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Motivational Quotes

Resilience Quotes to Empower and Inspire Your Life Journey

November 29, 2023   Danielle Dahl   2489 Views

Inspirational resilience quotes are beacons of strength, guiding us through stormy seas.

At Resilient Stories, we understand that life’s journey is often filled with challenges that test our fortitude.

In these moments, the power of words can be transformative.

Embracing resilience is not just about enduring; it’s about thriving in the face of adversity and growing stronger with each hurdle crossed.

These resilience quotes, echoing the wisdom of souls who’ve weathered their own storms, remind us that resilience is both a trait and a skill.

An infographic demonstrating ways to build resilience: change your perspective, identify your purpose, values, and strengths, practice self-care, increase emotional intelligence, focus your energy, and build healthy connections.

As we explore these powerful expressions of resilience, let them ignite the unyielding spirit within us, inspiring us to rise, rebuild, and emerge stronger than ever before.

These inspirational resilience quotes demonstrate how resilience is essential to achieving success in life despite the hardships we encounter.

Every phrase reminds us that no matter what difficulties arise, we have tremendous power. With determination, we can persevere and ultimately come out stronger.

What is the Meaning of Resilience?

Each quote in this section begins with ‘resilience is,’ offering diverse perspectives on its transformative power in our lives.

Quote from Jeffrey Gitomer: Resilience is not what happens to you. It is how you react to, respond to, and recover from what happens to you.
  • “Resilience is the ability to attack while running away.” — Wes Fesler
  • “Resilience is, of course, necessary for a warrior. But a lack of empathy isn’t.” — Phil Klay
  • “Resilience is based on compassion for ourselves as well as compassion for others.” — Sharon Salzberg
  • “Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before.” — Elizabeth Edwards
  • “Resilience is knowing that you are the only one that has the power and the responsibility to pick yourself up.” — Mary Holloway
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  • “Resilience is what happens when we’re able to move forward even when things don’t fit together the way we expect.” — Lucy Hone
  • “Resilience is not what happens to you. It’s how you react to, respond to, and recover from what happens to you.” — Jeffrey Gitomer
  • “Resilience is not about being able to bounce back like nothing has happened. Resilience is your consistent resistance to give up.” — Janna Cachola
  • “Resilience is very different than being numb. Resilience means you experience, you feel, you fail, you hurt. You fall. But, you keep going.” — Yasmin Mogahed
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  • “Resilience is a precious skill. People who have it tend to also have three underlying advantages: a belief that they can influence life events; a tendency to find meaningful purpose in life’s turmoil; and a conviction that they can learn from both positive and negative experiences.” — Amanda Ripley

Resilience Quotes Embodied By The Voices of Others

Reflecting on the journeys taken by others may invigorate us with faith when our greatest vulnerability surfaces, reminding us we can overcome any obstacles presented before us and succeed.

These courageous people’s quotes offer words of support that will enable you to stay strong no matter how weak you feel.

Quote from Steve Maraboli: Life doesn't get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.
  • “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” — Mark Twain
  • “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” — Robert F. Kennedy
  • “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” — Steve Maraboli
  • “The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.” — Robert Jordan
  • “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.” — Isabel Allende
  • “No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That’s the only way to keep the roads clear.” — Greg Kincaid
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  • “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” — Maya Angelou
  • “I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance. Never settle for the path of least resistance.” — Lee Ann Womack
  • “We need to hear stories from older women. There’s a wealth of wisdom and real resilience there, but they’re silenced.” — Hannah Gadsby
  • “Like tiny seeds with potent power to push through tough ground and become mighty trees, we hold innate reserves of unimaginable strength. We are resilient.” — Catherine DeVrye

Human Nature’s Resilient Core

Draw on inspiring stories of resilience and wisdom and learn how to overcome adversity.

Quote from Bernard Williams: Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.
  • “Human beings have enormous resilience.” — Muhammad Yunus
  • “Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.” — Bernard Williams
  • “I’m not sure if resilience is ever achieved alone. Experience allows us to learn from example.” — Maya Angelou
  • “She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails.” — Elizabeth Edwards
  • “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo- far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” — Jodi Picoult
  • “The soul gives us resilience – an essential quality since we constantly have to rebound from hardship.” — Wynton Marsalis
  • “When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.” — Jaeda Dewalt
  • “It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature. Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way, even by death, and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment.” — Bram Stoker
  • “Mastering the art of resilience does much more than restore you to who you once thought you were. Rather, you emerge from the experience transformed into a truer expression of who you were really meant to be.” — Carol Orsborn

Resilience Quotes About How Struggles Develop Success

Resilience is integral to achieving greatness because success rarely comes easily.

