Resilience quotes that will always inspire you

As 2020 rolls on, it becomes more clear to me that we need an action plan for our mental health! This isn’t just a short term scenario anymore. Remember when we all thought it would be cleared up in a couple weeks? Ha, that so didn’t pan out. So, let’s talk about how we are going to continue in a time of uncertainty without burning out. Resilience is going to be our best friend and life preserver.

Look, even what we used to call “normal” life is much better when you cultivate the ability to take tough situations and grow from them. It’s a word that has always fascinated me so we’re going to spend the next couple posts diving deep!

I am not a licensed therapist or mental health professional. If you are suffering and need treatment please seek the help of a professional. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Investigating what others have said about it

Today I want to start by setting a foundation with the words of scholars, writers, and philosophers. As a total bookworm, reading what had been said on a topic helps broaden my horizons and give me the material to sort through and form my own opinions. I had so much fun researching all these quotes, and I have added a couple of them to my journal to reflect on during my journaling moments.

I noticed that the quotes fell into a some categories within the umbrella of resilience: quotes about resilience and grief, resilience and failure, resilience through difficult times, and resilience and happiness. Let’s jump in!

Resilience and Grief

“We run from grief because loss scares us, yet our hearts reach toward grief because the broken parts want to mend.” Brene Brown

“No one escapes pain, fear, and suffering. Yet from pain can come wisdom, from fear can come courage, from suffering can come strength – if we have the virtue of resilience.” Eric Greitens

“Sometimes carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement.” Albert Camus

Resilience and Failure

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

“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” Nelson Mandela

“Talk about your failures without apologizing.” Brene Brown

“The truth is that falling hurts. The dare is to keep being brave and feel your way back up.” Brene Brown

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” Japanese Proverb

Resilience during tough times

“A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a person perfected without trials.” Chinese Proverb

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” