80 Words Of Encouragement To Help You Get Through Even The Toughest Days

At one time or another in life, everyone reaches a point where everything becomes a little too much and it seems impossible to go on, and you need some words of encouragement. 

The world can be a cruel place but there’s comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. We must learn to overcome the struggles we face over the years.

Everyone has their specialties when comforting friends. Some are listeners; they can empathize and react in a way that shows they care. Others are talkers; they can say exactly what the person needs to hear. It takes a special someone to be both.

Good, encouraging words include inspirational quotes and any life quotes about overcoming obstacles. 

To help other people and yourself, look at those who have felt the same profound sadness or confusion that you have. These people have been put down and defeated but they are still here, even if only through their words, to tell the tale. They made it, and so will you.

80 Best Words Of Encouragement Quotes To Get You Through Life

1. “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” —J.R.R. Tolkien

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2. “Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.” —Anne Frank

3. “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." — William James

4. “Don't let the negativity given to you by the world disempower you. Instead give to yourself that which empowers you." — Les Brown

5. "The most important thing is to enjoy your life, to be happy, it’s all that matters." —Audrey Hepburn

6. “We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don't have something better.” ― C. JoyBell C.

7. "It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default." — J.K. Rowling

8. "Don't make a habit out of choosing what feels good over what's actually good for you." —Eric Thomas

9. “There are moments when troubles enter our lives and we can do nothing to avoid them. But they are there for a reason. Only when we have overcome them will we understand why they were there.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Fifth Mountain

10. “Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully.” ― Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

11. “How would your life be different if…You walked away from gossip and verbal defamation? Let today be the day…You speak only the good you know of other people and encourage others to do the same.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

12. “The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

13. “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

14. “Sometimes when you are in a dark place you think you have been buried, but actually you have been planted.” —Christine Caine

15. “Thankfully, persistence is a great substitute for talent.” ― Steve Martin, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

16. “Soon, when all is well, you're going to look back on this period of your life and be so glad that you never gave up.” —Brittany Burgunder

17. “You cannot expect victory and plan for defeat.” ― Joel Osteen

18. “Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.”

19. “You can get a thousand no's from people, and only one 'yes' from God.” ― Tyler Perry

20. “Instruction does much, but encouragement everything." ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Letter to A.F. Oeser, Nov. 9, 1768

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21. “I think that little by little I'll be able to solve my problems and survive.” ― Frida Kahlo

22. “The harder you fall, the heavier your heart; the heavier your heart, the stronger you climb; the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal.” ― Criss Jami, Killosophy

23. "Be an Encourager: When you encourage others, you boost their self-esteem, enhance their self-confidence, make them work harder, lift their spirits and make them successful in their endeavors. Encouragement goes straight to the heart and is always available. Be an encourager. Always.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

24. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." —Eleanor Roosevelt

25. “One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.” ― Shannon L. Alder

26. “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” —​Yoda

27. “You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better than you think you can.” —Jimmy Carter 

28. “Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something, not even me. Alright? You dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.” —Chris Gardner, "The Pursuit of Happyness"

29. “Just keep swimming.” —Dory, "Finding Nemo"

30. “I'm letting life hit me till it gets tired. Then I'll hit back.” —Sebastian, "La La Land"

31. “A real loser is someone who's so afraid of not winning he doesn't even try.” —​"Little Miss Sunshine"

32. "You get in life what you have the courage to ask for." —Oprah Winfrey 

33. “You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.” —Eames, "Inception"

34. "I don't want to survive, I want to live." —"Wall-E"

35. “It always seems impossible until it's done.” —Nelson Mandela

36. “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” —Theodore Roosevelt

37. “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” —H. G. Wells

38. “If you want something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” —Thomas Jefferson

39. “Not all those who wander are lost.” —​J. R. R. Tolkien

40. "The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." —​Ayn Rand

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41. “You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

42. “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” —Robert Frost

43. “You have to die a few times before you can really live.” —Charles Bukowski

44. "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." — Maya Angelou

45. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” —Truman Capote

46. "Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” —​James Joyce

47. "If you're going through hell, keep going." —Winston Churchill

48. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” —Will Rogers

49. “Buckle up, and know that it’s going to be a tremendous amount of work, but embrace it.” —Tory Burch

50. “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” —Louisa May Alcott

52. “Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent of how I react to it.” —Charles Swindoll

53. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

54. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” —​Henry Ford

55. “Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly.” ―Neil Gaiman

56. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” —​Vince Lombardi

57. “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 

58. “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” —John Wooden

59. “Encourage yourself, believe in yourself, and love yourself. Never doubt who you are.” ― Stephanie Lahart

60. "You control the doorway to what you allow in. You can dwell on every negative thought and every derogatory comment, or you can choose to delete it and dwell on what God says about you" — Joel Osteen

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61. “The greatest act of faith some days is to simply get up and face another day.” ― Amy Gatliff

62. “One word of encouragement can be enough to spark someone’s motivation to continue with a difficult challenge.” ― Roy T. Bennett

63. “You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.” —Rosa Parks

64. “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” —​Duke Ellington 

65. “But people need lift, too. People don't get moving, they don't soar, they don't achieve great heights, without someone buoying them up.” ― Elizabeth Wein, Rose Under Fire

66. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” ― Helen Keller

67. “Never give up hope. All things are working for your good. One day, you'll look back on everything you've been through and thank God for it.” ― Germany Kent

68. ”Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value.” —Albert Einstein

69. “The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body; use yours to lift someone up today.” ― Terri Ann Armstrong

70. “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for extraordinary destiny.” —C.S. Lewis

​72. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt 

73. “The best revenge is massive success.” —Frank Sinatra

74. “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” —Thomas Paine

75. “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” —Bo Jackson

76. “Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” —Og Mandino

77. “It is very important to know who you are. To make decisions. To show who you are.” —Malala Yousafzai

78. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” —Thomas A. Edison

79.  “Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” —Victor Kiam

80. “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” —Wayne Dyer

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Alyssa Asaro is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.