100 Overcoming Challenges and Adversity Quotes to Lift You Up

To help you deal with the stress without losing your mind or ruining your relationships, I put together a compilation of 100 positive inspiring quotes for navigating challenges, adversity, and obstacles thrown in your path.

I've divided the quotes into topics to make them more digestible, added graphics to boost the inspiration, and included tools and resources for facing and overcoming life's challenges along the way. 

Hopefully, one or more of these encouraging quotes from a wide range of people will spur you on and lift you up during hard times. Let me know your favorites in the comments section (or tell us about other quotes that inspire you.)

What's in This Post

My Gary Larsen Crisis Clinic Cup

When I started my counseling therapy practice about twenty years ago, I came across a cup with a Gary Larson cartoon that was a perfect humorous addition to my office. The cartoon depicts a Crisis Clinic in crisis: on fire and about to go over a waterfall!

I loved that cup.

But the irony didn't stop there—within a couple of years, the handle broke off! 

It made me love the cup even more. I can't use it for drinking out of now, but it's a great smile stimulant. 

The cup seems like an appropriate way to get us going for a discussion on adversity, challenges, trials and tribulations, and obstacles.

Now, onto the promised quotes. 

Navigating Life’s Challenges: Motivational Quotes to Keep You Going

Let’s begin with some quotes that offer inspiration and encouragement to help you navigate challenges, adversity, and difficulties. These ancient and recent words of wisdom inspire optimism and remind us to appreciate life’s highs and lows. They point out the possibility of finding happiness and meaning in tough times.

"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars." —Og Mandino

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." —Ralph Waldo Emerson

"One ceases to recognize the significance of mountain peaks if they are not viewed occasionally from the deepest valleys." —Dr. Al Lorin

"However long the night, the dawn will break." —African Proverb

"In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths." —Drew Barrymore

"Storms don’t last forever." —Anonymous

"If you're feeling low, don't despair. The sun has a sinking spell every night, but it comes back up every morning. The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." —Dolly Parton

Overcoming Difficulties Quotes: You’ve Got This!

Life’s challenges test us in many ways (that’s why they’re called challenges), but they also reveal the strength and inner resources we have to overcome them. Let these quotes inspire you to recognize the courage, resilience, and wisdom already within you.

Christopher Robin’s encouraging words to Winnie-the-Pooh, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s timeless insight, happiness expert Doe Zantamata’s uplifting perspective, and more are here to tell you: You’ve got this!

"Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." —A.A. Milne

"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

The strength you need is already within you, just waiting for you to believe in it.

"Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle." — Christian D. Larson

"It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed." —Doe Zantamata

Facing Adversity Quotes: Rising Up to Meet the Challenge

Meeting the moment can help you find the strength to overcome life’s trials and tribulations.

These quotes remind you to embrace discomfort and use it to propel you forward. From Helen Keller’s inspiring optimism on overcoming adversity to Bruce Lee’s wisdom on inner strength and endurance, these words encourage us to meet the moment and rise with purpose.

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." —Helen Keller

"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey." —Kenji Miyazawa

Even in the smallest actions, you’re moving closer to where you want to be.

"We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us." —William J. Brennan Jr.

"It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others." —The Dalai Lama 

"Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." —Bruce Lee

You Can Make a Difference: Empowering Quotes for Challenging Times

It’s easy to feel hopeless and powerless when facing tough times. But you may have more potential to influence positive outcomes than you realize. Making a difference doesn’t always require grand gestures—it starts with the courage to take action, no matter how small.

These quotes use encouragement, humor, and wit to inspire you to discover your power, embrace your potential, and remember that even the smallest actions can create a ripple effect of change.

“If you think you're too small to make a difference, you've never been in bed with a mosquito.” (There are many different versions of this idea appearing as an African Proverb or quote from The Dahlia Lama and others. This is my favorite version that I found many years ago without attribution.)

"You may not always have a comfortable life, and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once, but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own." —Michelle Obama

“Do what you can, with what you've got, where you are.” —Theodore Roosevelt

Life Challenges Quotes that Inspire a Resilient Attitude and Mindset

Your attitude and mindset shape how you experience life’s challenges.

