Overcoming adversity can be a challenge. After experiencing an adverse event, you can either view it as a blessing which will eventually make you stronger and wiser, or allow your past to control the rest of your life. Inspirational adversity quotes will encourage growth in life, make you wiser and broaden your perspective.
If you’re searching for famous encouraging quotes and greatest insecurity quotes that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of famous ambition quotes, inspiring purpose quotes and powerful persistence quotes.
Most Famous Adversity Quotes
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. – Molière
Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. – Francis of Assisi
When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. – Paulo Coelho
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. – Robert Kennedy
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 only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work. – Harry Golden
Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. 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
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records. – William Arthur Ward
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing. – Abraham Lincoln
Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure, or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember, that’s where you will find success. – Thomas Watson Sr.
Ones best success comes after their greatest disappointments. – Henry Ward Beecher
Success is 99 percent failure. – Soichiro Honda
Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness. – Oprah Winfrey
All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me….You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. – Walt Disney
Turn your wounds into wisdom. – Oprah Winfrey
All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. … You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. – Walt Disney
There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you. – Woody Hayes
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. – Steve Jobs
Life keeps throwing me stones. And I keep finding the diamonds. – Ana Claudia Antunes
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. – William Feather
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
One who conquers the sea today is ready to conquer the ocean tomorrow. – Matshona Dhliwayo
There’s a bit of magic in everything, and some loss to even things out. – Lou Reed
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
Do not judge me by my success. Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again. – Nelson Mandela
There is no education like adversity. – Disraeli
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. – C.S. Lewis
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
I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. – Jimmy Dean
Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible. – Francis of Assisi
Have the courage to face a difficulty lest it kick you harder than you bargained for. – Stanislaus I
Believe you can and you’re halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt
Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive. – Josephine Hart
Seize every opportunity along the way, for how sad it would be if the road you chose became the road not taken. – Robert Brault
The broken heart. You think you will die, but you keep living, day after day after terrible day. – Charles Dickens
I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion. – Muhammad Ali
We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. – Barbara De Angelis
If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – Milton Berle
Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind the stronger the trees. – Thomas S. Monson
Your big opportunity may be right where you are now. – Napoleon Hill
Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought your couldn’t. – Anonymous
Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future. – Steve Jobs
When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Every flower must grow through dirt. – Proverb
Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along. – Hugh Allen
Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men. – Martha Graham
Opportunities do not come with their values stamped upon them. – Maltbie Babcock
Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity. – Lou Holtz
Adversity introduces a man to himself. – Albert Einstein
It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop. – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. – Truman Capote
If you’re going through hell, keep going. – Winston Churchill
You’ll never find a better sparring partner than adversity. – Golda Meir
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
Any man can win when things go his way, it’s the man who overcomes adversity that is the true champion. – Jock Ewing
We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. – Kenji Miyazawa
I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. – Michael Jordan
In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we’re made of. – Howard Schultz
Prosperity tries the fortunate, adversity the great. – Rose Kennedy
I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali
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
Adversity has the same effect on a man that severe training has on the pugilist: it reduces him to his fighting weight. – Josh Billings
We become wiser by adversity; prosperity destroys our appreciation of the right. – Lucius Anneaus Seneca
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
Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging. – Joseph Campbell
Let your joy scream across the pain. – Terri Guillemets
There is no education like adversity. – Benjamin Disraeli
All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles nd obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best things in the world for you. – Walt Disney
You don’t know who you are until you’ve faced real adversity. – Dan Gasby
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
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
The most beautiful people I’ve known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. – Elizabeth Kübler-Ross
The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. – Chinese Proverb
Something very beautiful happens to people when their world has fallen apart: a humility, a nobility, a higher intelligence emerges at just the point when our knees hit the floor. – Marianne Williamson
Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity. – Og Mandino
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
The most beautiful people I’ve known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you’re doing the impossible. – Francis of Assisi
Take a limitation and turn it into an opportunity. Take an opportunity and turn it into an adventure by dreaming BIG! – Jo Franz
I can bounce back from adversity and reinvent my life; it’s possible. – Les Brown
Stars can’t shine without darkness. – Anonymous
Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before. – James Buckham
Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. – Helen Keller
He who doesn’t want to face his challenges shall always face challenges! – Ernest Agyemang Yeboah
Because some people see a wall, and assume that’s the end of their journey. Others see it, and decide it’s just the beginning. – Angeline Trevena
A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it. – Ray Davis
When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the most calm, take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on. – LL Cool J
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
Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in. – Mandy Hale
Use what you’ve been through as fuel, believe in yourself and be unstoppable! – Yvonne Pierre
To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist. – Gail Sheehy
If you are facing a new challenge or being asked to do something that you have never done before don’t be afraid to step out. You have more capability than you think you do but you will never see it unless you place a demand on yourself for more. – Joyce Meyer
Hang in there. Trust that those winds of adversity are blowing away what’s not needed while making you stronger. – Anonymous
Adversity is the first path to truth. – Lord Byron
If you do not believe that hearts can bloom suddenly bigger, and that love can open like a flower out of even the hardest places, then I am afraid that for you the road will be long and brown and barren, and you will have trouble finding the light.
