Photo by Prateek Katyal

There will be days when you feel down and out. Where it appears you no longer have a fight in you and are about to give up.

Discouragement, disappointment, failure, uselessness, worthlessness, or bleakness can really get to us and make things worse than they are.

And when every turn in your life is a challenge and your spirits are low, a little motivation in the form of encouraging quotes can be extremely beneficial.

The following encouraging quotes will serve as a gentle reminder that things will improve and you will be able to overcome your difficulties.

Because sometimes all it takes is a little push to get that low, depressed feeling out of the way so you can value yourself more and brighten your day. Giving you the motivation to push through and achieve your goals.

130 Encouraging Quotes

Best encouraging quotes when feeling down and out

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

– Confucius

As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.

– Dr. Steve Maraboli

There is nothing impossible to they who will try.

– Alexander the Great

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.

– C.S. Lewis

If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.

– Fred Rogers

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.

– Buddha

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

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.

– Les Misérables

Every day may not be good, but there is some good in every day.

– Alice Morse Earle

Stop focusing on how stressed you are and remember how blessed you are.

– Unknown

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

Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it.

– Buddha

Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.

– Roy T. Bennett

The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Don’t give up.

– Robert Tew

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

– Winston Churchill

Encouraging quotes to build your spirits up

No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities…always see them…for they’re always there.

– Norman Vincent Peale

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.

– Martha Washington

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.

– Vincent Van Gogh

Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It’s a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment.

– Eric Butterworth

We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes–understanding that failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of success.

– Arianna Huffington

Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.

– Anne Sweeney

Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.

– Stephen Covey

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.

– Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

– Jimmy Dean

Don’t compare your life to others. There’s no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time.

– Unknown

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.

– Jimmy Johnson

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.

– Pablo Picasso

Remember, for everything you have lost, you have gained something else. Without the dark, you would never see the stars.

– Unknown

When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.

– Mary Kay Ash

Promise me you’ll always remember that you are braver than you believe,stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.

– Christopher Robin

Encouraging Quotes for the soul

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.

– Napoleon Hill

Convince yourself everyday that you are worthy of a good life. Let go of stress, breathe. Stay positive, all is well.

– Germany Kent

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.

– Napoleon Hill

Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.

– Denis Waitley

I walk with my head high. Yesterday made me sigh. But, Today is going to be fun. And Tomorrow as bright as the sun.

– Sahndra Fon Dufe

You can never escape life so don’t worry about it.

– The Rousing Words

Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

– Earl Nightingale

The past does not equal the future. It does not matter that you failed yesterday, or all day today. What matters is what are you going to do, right now?

– Tony Robbins

You may faced hard trials but do not lose hope.

– Lailah Gifty Akita

Greatness begins with self-belief. You are the beginning, the possibility, not the culmination of a final chapter.

– D.L. Lewis

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

– Georg Bernard Shaw

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.

– Leo F. Buscaglia

Connect to the vastness of the universe and look down upon your life to see the truth within your soul, for it is your soul that will guide you to abundance, health and happiness.

– Jody Howard

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

Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.

– Thomas Carlyle

Moving quotes to encourage you to keep going

I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.

– Abraham Lincoln

What’s done is done. What’s gone is gone. One of life’s lessons is always moving on. It’s okay to look back to see how far you’ve come but keep moving forward.

– Roy T. Bennett

Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

– Joshua J. Marine

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

– Theodore Roosevelt

FEAR has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run Or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours.

– Zig Ziglar

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else – means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.

– e. e. cummings

Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.

– Denis Waitley

I always tell my kids if you lay down, people will step over you. But if you keep scrambling, if you keep going, someone will always, always give you a hand. Always. But you gotta keep dancing, you gotta keep your feet moving.

– Morgan Freeman

Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. – Michael Jordan

Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you.

– George Whitefield

You just do it. You force yourself to get up. You force yourself to put one foot before the other, and God damn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That’s how I’ve done it. There’s no other way.

– Elizabeth Taylor

Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you.

– George Whitefield

March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path.

– Kahlil Gibran

Life moves on and so should we.

– Spencer Johnson

The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by a mountain – he is inspired by it. The persistent winner is not discouraged by a problem – he is challenged by it. Mountains are created to be conquered; adversities are designed to be defeated; problems are sent to be solved. It is better to master one mountain than a thousand foothills.

– William Arthur Ward

Things aren’t always easy, but you just have to keep going and don’t let the small stuff bog you down.

