Life is not always easy – but it is always worth it. As difficult as it may be to navigate the rough waters of adversity, there’s a beauty in challenging yourself and overcoming the obstacles you face. Adversity quotes provide a source of wisdom and inspiration for anyone looking for the motivation to keep going and never give up, to turn their adversity into victory.
Sometimes life can be tough, but adversity can forge us into the people we want to become. Whether we overcome or succumb to our obstacles is completely up to us, and these quotes look to the power of adversity to help us in our struggles. From ancient wisdom to modern inspiration, adversity quotes can provide motivation and strength through difficult times.
Adversity can be a formidable challenge, but it can also be a powerful source of inspiration. These “adversity quotes” offer words of wisdom and strength to help us push through tough times and come out the other side as a better, more resilient person. Whether you need a reminder to stay positive in the face of hardship, or just a few words of encouragement to get you through the day, these insightful quotes provide the perfect starting point.
Best Adversity Quotes
Sometimes good comes through adversity. I would not be who I am today had it not been for the internment, and I like who I am. Ruth Asawa
Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has. Billy Graham
Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with. Thomas Carlyle
Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune. William James
A bend in the road is not the end of the road…Unless you fail to make the turn. Helen Keller
Fresh activity is the only means of overcoming adversity. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Adversity introduces a man to himself. Albert Einstein
Only in winter can you tell which trees are truly green. Only when the winds of adversity blow can you tell whether an individual or a country has steadfastness. John F. Kennedy
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. John Wooden
Prosperity is no just scale; adversity is the only balance to weigh friends. Plutarch
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. Christopher Reeve
The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism. Norman Vincent Peale
The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper. Aristotle
Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity. Stephen Covey
It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life story will develop. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln
We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. Barbara De Angelis
Adversity is like a strong wind. I don’t mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward we see ourselves as we really are, and not merely as we might like to be. Arthur Golden
Being human, we would expel from our lives physical pain and mental anguish and assure ourselves of continual ease and comfort, but if we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering, and self-mastery. Spencer W. Kimball
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. Bill Gates
Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit. Napoleon Hill
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.
There are uses to adversity, and they don’t reveal themselves until tested. Whether it’s serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths. Sonia Sotomayor
Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well. Theodore Roosevelt
Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict. William Ellery Channing
Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course. William Shakespeare
Life is thickly sown with thorns. I know no other remedy than to pass rapidly over them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes the greater is their power to harm us. Voltaire
Great men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war. Seneca the Younger
These beautiful focus on yourself quotes provide a source of wisdom and inspiration for anyone looking for the motivation.
Famous Adversity Quotes
Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye and say I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me. Then repeat to yourself the most comforting of all words , This too shall pass. Ann Landers
The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt. Max Lerner
There is no education like adversity. Benjamin Disraeli
The darkest hour has only sixty minutes. Morris Mandel
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records. William Arthur Ward
You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you. Mary Tyler Moore
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging. Joseph Campbell
I learned to take those experiences that were difficult in my life and in the adversity that I had overcome to use it for a positive change. Dominique Moceanu
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. Booker T. Washington
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. Moliere
If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it. Michael Jordan
Hang in there. Trust that those winds of adversity are blowing away what’s not needed while making you stronger. Anonymous
The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them. Bernard Baruch
Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not. Henry Fielding
Sometimes things have to go wrong in order to go right. Sherrilyn Kenyon
You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. Maya Angelou
One’s best success comes after their greatest disappointments. Henry Ward Beecher
Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. Khalil Gibran
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill
You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass. Timber Hawkeye
The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill; and to win it without a struggle were perhaps to win it without honor. If there were no difficulties there would be no success; if there were nothing to struggle for, there would be nothing to be achieved. Samuel Smiles
Good things are often birthed from adversity. Robert A. Schuller
Prosperity tries the fortunate, adversity the great. Rose Kennedy
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. Henry Ford
I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it. Maya
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater. William Hazlitt
Adversity has the same effect on a man that severe training has on the pugilist: it reduces him to his fighting weight. Josh Billings
When life takes the wind out of your sails, it is to test you at the oars. Robert Breault
The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities. Sophocles
These inspirational warrior quotes can provide guidance, motivation, and insight.
