Quotes of Encouragement, Courage and Hope

In times like these we all need to hear quotes of encouragement. Ones that give us the courage to go on and instill in all of us the hope that things will get better.

And things WILL get better!

Everything goes in cycles. While some struggling will happen for a period of time, eventually it will turn around and things will become easier. History has shown us that.

The selected quotes of encouragement, courage and hope that follow were spoken by some of the most inspirational people that have ever lived.

Many of them have gone through deeply discouraging times, yet learned to persevere to come out on top.

It would be wise to listen and take to heart their words of wisdom, for they know what they speak of.

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Quotes of Encouragement That Inspire Hope and Courage

"When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place."

~Unknown

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)
Emerson was a famous American author, essayist, poet, and philosopher.

"You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however."

~~Richard David Bach (1936 - )
Bach is an American writer who is widely known as the author of the hugely popular 1970s best-sellers "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," "Illusions," "The Adventures Of A Reluctant Messiah" and others.

"Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again."

~James R. Cook (1728-1778)
Cook was a British navigator, explorer, and cartographer. He became famous for his voyages in the Pacific Ocean and his accurate mapping of it, as well as for his application of scientific methods to exploration.

"Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can."

~Unknown

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

~ Japanese Proverb

"I advise you to say your dream is possible and then overcome all inconveniences, ignore all the hassles and take a running leap through the hoop, even if it is in flames."

~Les Brown (1945 - )
A renowned American professional motivational speaker, author and television personality. He was briefly married to singer Gladys Knight.

"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."

~Alexander Graham Bell (1847 - 1922)
Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor and innovator who is credited in the United States with the invention of the telephone.

"Whoever I am, or whatever I am doing, some kind of excellence is within my reach."

~John William Gardner (1912 - 2002)
Gardner was an American author and educator, as well as a former US Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Lyndon Johnson.

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. "

~Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945)
Roosevelt, often referred to by his initials FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States.

"Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there."

~Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (121 - 180) Augustus was Roman Emperor from 161 to his death in 180. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers. He was often referred to as "the Wise."

"If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

-Vincent Van Gogh (1853 - 1890)
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist artist. Some of his paintings are now among the world's best known, most popular and expensive works of art, many of these being produced in the final two years of his life. It was during this time that he cut off part of his left ear following a breakdown in his friendship with Paul Gauguin.

"If you're going through hell, keep going. "

~Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)
A British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom--twice. The first appointment was from 1940 to 1945, where he demonstrated his skill in leadership during the British war effort. His second service to office was held between 1951 and 1955.

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

~(Christopher Robin to Pooh) - Alan Alexander Milne (1882 - 1956)
Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the adventures of a bear called Winnie-the-Pooh. The character called Christopher Robin, was named after his own son, and the various characters found in the stories were inspired by his son's stuffed animals, most notably the bear named Winnie-the-Pooh.

"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 (1811 - 1896)
Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) depicted life for African-Americans under slavery.

"One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better."

Col. Harland Sanders (1890 - 1980)
Harland David Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, was an American entrepreneur who founded Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

~Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)
Was an American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, and philosopher. This was a busy man!

"The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something."

~Antoine de Saint Exupery (1900 - 1944) Exupery was a French writer and aviator. He is most famous for his novella The Little Prince, and is also well known for his books about aviation adventures, including Night Flight and Wind, Sand and Stars.

"We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing."

~Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888)
Alcott was an American novelist. She is best known for the novel Little Women, published in 1868. This novel is loosely based on her childhood experiences with her three sisters.

"Dare to grow into your dreams and claim this as your motto: Let it be me."

~Mary Kay Ash (1918 - 2001)
Was an American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc.

"The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react."

~George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)
Shaw was an Irish playwright who wrote more than 60 plays during his lifetime. He is the only person to have been awarded both the Nobel Prize for Literature (1925) for his contributions to literature and an Oscar (1938) for his work on the film Pygmalion.

"Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down."

~Charles Franklin Kettering (1876 - 1958) Kettering was an American inventor and the holder of over 300 patents. He was a founder of Delco, and was head of research for General Motors for 27 years from 1920 to 1947. Among his most widely used automotive inventions were the electrical starting motor and leaded gasoline. He was also responsible for the invention of Freon refrigerant for refrigeration and air conditioning systems for the DuPont Chemical Company.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

~Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919)
Also known as Teddy Roosevelt, he was the 26th President of the United States. His image stands alongside Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln on Mount Rushmore.

"A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success."

~Elbert Green Hubbard (1856 - 1915)
Hubbard was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. He is most famous for his essay A Message to Garcia and was an influential exponent of the Arts and Crafts movement.

I hope that these quotes of encouragement have inspired in you a sense of hopefulness... that it is possible to succeed in whatever you choose to do.

For additional inspiration, be sure to read some of our encouragement poems where you will find insightful verses written by Edgar Guest, Joseph Morris, Robert Frost, and other famous writers.

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