100 Hard Times Quotes That Will Inspire You

Going through some tough and difficult times?

Need some inspiration and motivation to overcome hardships and struggles in life?

Here are a list of the best positive inspirational & motivational hard times quotes that will give you strength & uplift your spirit when trying to overcome adversity.

Whether you are an entrepreneur running a business, a student dealing with school, in and out of a relationship, depressed, or are dealing with financial or other problems in life, going through these times is not easy and can make you feel stressed out.

However…

If you are dealing with some tough times, the first thing you must do is welcome the challenge into your life as an opportunity to learn and grow.

You cannot change what you do not own.

How you choose to define the situation you are in will determine the effect you get out of it.

Remember, life is meaningless.

Everything that is happening is neutral.

You decide whether the situation is “good” or “bad”.

So the first step in your journey is to decide on how you want to experience whatever you are going through.

And…

If you expect to come out of the other side stronger, then you must accept the obstacle and hardship. It is only then when you will find ways to overcome and transform this difficult time.

And one of the best ways to do these is by keeping a positive mind.

Your mind is going to be the greatest asset you have in overcoming these tough times which is why we have compiled these words of encouragement, phrases, thoughts, and sayings on getting though hard times.

These positive and uplifting messages will touch upon courage, confidence, strength, hope, fear, pain, perseverance, never giving up, self doubt, forgiveness, relationships, mistakes, starting over, and what to do when you are in the face of adversity.

Contents show

GETTING THROUGH HARD TIMES QUOTES

Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.

Courage is one step ahead of fear. – Coleman Young

Remember it’s just a bad day, not a bad life.

Be patient, good things are coming your way.

The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow.

You must do the thing you think you cannot do. – Eleanor Roosevelt

You are so much more than what you are going through. – John Tew

Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.

You don’t gain anything from stressing. Remember that.

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

Someday you will look back, and know exactly why it had to happen.

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. – C.S. Lewis

Nothing is more beautiful than the smile that has struggled through the tears. – Demi Lovato

There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error.

Success is what happens after you have survived all of your disappointments.

Tough people are not born. They’re made when there’s no one there to dry their tears.

Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes them meaningful.

Everything will work out in the end. You don’t need to know how. You just have to trust that it will.

Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed. – Bob Riley

Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create. ― Roy T. Bennett

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR HARD TIMES

Mistakes are proof that you are trying.

Stay strong. You never know who you are inspiring.

Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing the best you can.

Scared is what you’re feeling. Brave is what you’re doing. ― Emma Donoghue

It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning. – Colin Powell

No matter how much it hurts, hold your head up and keep going.

Nobody said it would be easy, so don’t ever give up when it gets hard.

Replace those thoughts of worry with thoughts of hope, faith, and victory. – Joel Osteen

Keep your head up. God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers

You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.

Remember that just because you hit bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there. – Robert Downey Jr

Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a brand new opportunity to rebuild what you truly want.

Don’t get discouraged by what you’re going through. Your time is coming. Where you are is not where you’re going to stay.

No matter what you’re going through, you are not alone. The Light is always with you. You might not see it, but you can trust it.

STAY POSITIVE QUOTES FOR HARD TIMES

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

Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.

If you can’t find the opportunities you’re looking for…create them.

Remember, most of your stress comes from the way you respond, not the way life is.

When things are bad, remember: it won’t always be this way. Take one day at a time.

Everyone is breakable, but not everyone is aware that it’s a choice to stay broken. – Stanley Behrman

Stop worrying about what can go wrong, and get excited about what can go right.

Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder.

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.

There are two ways to be happy: change the situation, or change your mindset towards it.

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit. – Napoleon Hill

We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. – Carlos Costaneda

I am thankful for all those difficult people in my life. They have shown me exactly who I do not want to be.

Starting today, I need to forget what’s gone. Appreciate what still remains and look forward to what’s coming next.

It’s gonna get harder before it gets easier. But it will get better, you just gotta make it through the hard stuff first.

Whatever is worrying you right now, forget about it. Take a deep breath, stay positive and know that things will get better.

Being optimistic really has nothing to do with happiness, it’s just taking whatever life chucks at you and not letting it break you down.

When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is!

Nothing is a coincidence. Everything you’re experiencing is meant to happen exactly how it’s happening. Embrace the lessons. Be grateful.

Before you sleep, remember that it’s ok to not be ok. We all have our struggles. God loves you for who you are, but too much to leave you that way.

As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.

You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events. – Joel Osteen

QUOTES ABOUT OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. – Christopher Reeve

The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.

I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. – Stephen Covey

Be aware as often as possible of the great transformation process you are going through.

Be strong now, because things will get better. It might be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever.

When you fear your struggles, your struggles consume you. When you face your struggles, you overcome them.

If you need to step back and get away from things for a bit, do exactly what you need to do for you to gain clarity again.

Sometimes you have to put everything to the side just to take care of yourself. Don’t be afraid to say no when it’s necessary.

We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. – Barbara De Angelis

Life chips away at us all. Some play the victim. Some choose to be a survivor. And then there are those who choose to conquer.

Free yourself from your past mistakes, by forgiving yourself for what you have done or went through. Every day is another chance to start over.

You may be sad, disappointed, heartbroken or even scarred. But wake each day with a new sense of hope, a will to fight on and not give up.

If you’re having a bad day, just remember that you have managed to get through every bad day you’ve had. You’ll make it through this one too.