These quotes remind you to focus on what you can control, embrace optimism, and grow with the flow. (Notice I did a little twist on go with the flow there. :)

Whether it’s finding opportunity in a problem, choosing resilience in tough times, or realizing the strength of your own mind, these words inspire us to persevere with purpose and grace.

"Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." —John Wooden

"Attitude-flexibility is the mentality that helps us to smoothly persevere through turbulent times." —Dr. Jacinta Mpalyenkana

"Be the attitude you want to be around." —Tim DeTellis

The resilience you build today will carry you through tomorrow’s challenges.

"You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." —Marcus Aurelius

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." —John Wooden

"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it." —Maya Angelou

"If you feel like giving up, give up on that feeling and give into the realization there are endless possibilities waiting to be discovered before you." —Tom Althouse

"Tough times never last, but tough people do." —Robert H. Schuller

"A problem is a chance for you to do your best." —Duke Ellington

Comic Relief: Funny Quotes about Adversity, Obstacles, and Crappy Situations

Time for a humor break. Each of these quotes about facing adversity, challenges, and obstacles made me smile, chuckle or laugh out loud. (If they don’t have an author attached, I found them bouncing around social media.)

First, words of wisdom on the benefits of finding humor during tough times:

"Every time you are able to find some humor in a difficult situation, you win."

“It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver.” —Betty White

And on the possibility of finding humor in the midst of difficulties:

“Humor and joy are skills, not the luck of the draw.” —C. W. Metcalf, author of Lighten Up: Survival Skills for People Under Pressure

Now the funny (or at least with a humorous twist) stuff:

 "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." —Franklin D. Roosevelt

"When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this—you haven't." —Thomas A. Edison

"Life is like a box of chocolates, but sometimes you keep getting the ones filled with toothpaste."

"No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse." —Randy Pausch

"I walk around like everything’s fine, but deep down, inside my shoe, my sock is sliding off."

"Navigating life is like trying to fold a fitted sheet. No one really knows how, but we all pretend we do."

"Life’s like trying to plug in a USB. It never goes right on the first try, or the second, or the third…"

"If life had background music, mine would be the sound of a trombone playing ‘womp womp’."

"I asked life for a sign. It gave me a stop sign. I’m not sure how to proceed."

"Some say the glass is half empty, some say the glass is half full, I say, are you going to drink that?" —Lisa Claymen

Beating Adversity at Its Own Game: The Benefits and Rewards

Adversity plays a tough game—pushing your limits, testing your resilience, and forcing you to grow. But when you rise to the challenge, you gain more than just survival—you gain strength, confidence, and the satisfaction of overcoming life’s toughest moments.

These quotes remind us that hardship often leads to personal growth and that success may depend on you going through what you’re going through.

"Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit." —Napoleon Hill

"It may sound strange, but many champions are made champions by setbacks." —Bob Richards (American athlete in three Olympic Games)

"On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin." —Gregory S. Williams

"Storms make trees take deeper roots." —Dolly Parton

"It is a blessing to experience hardship. Not because we suffer, but because we learn to endure." —Saim A. Cheeda

"No rain, no flowers."

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." —Chinese Proverb

Keep believing, keep dreaming, and keep becoming.

"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

Strength from Struggle: Motivational Quotes About Life Challenges

Enduring psychological and emotional strength doesn’t come from comfort or ease—it’s built through meeting challenges head on.

These quotes remind us that adversity can be the greatest teacher, shaping us into stronger, more resilient individuals. Note that can is an important word in this sentence. Adversity can teach us things if we work with it and pay attention to its lessons.

"My strength did not come from lifting weights. My strength came from lifting myself up when I was knocked down." —Bob Moore

“Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward.” ―Oscar Wilde

Life and Challenges Quotes: Letting Go of What Keeps You Stuck

Life often calls for letting go—not as a defeat, but as a step toward freedom and clarity. When we release what keeps us stuck, we gain the space to grow, heal, and embrace what truly matters.

"Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living." —Rachel Marie Martin

"At some point you just have to let go of what you thought should happen and live in what is happening." —Unknown

"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

"I realize there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go." —Jeffrey McDaniel

How Difficulties and Adversity Reveal the Real You

Adversity and challenges have a remarkable way of revealing who we truly are. They highlight strengths to be appreciated and shortcomings to be addressed.

