Do you often feel discouraged or overwhelmed by life? Like how everything seems to go wrong and you need words of encouragement to get by?
When we were young, we have been taught that life is fun and should be lived to the fullest – one that must be filled with happiness. But as we grow old, we learn that life is not always easy. It becomes a battlefield we have to endure to survive.
Some days, things do not happen the way you want them to be. They fall apart, and you start to worry. Worse, you feel discouraged and lonely, thinking that there is no other way to straighten things up.
It is okay not to feel okay.
Psychologists even believe that experiencing challenges and feeling negative emotions sometimes help to keep your mind, body, and soul healthy. The balance between your positive and negative emotions is what makes you human.
You need to feel weak for you to be strong. Your failures, while they do not define you as a person, determine your success.
But how do you get back on track?
Simple: you need to have support and encouragement. You need to be surrounded by people and things that can serve as your pillars in overcoming whatever life throws at you.
While it is essential to keep yourself together (on your own), it doesn’t harm actually to get the back-up you need to start anew. Your friends, family, colleagues, and some words of encouragement are all you need to pull through.
This post is a list of uplifting words that may help you encourage yourself, your friend, or even the people in your workplace. We have gathered 161 words of encouragement that can brighten up your day and bring you positivity.
These words, even if just words, can be powerful. Encouraging means instilling courage – a brave act that is sometimes more compelling and effective than motivation.
Words of encouragement can help you think straight and get back on your feet. They are not just for you to ponder on, but for you to use as well whenever a friend is in need. They work for everyone – anytime, anywhere.
First, we give you words of support and strength that may uplift your spirit and give you the courage you need. They are words of inspiration and encouragement from people who have experienced their own struggles and eventually turned the tides.
As Mahatma Gandhi has put it, strength is not measured by physical capacity. It is determined by the number of times you fall, backed up with the bravery to stand, and finally change the game.
Let's get to these motivational quotes you can share with a friend….
Words of Encouragement and Strength
- “Sometimes, you face difficulties not because you’re doing something wrong, but because you’re doing something right.”
- “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come.
- “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”– Arnold Schwarzenegger
- “Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness.” – Susan Gale
- “At any given moment you have the power to say: This is not how the story is going to end.” – Christine Mason Miller
- “Instead of giving yourself a reason why you can’t, give yourself a reason why you can.”
- “Practice like you've never won. Perform like you've never lost.” – Bernard F. Asuncion
- “Don’t let how you feel make you forget what you deserve.”
- “Do not be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you.”
- “It’s through adversity that you find the strength you never knew you had.”– Christie Brinkley
- “Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.”– L.M. Montgomery
- “Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.”– Jacques Prevert
- “Courage isn’t having the strength to go on. It is going on when you don’t have strength.”– Napoleon Bonaparte
- “The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.” – Nelson Mandela
- “You have the audacity to live a bold life.”
- “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”– Oprah Winfrey
- “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.”– Rikki Rogers
- “Soon, when all is well, you’re going to look back on this period of your life and be so glad that you never gave up.”
- “Hey, little fighter, soon things will be brighter.”
- “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”– Babe Ruth
- “When the world says ‘Give up!’, Hope whispers, ‘Try one more time.’”
- “This, too, shall pass.”
- “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”– Mahatma Gandhi
- “Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.”– Anne Frank
Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.”– Anne Frank
- “Everything you need to accomplish your goals is already in you.”
- “Sometimes when you are in a dark place you think you have been buried, but actually you have been planted.”
- “It always seems impossible until it is done.”– Nelson Mandela
- “Soon, when all is well, you’re going to look back on this period of your life and be so glad that you never gave up.”– Brittany Bergunder
- “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”– Confucius
- “Life is very interesting. In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.”– Drew Barrymore
- “Never apologize for being sensitive or emotional. Let this be a sign that you’ve got a big heart and aren’t afraid to let others see it. Showing your emotions is a sign of strength.”
- “You’re allowed to scream, you’re allowed to cry, but do not give up.”
- “Sometimes, you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand back up taller than you ever were.”
Sometimes, you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand back up taller than you ever were.”
Some people say that you will never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Perhaps this is true.
We only realize that we are strong when we stumble upon challenges in life, and there is no other way to overcome these challenges except to become strong and face them with all might.
But should this strength end in you? If you were able to triumph over your failures, would it not be nice to have your friends experience the same thing?
Indeed, words have the power to encourage anyone who is need – not only you but even your friends.
Whether a person is going through a major problem in his life or merely losing confidence in himself, sincere yet straightforward and uplifting words of encouragement will undoubtedly improve anyone’s perspective in life.