But if you do believe, then you already know all about magic. – Lauren Oliver
A new challenge keeps the brain kicking and the heart ticking. – E. A. Bucchianeri
Adversity is the diamond dust heaven polishes it’s jewels with. – Thomas Carlyle
An optimist see the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill
Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them. – Washington Irving
If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit. – Bill Clinton
Be of good cheer. Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourself a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere, and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. – Helen Keller
There are many people in the world who have succeeded in climbing the ladder of achievement. Some of these people have persevered throughout their career having met what appeared insurmountable obstacles yet overcame these challenges to keep moving forward. – Byron Pulsifer
In times of stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and energy into something positive. – Lee Lacocca
Fire is the test of gold; adversity of the strong men. – Martha Graham
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. – Moliere
A problem is a chance for you to do your best. – Duke Ellington
Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are. – Bernice Johnson Reagon
You hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. – Anonymous
There is no education like adversity. – Benjamin Disraeli
If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try. – Seth Godin
Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done, and why. Then do it. – Robert A. Heinlein
Some people will just go with the flow of things and sway in life, while others will fight against the currents and go upstream to reach their destiny. – Anthony Liccione
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
Never let a stumble be the end of your journey. – Anonymous
You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. – Rabindranath Tagore
Real champions fight through adversity. – Conor McGregor
Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful. – Zig Ziglar
All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming. – Helen Keller
Overcoming my dad telling me that I could never amount to anything is what has made me the megalomaniac that you see today. – Bono
Those who wish to sing, always find a song. – Swedish Proverb
It’s part of life to have obstacles. It’s about overcoming obstacles; that’s the key to happiness. – Herbie Hancock
Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. – Rikkie Rogers
Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war. – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
It is courage, courage, courage, that raises the blood of life to crimson splendor. Live bravely and present a brave front to adversity. – Horace
Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with. – Thomas Carlyle
We acquire the strength we have overcome. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Strength and courage aren’t always measured in medals and victories. They are measured in the struggles they overcome. The strongest people aren’t always the people who win, but the people who don’t give up when they lose. – Ashley Hodgeson
I really believe in the old expression that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It’s through adversity that you find the strength you never knew you had. – Christie Brinkley
The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. – Ernest Hemingway
A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep. – Vernon Howard
He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions. – Louisa May Alcott
You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. – Marcus Aurelius
There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’ No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster. – Dalai Lama XIV
Temper us in fire, and we grow stronger. When we suffer, we survive. – Cassandra Clare
Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others. – Robert Louis Stevenson
Be strong. Live honorably and with dignity. When you don’t think you can, hold on. – James Frey
Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness. – Susan Gale
Risk anything! Care no more for the opinion of others … Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth. – Katherine Mansfield
Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. – Khalil Gibran
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. – Christopher Reeve
All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me…. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. – Walt Disney
Anyone can give up; it is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone would expect you to fall apart, now that is true strength. – Chris Bradford
You can’t really be strong until you can see a funny side to things. – Ken Kesey
