Encouraging Quotes | 80 Uplifting Examples

In the face of life’s many challenges, sometimes we could all use a bit of a boost to help us keep going. Whether you’re facing obstacles at work, struggles in relationships, or trying to find the courage to pursue your dreams, this list of encouraging quotes will put a little extra wind in your sails.

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What are encouraging quotes?

Encouraging quotes are lines from literature, film, songs, or speeches that help motivate and inspire. They can help you believe in yourself in moments of doubt and offer some perspective when you encounter a roadblock.

Positive encouraging quotes

Positive encouraging quotes are great to use as affirmations to start your day or to keep you focused on your life’s purpose. Save these positive quotes from writers, poets, philosophers, educators, and actors for when you need a helping hand.

1. “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” —Nido Qubein, president of High Point University
2. “Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” —Nathaniel Hawthorne, novelist
3. “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” —Desmond Tutu, bishop and theologian
4. “For what it’s worth… it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it.” —F Scott Fitzgerald, novelist
5. “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” ―Lewis Carroll, author and poet
6. “I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.” ―Juansen Dizon, author
7. “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy.” —Albert Camus, philosopher and novelist
8. “The rain will stop, the night will end, the hurt will fade. Hope is never so lost that it can’t be found.” —Ernest Hemingway, novelist and short story writer
9. “As long as you keep going, you’ll keep getting better. And as you get better, you gain more confidence. That alone is success.” —Tamara Taylor, actress
10. “Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it.” —Jules Renard, author

Strong encouraging quotes

Strong encouraging quotes invite us to align with our full potential and to draw on reserves of inner fortitude in order to keep going. So before you give up, read these inspiring quotes.

1. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” —Confucius, philosopher
2. “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, writer
3. “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 those depths.” ―Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, psychiatrist
4. “If the unthinkable thing has happened, then it has happened. You are not alone with this pain, no matter its magnitude. Countless others have fallen down at the altar of this pain. Whatever it is, it is. You can face it.” —Clementine Morrigan, writer
5. “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, writer
6. “For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock.” —James Baldwin, writer and civil rights activist
7. “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” ―Roy T. Bennett, author
8. “Be not afraid of greatness: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” —Shakespeare, playwright
9. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” ―Anais Nïn, diarist and essayist
10. “Do the thing you are afraid to do, and the death of fear is certain.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist

Encouraging quotes for women

Encouraging quotes for women speak to overcoming the many trials and tribulations we face, as well as the unique strength that can be found in womanhood. This list of inspiring quotes for women includes wise words from women scholars, activists, and intellectuals who have steadfastly surmounted life’s challenges against the odds.

1. “She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful.” ―Terri St. Cloud, author
2. “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.” ―Mary Oliver, poet
3. “‘No’ might make them angry but it will make you free.” ―Nayyirah Waheed, poet
4. “If you have yet to be called an incorrigible, defiant woman, don’t worry, there is still time.” ―Clarissa Pinkola Estés, writer
5. “I am about life. I’m gonna live as hard as I can and as full as I can until I die.” —Assata Shakur, activist
6. “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” —Nina Simone, pianist and singer-songwriter
7. “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” —Charlotte Whitton, former Mayor of Ottawa
8. “You can’t live your life for other people. You’ve got to do what’s right for you, even if it hurts some people you love.” ―Nicholas Sparks, novelist and screenwriter
9. “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” ―Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, historian
10. “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, she stands up for all women.” —Maya Angelou, memoirist and essayist

Encouraging quotes for kids

Encouraging quotes for kids are ideal for classrooms, wall art, cards, and more. They help inspire confidence and boost your little one’s self-esteem.

1. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” —Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator
2. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” ―Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator
3. “The things that make me different are the things that make me, me.” —A.A. Milne, writer and author of Winnie the Pooh
4. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” —William James, philosopher and psychologist
5. “At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey.” ―Daniel Handler, writer and author of A Series of Unfortunate Events
6. “Just keep swimming.” —Finding Nemo (2003)
7. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” —Fred Rogers, TV personality
8. “But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking lucky, the chance is there. The chance had to be there.” —Roald Dahl, author
9. “The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. As long as you believe”. —Bob Ross, painter
10. “I am Somebody!
    I may be poor,
    But I am Somebody.
    I may be young,
    But I am Somebody.
    I may be on welfare,
    But I am Somebody.
    I may be small,
    But I am Somebody.”
    —Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist

Encouraging quotes for men

Encouraging quotes for men are great for cultivating motivation and striving for excellence in all of life’s pursuits. This curated list comes from coaches, athletes, novelists, and outdoorsmen whose achievements have resonated across the ages.

1. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” —Vince Lombardi, football coach
2. “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist
3. “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” —Ernest Hemingway, novelist and short story writer
4. “Something good will come out of all things yet—And it will be golden and eternal just like that—There’s no need to say another word.” —Jack Kerouac, novelist and poet
5. “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” —Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and essayist
6. “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” —Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor
7. “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” —Vince Lombardi, football coach
8. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” —Wayne Gretzky, ice hockey player
9. “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, / Or what’s a heaven for?” —Robert Browning, poet and playwright
10. “Do not go gentle into that good night, / Old age should burn and rave at close of day; / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” —Dylan Thomas, writer and poet

Encouraging quotes for work

Encouraging quotes for work are ideal for when you feel stuck on a big project, are experiencing self doubt in a new role, or are simply seeking a little extra Monday motivation.

1. “If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.” —Bear Bryant, football player and coach
2. “Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” —Farrah Gray, businessman
3. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” —Ella Fitzgerald, singer-songwriter and composer
4. “The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” —Michael Bungay Stanier, author and coach
5. “Perfect is the enemy of good.” —Voltaire, writer and philosopher
6. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” —Jane Goodall, primatologist and anthropologist
7. “This is the real secret of life: to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.” ―Alan Watts, writer and orator
8. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” —Thomas Edison, inventor and businessman
9. “I don’t think anything is gonna be hard. You know, it’s like, what is there to lose? Every second you’re there, you’re gaining something. There’s nothing to be lost… —Alysia Liu, figure skating champion
10. “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” —Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, actor and professional wrestler

Spiritual encouraging quotes

Spiritual encouraging quotes go a step deeper by inviting us to connect with matters beyond the physical realm in order to gain perspective during difficult times. Save them for when you’re feeling lost and are seeking perspective.

1. “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis, author
2. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ―Paulo Coelho, lyricist and novelist
3. “And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.” —Max Ehrmann, writer and poet
4. “Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.” —Alan Watts, writer and speaker
5. “Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul / And sings the tune without the words / And never stops at all.” ―Emily Dickinson, poet
6. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ―Albert Einstein, physicist
7. “The more you struggle to live, the less you live. Give up the notion that you must be sure of what you are doing. Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure.”  —Baruch Spinoza, philosopher
8. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” —Søren Kierkegaard, philosopher and theologian
9. “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite.” —William Blake, poet and painter
10. “The nuns taught us there are two ways through life, the way of Nature, and the way of Grace. You have to choose which one you’ll follow. Grace doesn’t try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. […] They taught us that no one who ever loves the way of Grace ever comes to a bad end.” —Tree of Life (2011)

Short encouraging quotes

Short encouraging quotes work well as positive affirmations you can memorize, add to a daily journal, or post on your mirror. You can also share these short quotes with a friend who could use some support.

1. “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” ―Steve Maraboli, author
2. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” —Milton Berle, comedian
3. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” ―Oscar Wilde, author and playwright
4. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” —Norman Vincent Peale, clergyman and author
5. “Everything you can imagine is real.” ―Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor
6. “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” —Mary Oliver, poet
7. “May you live every day of your life.” ―Jonathan Swift, writer and essayist
8. “With confidence, you have won before you have started.” —Marcus Garvey, activist
9. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” —-Nelson Mandela, activist and former President of South Africa
10. “If all is lost, fight!” —Bertolt Brecht, theatre practitioner and playwright

Frequently asked questions about encouraging quotes

What are examples of encouraging Bible quotes?

Examples of encouraging Bible quotes include:

• “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” —Isaiah 41:10
• “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” —Deuteronomy 31:8
• “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” —Psalm 23:4

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Can I find encouragement in inspirational motivational good morning quotes​?

Yes, you can find encouragement in inspirational motivational good morning quotes​.

Simply search for positive quotes online and save the ones you like. You can write them in a daily journal, or post your favorite quote on your bathroom mirror where you’ll see it each day.

They make great affirmations for changing your outlook and living more intentionally.

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