If you don’t like what you see—seek the knowledge and tools to help you build skills and attitudes that will help you with this situation and future challenges. (More help with that in the Tips and Strategies section near the end of this post.)

As you grow, celebrate self-improvement wins. Don’t wait for the big win, celebrate micro-wins too!

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." —Albert Camus

"Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are." —Bernice Johnson Reagon

"Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew." —Cicely Tyson

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." —Bob Marley

"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.

"He knows not his own strength who hath not met adversity." —William Samuel Johnson

"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

"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn so that we see ourselves as we really are." —Arthur Golden

Inspiring Quotes for Finding Happiness in the Midst of Challenges

Happiness can feel elusive during a tough period. It’s often there. We just have to notice it.

Sources of happiness might show up in the form of what I call a small smilable: a beautiful sunrise, a humorous phrase, a puppy doing its thing. Allow yourself to smile, savor the moment, and grow the smile. Smiling releases feel-good endorphins. They are a no-cost easy to give yourself a lift. 

These quotes remind us that even during difficulties, happiness isn’t out of reach—it’s something we can find, create, and hold onto.

"Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it." —Jacques Prévert

"Happiness isn’t something that depends on our surroundings; it’s something we make inside ourselves." —Corrie Ten Boom

"When you focus on the good, the good gets better." —Abraham Hicks

"And hard times are good in their own way, too. Because the only way you can achieve true happiness is if you experience true sadness as well. It’s all about light and shade. Balance." —Gabrielle Williams

"Right in the difficult we must have our joys, our happiness, our dreams: there against the depth of this background, they stand out, there for the first time we see how beautiful they are." —Rainer Maria Rilke

"Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day." —Alice Morse Earle

Hard Times Build Character

These quotes celebrate the inner strength that emerges from life’s toughest workouts and highlight some of the virtues that can help you rise above challenges to survive and thrive.

"The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within: strength, courage, and dignity." —Ruby Dee

"The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person." —Rita Mero

"Sometimes you learn, grow, and give far more when your back's against the wall." —Rasheed Ogunlaru

"The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them." —Bernard Baruch

You don’t have to have it all figured out—just take the next step.

Books, Workbooks, and Recordings to Make Your Life Better

Through decades of helping people like yourself, I've figured out how to present emotion and relationship skills and life tips in ways that are easy-to-grasp and put into action. 

Stress Resilience Book

I drew on my medical background from my first career as a medical lab technologist to research and write Feed Your Calm: Anti-Anxiety Anti-Stress Diet and Supplement Tips for Stress Resilience. (Available in print and eBook formats.)

Workbooks and Worksheets

I created worksheets and workbooks based on life hack tips and exercises that I've used with therapy clients. These are now available in two formats:

• Comprehensive print workbooks such as Becoming Calm: Silver Lining Anxiety and Stress Resilience Workbook and Journal,  Learn, Let Go, Lighten Up: Silver Lining Emotional Detox Journal & Workbook, and Building Skills to Uplevel Life: Silver Lining Emotional Intelligence Workbook.

• CBT-based single-topic downloadable PDF workbooks and worksheets that can be printed or used as digital fillable forms on your devices. For example: Reframing Problems: CBT Coping Skills Workbook. 
  
   
  

Check out my self-help/helper-help books and workbooks:

Hypnosis and Meditation Audio Recordings

Hypnosis and guided visualization are part of my therapy toolbox. They are incredibly efficient and gentle methods for working through issues. Over the years of writing, using, and rewriting hypnosis scripts for a variety of goals, one has become my go-to as a starter for most clients: my Release and Refresh Emotional Detox Hypnosis and Guided Visualization Meditation. 

It can help you let go of anything that weighs you down or keeps you stuck--without you having to identify the sources of the emotional strain. 

You can listen to it any time you have a half-hour to relax or as you are going to sleep. Most people listen to it when they are going to sleep. They report getting to sleep more easily and getting a better quality of sleep. 

It's under $10. No risk. Money back guarantee. No questions asked. Give it a try and see what you think. 

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