– Stella Maeve

If you really want to eat, keep climbing. The fruits are on the top of the tree. Stretch your hands and keep stretching them. Success is on the top, keep going.

– Israelmore Ayivor

The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting.

– Walt Disney

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

– Harriet Beecher Stowe

The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don’t let it get the best of you.

– Will Rogers

There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.

– Bernard Williams

Do not quit; do not give up. The only people who quit and give up are those who never attempt in the first place, and you are not like that. 

– Rosy Lee Anderson

Sometimes it feels like life has buried us in the dirt, when in reality we’ve been planted with an opportunity to grow. 

– Tina Hallis

Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. 

– Satchel Paige

Don’t accept discouragement, keep going! Less stress results in not allowing discouragement to be your attitude! 

– Catherine Pulsifer

Encouraging quotes to help you get through tough times

It always seems impossible until it’s done.

– Nelson Mandela

Believe in yourself and all that you are, know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.

– Christian D Larson

The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger than the one who never fell.

– Luna Adriana Ardiansyah

I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going and going and going.

– Sylvester Stallone

If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.

– Martin Luther King Jr

Failure is a bend in the road, not the end of the road. Learn from failure and keep moving forward.

– Roy T. Bennett

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

– Dale Carnegie

You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.

– Babe Ruth

Autumn is my favourite season of all. It is a transitory period that allows the earth to rest before it sees the harshness of winter and hears the promise of spring. 

– Kamand Kojouri

When in doubt, throw doubt out and have a little faith….

– E.A. Bucchianeri

Experience has taught me how important it is to just keep going, focusing on running fast and relaxed. Eventually it passes and the flow returns. It’s part of racing.

– Frank Shorter

To everyone battling a difficulty or under attack right now, smile, keep your head up, keep moving and stay positive, you’ll get through it. 

– Germany Kent

You learn to rise above a lot of bad things that happen in your life. And you have to keep going.

– Lauren Bacall

Believe in yourself, take on your challenges, dig deep within yourself to conquer fears. Never let anyone bring you down. You got to keep going.

– Chantal Sutherland

You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead.

– George Lucas

Encouraging quotes to get you through the day

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.

– Eleanor Roosevelt

Something special awaits you each day. All you need is to recognize it and make the most of it. Have a positive attitude throughout the day and then that today is going to be the best day of your life.

– Unknown

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

– Henry Ford

We don’t just sit around and wait for other people. We just make, and we do.

– Arlan Hamilton

You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.

– Dr. Seuss

Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.

– Will Rogers

Either you run the day or the day runs you.

– Jim Rohn

Be strong – you never know who you’re inspiring!

– Unknown

You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.

– Stephen King

What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.

– Ralph Marston

You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to bed with satisfaction.

– George Lorimer

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

– Henry David Thoreau

Light tomorrow with today.

– Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Don’t count the days. Make the days count.

– Muhammad Ali

I get up every morning and it’s going to be a great day. You never know when it’s going to be over, so I refuse to have a bad day.

– Paul Henderson

The day will be what you make it, so rise, like the sun, and burn.

– William C. Hannan

Rise up, start fresh see the bright opportunity in each day.

– Unknown

No matter how bad things are, you can at least be happy that you woke up this morning.

– D.L Hughley 

The sun is a daily reminder that we too can rise again from the darkness, that we too can shine our own light.

– S. Ajna

Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen.

– Wayne Huizenga

Encouraging quotes to overcome discouragement and succeed

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.

– Dale Carnegie

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

– Thomas A. Edison

Success in life is not for those who run fast, but for those who keep running and always on the move.

– Bangambiki Habyarimana

A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.

– B. F. Skinner

In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety. 

– Abraham Maslow

The best thing to do when you find yourself in a hurting or vulnerable place is to surround yourself with the strongest, finest, most positive people you know.

– Kristin Armstrong

My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least you’re moving forward. All you have to do is get back up and try again.

– Richard Branson

Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out.

– Gordon B. Hinkley

It is also vitally important that when faced with setbacks in achieving a goal, you need to stay focused and not let the setbacks discourage you. 

– Byron and Catherine Pulsifer

It is the combination of reasonable talent and the ability to keep going in the face of defeat that leads to success.

– Martin Seligman

Thousands of successful people did not achieve success on their first try, but they were not discouraged. They picked themselves up and went back at it with an even stronger, single minded tenacity to achieve their goal. 