Words of Encouragement for a Friend
- “When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”
- “God gave you this life because he knew you were strong enough to live it.”
- “Just because you are soft doesn’t mean you are not a force. Honey and wildfire are both the color gold.” – Victoria Erickson
- “Stop beating yourself up. You are a work in progress.”
- “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” – C.S. Lewis
- “There’s much more ahead of you. You’ll get through this.”
- “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not making decisions.” – Katherine Hepburn
- “Everything will be OK in the end, if it's not OK, it's not the end.”
- “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” – Oprah
- “You’re in a storm right now. I’ll hold your umbrella.”
- “It will pass, we can ride it out together.”
- “Promise that you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”
- “Just because something isn’t happening for you right now, it doesn’t mean it never will.”
- “The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.”— Vince Lombardi
“The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.”— Vince Lombardi
- “Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing the best you can!”
- “Your spirit has the energy, strength, and stamina of 10,000 horses.”
- “Always remember that your present situation is not your final destination. The best is yet to come.”
- “Take a deep breath, it’s just a bad day not a bad life.”
- “It has been tough, but people are still cheering for you.”
- “For every failure, there’s an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.” – Mary Kay Ash
- “Never dwell on one obstacle for too long. Tomorrow is another day.”
- “You are stronger than you know. More capable than you ever dreamed. And you are loved more than you could possibly imagine.”
- “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”– Maya Angelou
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”– Maya Angelou
- “Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.”
- “People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.”– Lewis Cass
- “Your life is your message to the world. Make it inspiring.”
- “Defeat is simply a signal to press onward.”– Helen Keller
- “Every day may not be a good day, but there is good in every day.”
- “Winning is coming in fourth, exhausted and encouraged – because last time you came in fifth.”– Denis Waitley
“Winning is coming in fourth, exhausted and encouraged – because last time you came in fifth.”– Denis Waitley
- “You have a greater potential than anyone who has ever lived before you! But you'll never “make it” by sitting on your duff and telling the world how great you're going to be, starting tomorrow.”– Og Mandino
- “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.”– Oprah Winfrey
- “Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve, there is a series of obstacles, and the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles. Your decision to be, have and do something out of the ordinary entails facing difficulties and challenges that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.”– Brian Tracy
- “And you ask ‘What if I fall?’ Oh but my darling, what if you fly?”– Erin Hanson
- “Someday, you will become filled with so much happiness that it heals every part of you.”
- “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”– George Patton
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”– George Patton
Just like how your friends supported you when you needed them, return the favor and be their foundation in their most desperate times.
Sometimes, silence is all that they need. But more often than not, they just need a friend who will tell them the words they need to hear.
Additionally, your words of inspiration and strength need not be limited to your friends and family. With such power to encourage, you can even spread positive vibes in your workplace (or to a friend struggling over his work or business).
Sure, work can be daunting at times. When we don’t live up to other people’s expectations (or our own expectations), we tend to get sad and disappointed.
This is why we likewise need positive messages for work that may help us persevere more to achieve our goals.
Words of Encouragement for Work
- “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”– Albert Einstein
- “Believe you can and you are halfway there.”– Theodore Roosevelt
- “Refuse failure. No matter how difficult the obstacles, find a way to around them.”– JJ Goldwag
- “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”– Robert Louis Stevenson
- “Challenging work only comes to those who can handle the pressure.”
- “Sometimes people seem to be doing better than you. They may seem to be way ahead of you in hitting some goals that you may not be close to achieving, but never be bothered by it. Just keep on working hard and carrying on with the steady pace that works best for you.”– Chikamso Efobi
- “Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” – Harper Lee
- “Greatness is sifted through the grind, therefore don’t despise the hard work now for surely it will be worth it in the end.”– Sanjo Jendayi
- “When you are inspired in your work, everything seems to fall into place.”– Wayne Dyer
- “Success only comes to those who dare to attempt.”– Mallika Tripathi
- “Positive thinking is like fuel to the car. It will keep you energized throughout your work.”– Abder-Rahman Ali
- “You will never plow a field if you only turn it over in your mind.” – Irish Proverb
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”– Steve Jobs
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”– Steve Jobs
- “Believe in yourself. Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.”– Helen Keller
- “As long as they are well-intentioned, mistakes are not a matter for shame, but for learning.”– Margaret Heffernan
- “It's not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you.”– Zig Ziglar
- “Happiness is the real sense of fulfillment that comes from hard work.”– Joseph Barbara
- “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”– Colin Powell
- “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”– Michael Jordan
- “Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value.”– Albert Einstein
- “Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.”– Carlos Castaneda
“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.”– Carlos Castaneda
- “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”– Seth Godin
- “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”– Charles Darwin
- “Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.”– Chinese Proverb
- “You are not your resume, you are your work.”– Seth Godin
- “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
- “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!”– Henry Ford
- “When writing the story of your life, don't let anyone else hold the pen.”– Harley Davidson
- “A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.”– Alistair Cook
- “Your limitation — it’s only your imagination.”
