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You got this!
By Jaycee Levin — Written on Apr 05, 2021
We all experience those instances when it feels like the whole world is working against you. Even though it’s hard, you have to try to work towards rising above it.
It is in these tough moments that you can discover and channel your inner strength to pick yourself up by your bootstraps.
Sometimes you even discover strength in yourself that you didn’t even know you had and that is a powerful and beautiful thing to realize. Good can come out of tough times and you are strong enough to push through your troubles and obstacles.
When things are tough, you have to be your own number one fan because you can’t always rely on other people to motivate and support you.
The best quotes about strength can help you feel inspired during these hard times.
Some say that if you force yourself to smile when you are sad, it can trick your brain into thinking you are happy. Just like smiling, sometimes you have to fake it until you make it. It can be a lot easier to slip into negative thoughts but if you consciously tell yourself how great and strong you are, even if you don’t believe it at that moment, you will feel it eventually.
It might seem silly to boost yourself up when you aren’t feeling your best but if you practice at it then it will become second nature and you will have more confidence when reaching for your dreams.
Believing in yourself starts with having the right mindset, so to help you get there we've gathered the best quotes about strength to help you get started:
1. "The key to being happy is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go." — Dodinsky
2. "Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that's very important for good health." — Dalai Lama
3. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” — Ernest Hemingway
4. “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” — Audrey Hepburn
5. "Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack." — Seneca
6. "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." — Albert Camus
7. "Strength lies in differences, not in similarities." — Stephen R. Covey
8. "Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty." — John Ruskin
9. "The strength in power is knowing when not to use it."
10. "I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me." — Joshua Graham
11. "Where is the man who has the strength to be true, and to show himself as he is?" — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
12. "We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live." — Cesar Chavez
13. "It is not good to see people who have been pretending strength all their lives lose it even for a minute." — Lillian Hellman
14. "Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t." — Rikki Rogers
15. "Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer." — Niccolo Machiavelli
16. "Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength." — Francis De Sales
17. "Smiles can hide so much; fear, pain, sadness, tears. But then again they reflect one thing: strength."
18. "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." — Harriet Tubman
19. "Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing the best you can."
20. "The man who has done his best has done everything." — Charles M. Schwab
21. "The task ahead of you is never greater than the strength within you."
22. "Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place." — Iain Thomas
23. "The task ahead of you is never greater than the strength within you."
24. "Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."
25. “Life is very interesting. In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.” — Drew Barrymore
26. “I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ’Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” — Thomas Paine
27. “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
28. “Nothing is more beautiful than the smile that has struggled through the tears.” — Demi Lovato
29. "Your victory is right around the corner. Never give up." — Nicki Minaj
30. "This too shall pass away." — Ella Wheeler Wilcox
31. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." — Joseph Kennedy
32. "Make up your mind that no matter what comes your way, no matter how difficult, no matter how unfair, you will do more than simply survive. You will thrive in spite of it." — Joel Osteen
33. "I’ve never met a strong person with an easy past." — Atticus
34. "Freedom comes from strength and self-reliance." — Lisa Murkowski
35. "In times of crisis, people reach for meaning. Meaning is strength. Our survival may depend on our seeking and finding it." — Dawna Markova
36. "Leverage the strength that you have: that no one else can be you." — Todd Wheatland
37. "Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have." — Norman Vincent Peale
38. "Perhaps I am stronger than I think." — Thomas Merton
39. "Life is very interesting. In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths." — Drew Barrymore
40. "You are the only you there is and ever will be." — Jen Sincero
41. "Problems are the price you pay for progress." — Branch Rickey
42. "Do what is right, not what is easy." — Roy T. Bennett
43. "Falling down is an accident. Staying down is a choice."
44. "I realized that my strength was being different." — Betsey Johnson
45. "Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." — John C. Maxwell
46. "If you have no struggles, you’ll have no strength." — Tim Fargo
47. "Strength doesn’t come from winning." — Arnold Schwarzenegger
48. "People do not lack strength, they lack will." — Victor Hugo
49. "Never give up. Great things take time." — Frank Zane
50. "She was afraid of heights, but she was much more afraid of never flying." — Atticus
51. "She understood that the hardest times in life to go through were when you were transitioning from one version of yourself to another." — Sarah Addison Allen
52. "If all girls were taught how to love each other fiercely instead of how to compete with each other and hate their own bodies, what a different and beautiful world we would live in." — Nikita Gill
53. "Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them."
