Hard times have a funny way of testing what we’re made of. Whether it’s a rough day at work, a challenge that seems impossible, or a moment when life feels completely unfair, strength isn’t just about muscles—it’s about mindset. And sometimes, a clever or heartfelt quote is all we need to find our footing again.
In this collection of quotes about strength in hard times, you’ll find 80+ inspiring, witty, and reflective lines to help you laugh, think, and keep moving forward. From courage and resilience to perseverance and growth, these words remind us that even when life knocks us down, we always have the power to rise again.
1. Strength Through Struggle
- “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” – Napoleon Hill
- “What doesn’t kill you gives you a story to tell.” – Unknown
- “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” – Seneca
- “The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.” – Thomas Paine
- “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” – Dolly Parton
- “When life gets tough, put on your boots and keep climbing.” – Unknown
- “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” – Bob Marley
- “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” – Albert Einstein
- “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schuller
- “Pain is temporary, but quitting lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong
2. Resilience and Perseverance
- “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.
- “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
- “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
- “Keep going. Everything you need will come to you at the perfect time.” – Unknown
- “When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in.” – Haruki Murakami
- “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” – William Barclay
- “Courage doesn’t always roar; sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” – Mary Anne Radmacher
- “Keep moving forward—your future self will thank you.” – Unknown
- “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” – Victor Hugo
- “Sometimes you just have to bow your head, take a deep breath, and keep going.” – Unknown
3. Courage and Determination
- “A brave man acknowledges the strength of others.” – Veronica Roth
- “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – E.E. Cummings
- “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain
- “You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.” – Mary Tyler Moore
- “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” – Franklin P. Jones
- “Courage is grace under pressure.” – Ernest Hemingway
- “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” – Winston Churchill
- “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” – John F. Kennedy
- “Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brené Brown
- “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” – Rabindranath Tagore
4. Hope and Positivity
- “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
- “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind.” – Henry Ford
- “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu
- “Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.” – Jacques Prévert
- “Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman
- “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein
- “No storm, not even the one in your life, can last forever.” – Unknown
- “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill
- “Hard times build determination and inner strength.” – Dalai Lama
- “When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.” – Unknown
5. Growth and Learning
- “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
- “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford
- “The comeback is always stronger than the setback.” – Unknown
- “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine
- “Every adversity carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill
- “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” – Mandy Hale
- “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor Frankl
- “Be thankful for the hard times, for they have made you.” – Leonardo DiCaprio
- “The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire.” – Chinese Proverb
- “Sometimes losing is the best way to learn.” – Unknown
6. Humor and Strength
- “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you—and slightly sarcastic.” – Unknown
- “When life knocks you down, roll over and look at the stars.” – Unknown
- “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama
- “Tough times call for coffee, chocolate, and sarcasm.” – Unknown
- “Sometimes the only way through a bad day is laughter.” – Unknown
- “I told life I was strong. Life laughed. I laughed harder.” – Unknown
- “Crying is fine, but don’t forget to wash your face and get back up.” – Unknown
- “Strong people also need naps.” – Unknown
- “When the going gets tough, the tough order pizza.” – Unknown
- “You don’t find your strength until you’ve run out of excuses.” – Unknown
7. Faith and Belief
- “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.” – Unknown
- “Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10
- “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” – Rabindranath Tagore
- “Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.” – Margaret Shepard
- “When you can’t put your prayer into words, God hears your heart.” – Unknown
- “Trust the process, even when it makes no sense.” – Unknown
- “Faith makes things possible, not easy.” – Unknown
- “The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot protect you.” – Unknown
- “Faith is not believing that God can, it’s knowing that He will.” – Unknown
8. Inner Strength and Mindset
- “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lou Holtz
- “You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “Your mind is your greatest weapon.” – Unknown
- “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you thought you couldn’t.” – Rikki Rogers
- “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale
- “Train your mind to see the good in every situation.” – Unknown
- “You are stronger than your excuses.” – Unknown
- “The moment you decide not to give up, everything changes.” – Unknown
9. Perseverance in Daily Life
- “Just keep swimming.” – Dory, Finding Nemo
- “When you feel like giving up, remember why you started.” – Unknown
- “Small steps every day lead to big changes.” – Unknown
- “One day or day one. You decide.” – Unknown
- “Push yourself, because no one else is going to do it for you.” – Unknown
- “The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.” – Unknown
- “Stay strong. The weekend is coming.” – Unknown
- “Don’t let a bad day make you feel like you have a bad life.” – Unknown
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
- “Keep your head up. Your story isn’t over yet.” – Unknown
10. Never Giving Up
- “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
- “Never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill
- “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” – Walter Elliot
- “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “Don’t let one hard moment define your whole story.” – Unknown
- “You didn’t come this far just to stop here.” – Unknown
- “When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.” – Unknown
- “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
- “The best view comes after the hardest climb.” – Unknown
- “Keep going. You are closer than you think.” – Unknown
Conclusion
Life isn’t always easy, but it’s in the toughest moments that we discover how strong we really are. These quotes about strength in hard times remind us that resilience isn’t about avoiding pain—it’s about learning, laughing, and growing through it.
Which quote spoke to you most? Share your favorite in the comments or drop a quote that helps you stay strong when life gets rough. And don’t forget to share this post with someone who could use a reminder that strength isn’t about never falling—it’s about always getting back up.