If you are experiencing fear, setbacks, or outright failure and need words of encouragement to keep going, then these resilience quotes are perfect!

Quote about overcoming suffering from Helen Keller: Although all the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.
  • “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill
  • “I tried and failed. I tried again and again and succeeded.” — Gail Borden
  • “Rock bottom became the solid foundation in which I rebuilt my life.” — J.K. Rowling
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  • “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” — Helen Keller
  • “Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” — Gever Tulley
  • “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” — Dale Carnegie
  • “No matter how you define success, you will need to be resilient, empowered, authentic, and limber to get there.” — Joanie Connell
  • “Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” — Thomas Edison
  • “Successful people demonstrate their resilience through their dedication to making progress every day, even if that progress is marginal.” — Jonathan Mills
  • “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” — Helen Keller

Overcoming Our Greatest Weakness By Building Resilience

When we focus on building our resilience, it involves overcoming personal weaknesses and beating down any self-doubt.

Resilience quote from Alain De Botton: A good half of the art of living is resilience.
  • “A good half of the art of living is resilience.” — Alain de Botton
  • “We are not a product of what has happened to us in our past. We have the power of choice.” — Stephen Covey
  • “Do not judge me by my success; judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Our experiences, good and bad, make us who we are. By overcoming difficulties, we gain strength and maturity.” — Angelina Jolie
  • “There are two kinds of strength. Power and the ability to wield it is obvious, but resilience, the ability to resist power, is the other.” — Raymond E. Feist
  • “Stress will break people altogether if they are in the beginning too weak to stand distress, or else if they are already strong enough to take the stress in the first place, that same stress, if they come through it, will strengthen them, temper them, and make them stronger.” — Abraham Maslow

Being Resilient is Within All Of Us

Embrace failure as an opportunity to grow stronger with self-care strategies and a resilient mindset.

  • “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” — Christopher Reeve
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  • “No matter how bleak or menacing a situation may appear, it does not entirely own us. It can’t take away our freedom to respond, our power to take action.” — Ryder Carroll
  • “Resilience isn’t a single skill. It’s a variety of skills and coping mechanisms. To bounce back from bumps in the road as well as failures, you should focus on emphasizing the positive.” — Jean Chatzky
  • “We all have battles to fight. And it’s often in those battles that we are most alive: it’s on the frontlines of our lives that we earn wisdom, create joy, forge friendships, discover happiness, find love, and do purposeful work.” — Eric Greitens
  • “You must bear losses like a soldier, the voice told me, bravely and without complaint, and just when the day seems lost, grab your shield for another stand, another thrust forward. That is the juncture that separates heroes from the merely strong.” — Margaret George

The Art of Bouncing Back: Resilience Quotes in Action

Having the capacity to persevere in tough times is important.

Quote from Mary Anne Radmacher remind you to be resilient and try again.
  • “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
  • “Definitions have evolved over time but fundamentally resilience is understood as referring to positive adaptation, or the ability to maintain or regain mental health, despite experiencing adversity.” — Helen Herrman
  • “It requires hard work and dedication, but over time, you can equip yourself to handle whatever life throws your way without adverse effects to your health. Training your brain to manage stress won’t just affect the quality of your life, but perhaps even the length of it.” — Amy Morin
  • “Look what you’ve already come through! Don’t deny it. You’ve already come through some things, which are very painful. If you’ve been alive until you’re 35, you have gone through some pain. It cost you something. And you’ve come through it. So at least look at that. And have a sense to look at yourself and say, ‘Well, wait a minute. I’m stronger than I thought I was.’” — Maya Angelou
  • “My scars remind me that I did indeed survive my deepest wounds. That, in itself, is an accomplishment. And they bring to mind something else, too. They remind me that the damage life has inflicted on me has, in many places, left me stronger and more resilient.” — Steve Goodier

Resilience Quotes to Help You Fail Greatly, Rise Strongly

Achieving greatness in life is not about never faltering but bouncing back.

