Sometimes when the going gets tough, we need to pause, and draw some strength from the universe. Of course, this is not an easy thing to do especially when one is overwhelmed by the storms of life. This has never been the norm. People often focus on the pains, inconveniences, disappointments... and scarcely on the gains, growth, development and transformation that come after adversity and setbacks.
As a reminder, adversity and setbacks are essential ingredients for growth in this universe. Also note that, everyone has at some point experienced adversity and setbacks - you are not alone. They are part of God's process of shaping and molding us to become awesome beings. The sweet thing about adversity and setbacks is that they come to us as neutral - we either see the beauty in them or the limitations, and whichever side we identify with defines the outcome of the adversity and setbacks.
To encourage you to start seeing adversity and setbacks in a different way (as blessings in disguise), I have compiled some wonderful quotes about adversity by some great people who have been there before...
1. "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'" — Muhammad Ali
2. " People are training for success when they should be training for failure. Failure is far more common than success; poverty is more prevalent than wealth; and disappointment more normal than arrival." — J. Wallace Hamilton
3."Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." — Thomas Edison
4. "There is no progress without struggle! Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters. The struggle may be a moral one or physical one, but it must be a struggle." — Fredrick Douglas
5. "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." — Helen Keller
7. "Adversity and challenge are life's way of creating strength. Adversity creates challenge, and challenge creates change, and change is absolutely necessary for growth. If there is no change and challenge, there can be no growth and development." — Willie Jolley
8. “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” ― Seneca
9 “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” ― Abraham Lincoln
10. "Every crucial experience can be regarded either as a setback, or the start of a wonderful new adventure, it depends on your perspective!" — Mary Robert Rinehart
11. “Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” ― Oprah Winfrey
12. "A turn, or bend in the road, is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn." - John Capozi
13. "Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees." — J Willard Marriot
14. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them. —Washington Irving
15. “Adversity challenges and pushes us to accelerate the development of our greatest potential. Adversity and failure can actually become a catalyst for success… Everything good comes with struggle. Abundance grows out of adversity and struggle.” – Nido Qubein
16. "We will sometimes have defeats in life but you can have defeats without being defeated, you can fail without being a failure. Winners see failure and defeats as merely part of the process to get to win." — Maya Angelou
17. "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing." — Abraham Lincoln
18. "Do You get upset because roses have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses?" — Author Unknown
Also Read: 24 Quotes About Thanksgiving And Gratitude For Everyday Life
19. “And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” ― Haruki Murakami
20. "Adversity can either break you or make you. The same hammer that breaks the glass also sharpens the steel." — Bob Johnson
21. “You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.” —Mandy Hale
22. "Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future." —Steve Jobs
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. “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” ― Theodore Roosevelt
25. "If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit." —Bill Clinton
26. “Keep Going, 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
27. “You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.” ― Mary Tyler Moore
28. "Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before." — James Buckham
29. “Challenge and adversity are meant to help you know who you are. Storms hit your weakness, but unlock your true strength.” ― Roy T. Bennett
30. "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." ― M. Kathleen Casey
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