We all get hit. The question isn’t if but when.
Life has a way of knocking you down, sometimes so hard that getting back up feels impossible. I’ve been there. I remember staring at my reflection feeling disgusted and defeated. I was over 110 pounds overweight trapped in a cycle of binge eating, gaming, and pure laziness. Each day felt like a repeat of the last, a slow drift into a life I didn't want. The setback wasn't just one bad day. It was my entire existence.
Change felt like a mountain I could never climb. But I learned that you don’t have to conquer the whole mountain at once. You just have to take one single step. For me, that journey started with small changes and the powerful words of others who had walked through fire and come out stronger. Sometimes, when your own thoughts are screaming "you can't," you need to borrow someone else's strength.
Words to Lean On
When you're facing a tough time, the right words can be a lifeline. They can reframe your thinking, give you a dose of courage, and remind you that you are not alone in your struggle. For centuries people have found strength in timeless wisdom. Whether from thinkers, leaders, or the Holy Scriptures, these words carry a weight that can anchor you in a storm.
They remind us that setbacks are not the end of the story. They are often the beginning of a new, stronger chapter. Here are some of the quotes that helped me see the light when all I saw was darkness.
30 Quotes to Help You Rise Again
- “The brick walls are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” – Randy Pausch
- “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
- “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:34
- “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
- “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
- “A man is not called a winner because he is able to defeat the enemy, but because he is able to stand up after being defeated.” – St. John Chrysostom
- “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
- “The righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” – Proverbs 24:16
- “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” – Margaret Thatcher
- “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” – C.S. Lewis
- “What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” – Psalm 34:12-14
- “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” – Ernest Hemingway
- “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
- “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – The Serenity Prayer
- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
- “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl
- “If you are going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill
- “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved.” – St. Seraphim of Sarov
- “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
- “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
- “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:21
- “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein
- “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong
- “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” – Isaiah 40:29
- “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” – Henry Ford
- “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
- “Believe you can and you're halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
More Than Just Words
Reading these quotes can feel good for a moment. But a quote on its own won't change your life. The real magic happens when you pair those words with action.
When I decided to lose weight and get my life back, I didn't create some massive, complicated plan. I just started. I took the idea of "one day at a time" literally. My first goal wasn't to lose 110 pounds. It was to not have a sugary drink for one day. That’s it. Then I did it again the next day. Small wins started to build momentum.
I applied this same idea to my work. I used to think I needed an 8-hour block to be productive. That pressure just made me procrastinate. Instead, I started with short, focused bursts of work. Just 25 minutes. Anyone can do 25 minutes. Those small sessions added up, and slowly, I built a productive routine that worked for me without the burnout.
Throughout it all, my faith was my foundation. In the moments I felt weakest, I didn't rely on my own strength. I prayed. I turned to God and asked for His help, leaning on Him when I felt like I couldn't stand on my own. A setback can feel like God has abandoned you, but I’ve found it’s often in those very moments that He is closest, waiting for us to turn to Him.
So don't just read these quotes. Find one that hits you right in the heart. Let it be your focus for the day. Let it guide your actions.
Which quote on this list spoke to you the most?
Take a moment. Pick one. Write it down on a piece of paper and put it in your pocket or on your desk. Let it be a simple, quiet reminder that you have the strength to take that next step, no matter how small it is.