Resilience quote from Nelson Mandela
  • “The greatest glory lies not in staying on one’s feet, but rising after falling.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Failure is not the outcome – failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.” — Sara Blakely
  • “The difference between a strong man and a weak one is that the former does not give up after a defeat.” — Woodrow Wilson
  • “I wouldn’t be where I am now if I didn’t fail … a lot. The good, the bad, it’s all part of the success equation.” — Mark Cuban
  • “It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Uplifting Resilience Quotes

  • “Forget mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you are going to do right now and do it.” — Will Durant
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  • “It’s a funny thing about life. Once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” — Germany Kent
  • “Don’t give up. You’re going to get kicked in the teeth. A lot. Learn to take a hit, then pick yourself up off the floor. Resilience is the true key to success.” — Melissa Rosenberg
  • “But hope has an astonishing resilience and strength. Its very persistence in our hearts indicates that it is not a tonic for wishful thinkers but the ground on which realists stand.” — Kathleen Norris
  • “Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself.” — Henry Ward Beecher

Resilience Quotes to Keep Your Spirit Up

Let our scars be reminders of our strength and cultivate resilience in daily life for personal growth!

  • “Resilience can go an awful long way.” — Eddie the Eagle

  • “I’m inspired by people that are marginal. I’m excited by their resilience.” — Mira Nair

  • “When it’s only you that you can rely on, you’re surprised at the resilience you have.” — Paul Dini

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  • “Everyone needs resilience. It’s a virtue essential to growth and essential to happiness.” — Eric Greitens

  • “Resilience can only form if we face and learn how to be better equipped to manage our problems.” — Jo Frost

  • “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” — Napoleon Hill

  • “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” — Henry Ford

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  • “I think there are things that we can all do to build resilience in ourselves but also to build resilience in each other.” — Sheryl Sandberg

  • “Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.” — Jamais Cascio

  • “Proactively working to develop mental strength increases your resilience to stress and reduces the toll it takes on you both physically and mentally.” — Amy Morin

Coping Mechanisms to Face Your New Reality

Being emotionally strong helps us navigate through life’s obstacles a little better.

It is human nature to focus on the negative, but having a positive outlook can help you rise again.

By constructing a robust base of flexibility and endurance, challenges become more surmountable with less stress involved.

Find Power in Your Mindset

Adding to this adaptive mindset are ideas about learning from mistakes and finding solace in knowing it’s okay not to be perfect.

Embracing our stories and all we’ve been through makes us stronger, no matter how hard things may seem at first glance.

Developing resilience is one of the best things you can do. Life will always come at you with an obstacle.

Accepting your new reality while maintaining a belief in yourself is one of the first principles of hope.

Sure, falling hurts, but there is immense power in standing back up.

Building Resilience Daily

Implementing healthy coping tactics like self-compassion and seeking support from loved ones increases our emotional strength.

Lao Tzu’s wisdom reminds us that even the longest journey begins with a single step.

Daily practices like mindfulness, meditation, and journaling build resilience over time.

The Wisdom of Resilience: Philosophical Perspectives

It is possible to even find beauty in difficult experiences that prepare us for a promising future if it’s met with resilience.

Resilience, or the human capacity to successfully manage and move past adversity, is a deep-rooted part of our makeup.

Several of these resilience quotes, specifically ones that use imagery like the oak and willow, can help us learn to look at things differently.

It is wonderful how much resilience can help when we try to reach our potential and find our purpose.

Resilience is a multifaceted trait that enables us to adapt, overcome, and grow from life’s challenges.

It’s about accepting new realities, building inner strength, and cultivating daily habits that support our mental and emotional well-being.

Remember, you can rewrite your life’s story despite all the events that have happened!

Tell us your favorite resilience quote in the comment section!

Do you have an amazing story of resilience? Reach out to share it on Resilient Stories!

About The Author

Danielle Dahl

As the founder of Resilient Stories, I immerse myself in the world of real-life tales that epitomize resilience, triumph, and remarkable personal growth. With over 1000 articles penned for platforms like EverydayPower, Medium, and News Break, my passion lies in exploring the facets of team and personal development, trauma, and motivation. Holding a Master’s in Management and Leadership and currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology from Northcentral University, I am deeply committed to the cathartic power of storytelling.

See author's posts

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