmented and doing my best to cope. But my body knew.” – Liza Caldwell
- “Remember that you are not alone after divorce; a new life with new opportunities and possibilities awaits you.” – Unknown
- “It always gets worse before it can get better. But it will get better. Like everything else, and like our past struggles, at some point we win, but before that win, there’s always that loss that spurs us on.” – Dolores Huerta
Final Thoughts on Feeling Empowered at the End of a Marriage
The end of a marriage can be one of the most challenging experiences one can go through. But it's important to remember that it doesn't mean the end of you.
In fact, it's a fresh start, an opportunity to explore new possibilities and discover the person you truly are.
So rather than wallowing in sadness or bitterness, embrace your newfound independence. And seize the chance to build a fulfilling life on your own terms.
For more inspirational quotes be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 77 Broken Heart Quotes to Heal and Mend Your Pain
- 87 Affirmations for Marriage to Improve Your Loving Relationship
- 88 Divorce Affirmations to Give you Strength During Tough Times
- 33 Words of Encouragement for Someone Going Through a Divorce
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.
