Moving on.
Two small words. Three short syllables. And a whirlwind of raw emotions that quickly gather speed, bringing panic and upset across your whole life.
And this is perfectly normal. No one likes having to start over.
But no matter how hard you try to bury your head in the sand, the most positive thing you can do right now is get up and put one foot in front of the other.
And though those first few steps will appear heavy, with each foot forward, the emotional baggage you carry will feel a little lighter and allow you to hold your head a little higher.
These 57 starting over quotes will provide the emotional crutch you’re reaching out for. And give you comfort on the road, that whilst will be tough to walk, will lead you to a much-needed fresh start.
Why is It So Hard to Move On?
Although you might not be happy in your career or relationship, familiarity does a great job of masking the problems and reassuring you that life is good.
We are, after all, creatures of comfort. Our souls are often soothed by our preferred brand of coffee, a good book, or our favorite comfies that are so far beyond help, and yet so far away from being thrown out.
And perhaps this is how you feel with the current constraints in your life. Perhaps you don’t feel ready, mentally or emotionally, to throw them away.
Maybe you're living in hope that things will get better, despite knowing the odds are not in your favor. Or maybe you just don't have the strength to walk away, even when the negative impact is so glaringly obvious.
This comfort zone you’ve created, gives you reason to stay, even when you know you shouldn’t. Even when you know the situation is toxic.
But who are you really staying for? An ungrateful boss who probably doesn’t even know your name? A controlling partner in a one-sided relationship? A judgemental relative who takes great pleasure in your misery?
Or yourself? Because you don’t believe you can do it on your own.
But what if you took that leap of faith and reached the other side? How do you know you can’t make it on your own unless you try?
Letting go of the security blanket that’s holding you down will undoubtedly be difficult. But this is your opportunity to grow, to be free, and to be the very best version of you.
And there’s no better time than today to make that break. So let’s start your journey with these 57 starting over quotes to help you move on.
57 Starting Over Quotes to Help You Move On
- “Maybe it’s not about trying to fix something that’s broken. Maybe it’s about starting over and creating something better.” – Unknown
- “My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.” – Maya Angelou
- “The direction you choose to face determines whether you're standing at the end or the beginning of a road.” – Richelle E. Goodrich
- “There’s an important difference between giving up and letting go.” – Jessica Hatchigan
- “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” – Lao Tzu
- “Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.” – Hermann Hesse
- “Starting over can be challenging, but also it can be a great opportunity to do things differently.” – Catherine Pulsifer
- “Pain will leave you when you let go.” – Jeremy Aldana
- “Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning, anyone can start over and make a new ending.” – Chico Xavier
- “Take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.” – Frank Sinatra
- “Holding on is believing that there’’s a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.” – Daphne Rose Kingma
- “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell
- “It’s painful and it’s messy. But sometimes you just have to make the break and start again.” – Tony Parsons
- “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell
- “You are allowed to let go of all those that do not set you free anymore.” – Dhiman
- “When you can no longer think of a reason to continue you must think of a reason to start over.” – Linda Poindexter
- “Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” – Steve Maraboli
- “Keep planting and sowing, living and knowing: beautiful things take time, and that is okay.” – Morgan Harper Nichols
- “Recreate your life, always. Remove the stones, plant rose bushes and make sweets. Begin again.” – Cora Coralina
- “It's good to start over. It will be scary but you will see what you're really made of; it's the best opportunity to achieve what you never thought you could.” – Jennifer Coletta
- “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “Whatever wrong turns you’ve taken in life you can always start over and find your way back to happiness.” – Marty Rubin
- “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.” – Lao Tzu
- Life is tough, but so are you.” – Carmi Grau
- “You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles.” – C. Joybell C.
You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles.” – C. Joybell C.
- “As long as you’re still alive, you always have the chance to start again.” – Emily Acker
- “We need to learn to let go as easily as we grasp and we will find our hands full and our minds empty.” – Leo F. Buscaglia
- “Reinvent yourself over and over and over and over and over until you find home. There is no timeline for the soul.” – Malebo Sephodi
- “You’re imperfect and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” – Brené Brown
- “If you keep picking at that scab on your heart, it won’t heal.” – Antonia Perdu
- “There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life.” – Unknown
- “Advice to my younger self: 1. Start where you are with what you have. 2. Try not to hurt other people. 3. Take more chances. 4 If you fail, keep trying.” – Germany Kent
- “It’s so empowering to say, ‘This isn’t serving me,’ and walk away in peace.” – Unknown
- “Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience.” – Unknown
- “Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.” – Nicole Sobon
- “I’m going to keep showing up as my best self and stay focused on my own path. That’s how I know I’ll win.” – BossBabe
- “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
- “Chance is not a word to toss in the air. It’s a word to take in, a word to give yourself.” – Michelle Muriel
- “And suddenly, you know…It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” – Meister Eckhart
- “Letting go is hard but being free is beautiful.” – Wilder Poetry
- “You can start anew at any given moment. Life is just the passage of time and it’s up to you to pass it as you please.” – Charlotte Ericksson
- “Letting go may sound so simple, but rarely is it a one-time thing. Just keep letting go, until one day it’s gone for good.” – Eleanor Brownn
- “The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.” – Joseph Campbell
- “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “There’s a trick to the graceful exit. It begins with the vision to recongnize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over – and to let go. It means leaving what’s over without denying it’s value.” – Ellen Goodman
- “Starting over is opportunity informed by failure, which is opportunity made intelligent.” – Craig D. Lounsbrough
- “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr
- “The answer to every adversity lies in courageously moving forward with faith.” – Edmond Mbiaka
- “Don’t worry. Just when you think your life is over, a new storyline falls from the sky and lands right in your lap.” – Rebekah Crane
- “What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.” – Charles Bukowski
- “Every day begins like a blank chalkboard, on which each one of us can write the poem of our present and our dreams for the future.” – Ricky Martin
- “I welcomed who I was and left behind who I was not.” – David Elliott
- “Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up anyways.” – Glennon Doyle
- “You can love them, forgive them, want good things for them…but still move on without them.” – Mandy Hale
- “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton
- “All he would say was that sometimes you have to burn it down and start over.” – Kelly Braffet
- “Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.” – Katherine Mansfield
Final Thoughts on Starting Over
Starting over is super stressful. It’s up there with getting married and having kids. The unknown brings with it a tornado of questions, many of which you can’t answer. And this uncertainty makes even the most confident people nervous.
But it also brings opportunities, and adventures that you didn’t know were out there. For whilst living in your bubble, in your little safe haven, you were blinkered to the world around you.
It’s time to step outside the box, to draw over the lines in all the beautiful colors, and move on with your life.
And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 57 New Day Quotes to Start Your Morning the Right Way
- 55 Leap of Faith Quotes for Tough Times
- 51 Regret Quotes to Help You Let Go of the Past
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.
Rebel Jones has been writing from a young age. She first used poetry to organise words – the rhythm and flow brought peace to her chaos. But as she developed (both as a person and as a writer), she embraced her offbeat thought process and found her own style and tone. Writing is definitely her happy place and one that she’s happy to share with the world.