54. "Keep taking time for yourself until you're you again." — Lalah Delia
55. "No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." — Socrates
56. "It's your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life's story will develop." — Dieter F. Uchtdorf
57. "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths." — Arnold Schwarzenegger
58. "The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born." — Malala Yousafzai
59. "Failure gave me strength. Pain was my motivation." — Michael Jordan
60. "When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t." — Thomas A. Edison
61. "I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection." — Leonardo da Vinci
62. "Fall seven times, stand up eight." — Japanese proverb
63. "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." — Friedrich Nietzsche
64. "I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." — Muhammad Ali
65. "As long as we persevere and endure, we can get anything we want." — Mike Tyson
66. "Only strength can cooperate. Weakness can only beg." — Dwight D. Eisenhower
67. "Where there is no struggle, there is no strength." — Oprah Winfrey
68. "There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." — Woody Hayes
69. "The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection." — Thomas Paine
70. "Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and get back up again." — Nelson Mandela
71. "One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity." — Albert Schweitzer
72. "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." — Christopher Reeve
73. "When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." — Peter Marshall
74. "Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well." — Vincent van Gogh
75. "So many people love you. don't focus on the people who don't." — Soyen
76."Because no matter how tough the world becomes, you must never run out of sweetness." — Bernardokath
77. "Life tried to crush her, but only succeeded in creating a diamond." — John Mark Green
78. "Behind every successful woman is herself."
79. "Don't be scared to update your goals and dreams as you grow. It's ok not to want the same things you wanted last year or even last week." — Sam Brown
80. “It is our attitude toward events, not events themselves, which we can control. Nothing is by its own nature calamitous — even death is terrible only if we fear it.” — Epictetus
81. "Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." — Kahlil Gibran
82. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” — Ambrose Redmoon
83. "Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." — Bruce Lee
84. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” — Maya Angelou
85. “Don't despair: despair suggests you are in total control and know what is coming. You don't – surrender to events with hope.” — Alain de Botton
86. “No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That's the only way to keep the roads clear.” — Greg Kincaid
87. “Someone I once loved gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift.” — Mary Oliver
88. "Scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue. Realize the strength, move on." — Henry Rollins
89. "If you haven’t the strength to impose your own terms upon life, then you must accept the terms it offers you." — T.S. Eliot
90. “Courage isn’t having the strength to go on, it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” — Napoleon Bonaparte
91. "Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity." — Louis Pasteur
92. "The past is your lesson. The present is your gift. The future is your motivation."
93. “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” — J.K. Rowling
94. "There are two ways of exerting one’s strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up." — Booker T. Washington
95. "This is the mark of a really admirable man: steadfastness in the face of trouble." — Ludwig van Beethoven
96. "Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you." — Ovid
97. "You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." — Marcus Aurelius
98. "Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go." — Hermann Hesse
99. "Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
100. "Mistakes are inevitable. How you handle the cleanup will always be your choice." — Britt Powers
101. "We are the granddaughters of the witches they couldn't burn."
102. "The key to success is to start before you are ready." — Marie Forleo
103. "Always go with your passions. Never ask yourself if it's realistic or not." — Deepak Chopra
104. "There are far better things ahead." — C.S. Lewis
105. "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." — Mother Teresa
106. "Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." — Abraham Lincoln
107. "Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you." — Misty Copeland
108. "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path." — Buddha
109. "For what it’s worth: It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over again." — F. Scott Fitzgerald
110. "Courage is grace under pressure." — Ernest Hemingway
111. "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." — Christopher Reeve
112. "In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity." — Albert Einstein
113. "You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice."
114. "Courage is found in unlikely places." — J.R.R. Tolkien
115. "Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle." — Napoleon Hill
116. "What makes you different or weird, that's your strength." — Meryl Streep
117. "Don't push your weaknesses, play with your strengths." — Jennifer Lopez
118. "Life doesn't get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient." — Steve Maraboli
119. "Strength is a matter of a made-up mind." — John Beecher
120. "Try to look at your weakness and convert it into your strength. That's success." — Zig Ziglar
121. "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." — Walt Disney
122. "All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination." — Earl Nightingale
123. "Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power." — Lao Tzu
124. "The undertaking of a new action brings new strength." — Richard L. Evans
125. "Be loud about the things that are important to you." — Karen Walrond
126. "Doubt kills more dreams than failure." — Suzy Kassem
127. "At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can." — Frida Kahlo
128. "Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve." — J.K. Rowling
129. "I got my own back." — Maya Angelou
130. “If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it.” — Toni Morrison, "Song of Solomon"
131. “Grief and resilience live together.” — Michelle Obama, "Becoming"
132. “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.” — Isabel Allende
133. “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” — Oprah Winfrey
134. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela
135. “Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.” – Ralph Ellison, "Invisible Man"
136. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’” — Eleanor Roosevelt
137. “There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.” — Charles Dickens
138. “Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work though difficult problems.” — Gever Tulley
139. “We will either find a way, or make one.” — Anibal Barca
140. “We are stronger, gentler, more resilient, and more beautiful than any of us imagine.” — Mark Nepo
141. "If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." — Martin Luther King Jr
142. “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
143. “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” — Thomas A. Edison
144. “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” — Jodi Picoult, "My Sister’s Keeper"
145. “It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature. Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way, even by death, and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment.” — Bram Stoker, "Dracula"
146. “This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.” — Winston Churchill
147. “We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
148. “When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.” — Peter Marshall
149. "Unity is strength ... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." — Mattie Stepanek
150. "Don't compare your chapter 1 to someone else's chapter 20."
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Jaycee Levin is a writer who covers pop culture, astrology, and relationship topics.