25 Inspirational and Personal Development Quotes To Help You In Difficult Times

 

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Life is unpredictable and full of change.

And because it’s unpredictable you, like all of us, experience occasional “rough patches” and periods of difficulty in your journey.

During those times, it can help to get advice from a trusted or experienced source.

But often just a few words to help you to consider things a little differently, or simply encourage you in your situation is enough to help you battle on.

That’s why I’ve compiled this list of 25 inspirational and self-improvement quotes to help, inspire and motivate you.

I have learned and continue to learn so much from other individuals who have endured exceptional challenges in life.

And I am always so grateful for those who have been generous enough to share their journeys or life lessons.

It helps.

So here is a list of 25 quotes to encourage you in the days of difficulty.

 

25 Inspirational Quotes to Encourage You

 

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1. “So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” Christopher Reeve

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. “Never lose the childlike wonder. Show gratitude… Don’t complain; just work harder… Never give up.” Randy Pausch

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. “Run away from toxic people. Instead, surround yourself with others who are positive, who support you and want you to succeed.” Dr. Tererai Trent

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. “If you get stuck, get away from your desk.

Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to ­music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don’t just stick there scowling at the problem.

But don’t make telephone calls or go to a party; if you do, other people’s words will pour in where your lost words should be. Open a gap for them, create a space. Be patient.” Hilary Mantel

 

 

5. “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.” Gloria Steinem

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. “I advocate single-tasking, focusing on one task at a time and working as simply as possible to preserve your mental health and to improve your effectiveness.

Here are a few quick reasons not to multitask:

Multitasking is less efficient, due to the need to switch gears for each new task and then switch back again.

Multitasking is more complicated and thus leaves you more prone to stress and errors.

Multitasking can be crazy-making, and in this already chaotic world, we need to rein in the terror and find a little oasis of sanity and calm.” Leo Babauta

 

7. “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

 

 

8. “I learned in therapy the word “No” is a complete sentence.” Jaycee Dugard

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.” Erma Bombeck

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.

Carry it by the comfortable handles of gratitude for what’s positive and that it is not worse, rather than the uncomfortable edges of bitterness for the negatives and that it is not better.” Lena Horne (While this quote is attributed to Miss Horne, its origin is not definitive.)

 

 

 

11. “A successful person never loses. They either win or learn.” John Calipari

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” Shirley Chisholm

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit.” Christopher McCandless

Into the Wild

Back To The Wild

 

 

 

14. “My dad encouraged us to fail.

Growing up, he would ask us what we failed at that week.

If we didn’t have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome, failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.” Sara Blakely

 

 

 

15. “What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.” Maya Angelou

 

 

 

 

 

 

16. “True happiness comes not when we get rid of all of our problems, but when we change our relationship to them, when we see our problems as a potential source of awakening, opportunities to practice, and to learn.” Richard Carlson

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and It’s All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life (Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Series)

 

 

 

17. “To dare to dream in the midst of adversity, in the midst of failure, in the midst of complacency, is to have hope.

That hope, that dream, is a gift from God.

It is His way of telling you that He has a plan for your life if you will listen and give Him a chance to bring it to pass.” Dani Johnson

 

 

 

18. “You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” Johnny Cash

 

 

 

 

 

19.“It’s never too late – never too late to start over, never too late to be happy.” Jane Fonda

 

 

 

 

 

 

20. “I am willing to put myself through anything, temporary pain or discomfort means nothing to me as long as I can see that the experience will take me to a new level. I am interested in the unknown, and the only path to the unknown is through breaking barriers, an often painful process.”  Diana Nyad

 

 

 

 

21. “My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I’m luckier than other mortals, and they sure don’t come from visualizing victory.

They’re the result of a lifetime spent visualizing defeat and figuring out how to prevent it.

Like most astronauts, I’m pretty sure that I can deal with what life throws at me because I’ve thought about what to do if things go wrong, as well as right. That’s the power of negative thinking.” Chris Hadfield

 

 

22. “If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start.

This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days.

It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery–isolation.

Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it.

And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way.

There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire.

You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.” Charles Bukowski

 

23. “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

 

 

 

 

 

24. “Life seems sometimes like nothing more than a series of losses, from beginning to end. That’s the given. How you respond to those losses, what you make of what’s left, that’s the part you have to make up as you go.” Katharine Weber

 

 

 

 

 

25. “The interesting (and sometimes scary) thing about living a purposeful life is you begin to realize that, in a very real way, your life is not your own.

You’re not here to just get all the good stuff for yourself — and maybe your loved ones — so you can live a happy, pleasure-filled existence.

You are part of a larger organism, a larger system, and all the good that you receive, all the talent you possess, everything that you have, is not for your benefit only — but for the benefit of the whole system.

And the more you surrender to this, the more the universe will pour its bounty through you so you can be a bigger giver.” Derek Rydall

Be encouraged.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9

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