Powerful Adversity Quotes
And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about. Haruki Murakami
Prosperity is not without many fears and distates; adversity not without many comforts and hopes. Francis Bacon
Adversity is not simply a tool. It is God’s most effective tool for the advancement of our spiritual lives. The circumstances and events that we see as setbacks are oftentimes the very things that launch us into periods of intense spiritual growth. Once we begin to understand this, and accept it as a spiritual fact of life, adversity becomes easier to bear. Charles Stanley
We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. Kenji Miyazawa
Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive. Josephine Hart
The most successful people see adversity not as a stumbling block, but as a stepping-stone to greatness. Shawn Anchor
If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience. Robert Fulghum
It’s not easy taking my problems one at a time when they refuse to get in line. Ashleigh Brilliant
Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity. Lou Holtz
I’ve never known anybody to achieve anything without overcoming adversity. Lou Holtz
Turn your wounds into wisdom. Oprah Winfrey
Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful. Zig Ziglar
The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Dolly Parton
Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. J.K. Rowling
Turning feelings into words can help us process and overcome adversity.
Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Oprah Winfrey
It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity. Og Mandino
All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming. Helen Keller
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. Hellen Keller
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. Mahatma Gandhi
The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity. Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Problems are guidelines, not stop signs! Robert H. Schuller
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. Truman Capote
My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging. Hank Aaron
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
Everyone is handed adversity in life. No one’s journey is easy. It’s how they handle it that makes people unique. Kevin Conroy
I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean
Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the hero within us is revealed. Bob Riley
Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it. Robertson Davies
Adversity has ever been considered the state in which a man most easily becomes acquainted with himself. Samuel Jackson
The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don’t let it get the best of you. Will Rogers
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. C.S. Lewis
If we had not winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. Anne Bradstreet
Take a look through this collection of keep moving forward quotes and find the one that can keep you motivated and inspired as you work towards your goals.
Motivational Adversity Quotes
Adversity is preparation for greatness. Andy Andrews
Adversity is like a strong wind. I don’t mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward we see ourselves as we really are. Arthur Golden
Any man can win when things go his way, it’s the man who overcomes adversity that is the true champion. Jock Ewing
Sometimes good comes through adversity. I would not be who I am today had it not been for the internment, and I like who I am. -Ruth Asawa
The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. J.K. Rowling
You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It wont happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life. Joel Osteen
In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we’re made of. Howard Schultz
Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end. Roy T. Bennett
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Use what you’ve been through as fuel, believe in yourself and be unstoppable! Yvonne Pierre
You’ll never find a better sparring partner than adversity. Golda Meir
Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant. Horace
In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. Theodore Roosevelt
Acceptance of one’s life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices. Paul Tournier
In spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser and happier as a result. Joseph B. Wirthlin
One thing about championship teams is they’re resilient. No matter what is thrown at them, no matter how deep the hole, find a way to bounce back and overcome adversity. Nick Saban
If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Maya Angelou
I haven’t always acted or reacted in a way that made me proud, but I didn’t make that same mistake twice, and I think that’s what I love about adversity is that it always reminds me of what’s really valuable in life. Sandra Bullock
We find comfort among those who agree with us – growth among those who don’t. Frank A. Clark
Israel was not created in order to disappear – Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom. John F. Kennedy
Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head. William Shakespeare
Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache, carries with it the Seed of an equivalent or greater Benefit. Napoleon Hill
Every negative event contains within it the seed of an equal or greater benefit. Napoleon Hill
Fire is the test of gold. Adversity, of strong men. Martha Graham
Good actions are a guard against the blows of adversity. Abu Bakr
Adversity, and perseverance and all these things can shape you. They can give you a value and a self-esteem that is priceless. Scott Hamilton
Adversity, similar to lava, appears to destroy everything in its way. But out of the ashes and smoke, new, better, and stronger things emerge that may have not been born in any other way. Zoe V
There is no education like adversity.
If you’re going through hell, keep going. Winston Churchill
It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Adversity is the first path to truth. Lord Byron
Rock bottom became the solid foundation in which I built my life. J.K. Rowling
Goals give you a mark to shoot for and keep you motivated when you face adversity. Benjamin Watson
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. Albert Einstein
You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. Epicurus
Taking time to reflect and ponder on the powerful messages within consistency quotes can encourage you.