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

There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time. – Malcolm X

I will breathe. I will think of solutions. I will not let my worry control me. I will not let my stress level break me. I will simply breathe. And it will be okay. Because I don’t quit. – Shayne McClendon

You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it’s important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages. – Michelle Obama

QUOTES ABOUT STRENGTH THROUGH HARD TIMES

Until you’re broken, you don’t know what you’re made of.

Be strong when you are weak & brave when you are scared.

When life puts you in tough situations, don’t say “why me?” Say “try me”.

Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. – OG Mandino

Be strong enough to let go and patient enough to wait for what you deserve.

Hard times are often blessings in disguise. Let go and let life strengthen you.

The struggle you’re in today, is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. – Robert Tew

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. – Mahatma Gandhi

Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. – Rikki Rogers

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Hard times may have held you down, but they will not last forever. When all is said and done, you will be increased. – Joel Osteen

Strength isn’t about how much you can handle before you break. It’s about how much you can endure after you’ve been broken.

No matter how hard times may get, always hold your head up and be strong; show them you’re not as weak as they think you are.

Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.

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

UPLIFTING QUOTES FOR HARD TIMES

Difficult roads always lead to beautiful destinations. – Zig Ziglar

Pain has taught me to appreciate the things that don’t hurt. – Melissa Tripp

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.

Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you. – Walt Whitman

Anyone who has grown mentally, physically or spiritually knows that growth is not found in comfort.

Work on being in love with the person in the mirror who has been through so much but is still standing.

Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness. – Susan Gale

You need to spend time crawling alone through shadows to truly appreciate what it is to stand in the sun. ― Shaun Hick

Sometimes you face difficulties not because you’re doing something wrong but because you’re doing something right.

Be strong enough to walk away from what’s hurting you, and be patient enough to wait for the blessings you deserve.

When God pushes you to the edge of difficulty, trust Him fully because two things can happen. Either He’ll catch you when you fall, or He will teach you how to fly.

Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome. – Unknown

HARD TIME QUOTES FOR RELATIONSHIPS

The first duty of love is to listen. – Paul Tillich

Know when it’s time to walk away for your well-being and theirs.

If you have respect and consideration for one another, you’ll make it. – Mary Durso

When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. ― Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Staying together when things get tough will only make you a stronger couple. – unkown

The two individuals in a relationship must continue to grow together. Or, they grow apart.

Learn to express your feelings and emotions without pushing the other persons buttons. – unknown

If you focus all of your energy into bringing out the best in each other, you will have very little time left for arguing.

Never go to bed angry. Love and respect each other enough to at least bring peace to the relationship until tomorrow.

When we face pain in relationships our first response is often to sever bonds rather than to maintain commitment. ― bell hooks

Every time you get upset at something, ask yourself if you were to die tomorrow, was it worth wasting your time being angry?

You should never give up. No matter how hard the situation is, always believe that something beautiful is going to happen. – unknown

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. – Maya Angelou

I’m stronger because I had to be, I’m smarter because of my mistakes, happier because of the sadness I’ve known, and now wiser because I learned.

Love is a choice. Being in a committed relationship is a choice. Creating a beautiful life together is a choice. You must make this choice each day of your life if your relationship is to last.

Every couple needs to argue now and then. Just to prove that the relationship is strong enough to survive. Long-term relationships, the ones that matter, are all about weathering the peaks and the valleys. ― Nicholas Sparks

HARD TIMES & ADVERSITY SAYINGS

The beautiful thing about life is that you can always change, grow and get better. You aren’t defined by your past. You aren’t your mistakes.

When written in Chinese the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger and the other represents opportunity. – John F. Kennedy

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
– Frank Herbert

I learned there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead, others come from behind.
But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see.
Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me.
– Dr. Seuss

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint on the clouds of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things go wrong that you mustn’t quit.

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TIPS FOR GOING THROUGH HARD TIMES

1. Remember to Breathe

When going through difficult times we tend to shorten our breath. Some of us even forget to breathe.

Breathing slow and deep is crucial to keeping your mind and body relaxed. If you stay in a relaxed state, it is much easier for your mind to come up with solutions that will help you through the hard times.

2. Embrace the Challenge

Whatever you are going through, this is your moment right now. This is the time that will define you as a person.

This difficult time is an opportunity for you to learn and grow. Life is giving you a platform to become the bigger version of yourself.

Will you step up and answer the opportunity with courage?

Or, will you shrink and react from fear.

The choice is yours.

3. Exercise Daily

One of the best ways to transform stress is by exercising. Especially some form of cardio.

This gets the heart pumping and the blood flowing which is important so you don’t become stagnant.

Problems are much easier solved when the body is moving.

4. Focus on the Positive

No matter how hard or difficult the situation may be, remember to focus on the positive.

There is always something you can focus on that will remind you that you are blessed.

Remain in a state of gratitude and you will see that solutions and opportunities will present themselves much faster.

5. Use Your Imagination

Your imagination is the most powerful tool you have. It is the engine that brings all solutions to you.

Make sure to spend each day day dreaming and visualizing things you can do that will help you overcome your obstacles.

6. One Day At A Time

As cliche as it may sound, take things one day at a time.

Write down all the things you need to do and get organized.

Focus on accomplishing one to three tasks a day that help you move forward.

As you accomplish each task, you will feel progress and things will get better.

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