– Catherine Pulsifer

If beautiful lilies bloom in ugly waters, you too can blossom in ugly situations. 

– Matshona Dhliwayo

What winning is to me is not giving up, is no matter what’s thrown at me, I can take it. And I can keep going.

– Patrick Swayze

If someone is strong enough to bring you down, show them you are strong enough to get back up.

– A. Josland

A lot of things are going to happen that you can’t necessarily control all the time, but you can control what you do after it happens. So that’s what I try to do, keep my head up, keep moving forward, stay positive, and just work hard.

– Lonzo Ball

No matter how hard the battle gets, or no matter how many people don’t believe in your dream, never give up.

– Eric Thomas

No matter how devastating our struggles, disappointments, and troubles are, they are only temporary.

– Josh McDowell

The long shadows of discouragement have often stretched across my path. Those times have been bittersweet – bitter at first, sweet later on. 

– Charles R. Swindoll

Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

– Steve Jobs

However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.

– Stephen Hawking

Continuous, unflagging effort, persistence and determination will win. Let not the man be discouraged who has these. 

– James Whitcomb Riley

Defeat is final when you give up. And, discouragement is not permanent unless you wish it to be so.

– Byron R. Pulsifer

I will not yield to discouragements, I will trample them under foot and make them serve as stepping-stones to success. 

– Unknown

The time to succeed is when others, discouraged, show traces of tire. 

– Unknown

Be stubborn against failure; try! try! and try again; the boys who keep on trying have made the world’s best men. 

– Eben E. Rexford

Simple ways to feel better when you are feeling down

Whether you wake up on the wrong side of the bed because it’s just one of those down days. Or you are feeling tired, afraid, lost, or overwhelmed as a result of the challenges you are about to face. The truth is that it is entirely up to you whether you succumb or overcome it.

While you can’t solve all of those problems or request that the day be restarted, there are some things you can do to turn what appears to be a bad day into a promising one.

The key is to get yourself in a better frame of mind so that you can deal with all of the despair that is piling up.

Aside from using the power of words to lift your spirits when you’re down, here are some other simple ways to feel better and get back on track. At the very least, they will rewire and set you up for a better day tomorrow.

1. Have a go-to pick-me-up activity

There are some simple activities that can be as powerful a motivator as motivational quotes. Some examples include listening to music, watching motivational speakers or films, and dancing to groovy music.

When you engage in a positive activity, you can dispel the impending doom and gloom and have a better day.

2. Celebrate small wins

Celebrating small wins inspire feelings of pride and happiness. This encourages you to continue working toward the next small step, and eventually the overall goal.

When you celebrate your small wins, you add fun and enjoyment to your journey, which can also be a great motivator.

You can do this exciting and fun part of pursuing your dreams by breaking down a large goal into bite-sized goals with tasks that will get you on track to achieve them.

You then add a small celebration for each of the small goals that are completed.

Perhaps an extra hour or two of your favorite TV show, a glass of wine, a spa day, mani-pedi, or a fancy coffee from an actual barista. Get creative with your celebrations and savor your wins, no matter how small.

Celebrating small wins can give you the boost you need to remember that you are enough, you are not behind on your goals, and you are constantly making steady progress.

3. Be with people who motivate you

The people we choose to be around will eventually shape how we think, act, and feel on a daily basis.

It is therefore important to surround yourself with people who lift you up, share their knowledge, and help you in learning from your mistakes so that you can become a better person.

Being around the right people can help you develop. They are the ones who encourage and support you to pursue your dreams and go even further in life.

Being with the right people in your life will also help to lift your spirits and motivate you to keep going.

Conclusion

To conclude, there will come days when you just feel down and out. However, you always have the option of either giving up and accepting the gloom and feeling lousy. Or doing something to fend off that dreary feeling and brighten up your day.

If you choose the latter, the motivational quotes in this article can help get you started in your journey to becoming more motivated.

Come back to this page each time you need an extra boost to keep going. Because the power of wise words in these deep and moving quotes can help remind you why you are doing what you do. These quotes can help fortify and encourage you to hold on and keep moving.

Aside from these encouraging quotes, there are some other ways for you to brighten up and stay positive.

However, the most important thing to remember is that you will be your own greatest source of motivation. Keep in mind that you have what it takes to overcome any obstacle that comes your way.

Please share your thoughts or ideas about 130 Encouraging Quotes For When You’re Feeling Down And Out in the comments below.

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