- “Great things never come from comfort zones.”
- “When you change your thoughts, you change your world.”– Norman Vincent Peale
- “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”– Beverly Sills
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”– Beverly Sills
Be the person to bring strength during difficult times. Use the words listed above to prompt zeal and confidence in the hearts of your workmates and friends.
Finally, before we conclude this post, we would like to share with you some spiritual words of encouragement. These inspirational messages are spiritual quotes from the Bible, which you or your friends may use in times of distress and helplessness.
There are times when you only need spiritual uplifting words of encouragement and healing. You may or may not believe in the Bible, but you may want to consider the power of the following biblical passages.
Words of Encouragement from the Bible
- “Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”– Isaiah 41:10
- “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”– Matthew 6:34
- “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.”– Isaiah 40:29
- “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”– 1 Corinthians 10:13
- “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”– Deuteronomy 31:6
- “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear, but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”– 2 Timothy 1:7
- “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58
- “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”– 2 Corinthians 12:10
- “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” – Romans 12:12
- “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”– 2 Corinthians 4:16
- “For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.”– Proverbs 3:26
- “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22
- “Our faith can move mountains.” – Matthew 17:20
- “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”– 1 Corinthians 16:13
- “Rise up … take courage and do it.”– Ezra 10:4
- “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”– Galatians 6:9
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”– Galatians 6:9
- “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”– James 1:2-4
- “God promises to make something good out of the storms that bring devastation to your life.” – Romans 8:28
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”– Proverbs 3:5
- “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.”– Psalm 119:50
- “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”– Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”– Isaiah 40:31
- “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”– Psalm 23:1
- “I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”– Psalm 121:1-2
- “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”– James 1:5
- “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”– Philippians 4:6-7
- “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”– Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”– Matthew 11:28
- “What is the price of five sparrows – two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”– Luke 12:6-7
- “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”– 1 Peter 5:7
- “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”– Matthew 7:7
- “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”– Philippians 4:13
- “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!”– Psalm 31:24
- “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’”– Mark 10:27
- “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.”– Psalm 120:1
- “With God all things are possible.”– Matthew 19:26
- “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”– Lamentations 3:22-23
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”– Lamentations 3:22-23
More Words of Encouragement
- “A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” – Serena Williams
- “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
- “The only time you run out of chances is when you stop taking them.” – Alexander Pope
- “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Dr. Benjamin Spock
- “Life isn’t finding shelter in the storm. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Sherrilyn Kenyon
- “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
- “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
- “If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle
- “When the wrong people leave your life, the right things start happening.” – Zig Ziglar
- “Instead of letting your hardships and failures discourage or exhaust you, let them inspire you.” – Michelle Obama
- “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein
- “So far you’ve survived 100% of your worst days. You’re doing great.”
So far you’ve survived 100% of your worst days. You’re doing great.”
- “Failure is success in progress.” – Albert Einstein
- “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
- Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe
- “Don’t worry about all of the steps. Begin.” – Bob Goff
- “If you want something different, you are going to have to do something different.” – Jack Canfield
- “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
- “If you want to conquer fear, don't sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie
- “I know from experience that you should never give up on yourself or others, no matter what.” – George Foreman
- “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
- “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” — Napoleon Hill
- “No matter what you’re going through, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” — Demi Lovato
- “Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” — Maya Angelou
Final Thoughts on Words of Encouragement
When life throws you rocks, throw back with words. You are more than what you were made for. Don’t allow yourself to fall and never get back on track. Live the life you deserve.
More important, spread positivity. Once you reclaim your grip, share your experiences to the world. Let your friends, family, workmates, and everyone know that they can be strong again, too.
Have you been in a really stressful situation lately? We’d love to hear about your experience. Feel free to share your story in the comment section below.
Can you relate to any of the quotes and affirmations stated above? We’d love to know which one.
Likewise, if you like any of the images in this post, why not share it through your favorite social media platform? That will be greatly appreciated.
Well, I hope you got value from these words of encouragement. Perhaps they will guide you on the path to helping you love life.
And if you want more positive words of encouragement, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 65 Words of Encouragement to Your Husband to Lift Him Up
- 101 Words of Encouragement for Men to Help When They’re Struggling
- 55 Good Luck Words of Encouragement for a Job Interview
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.
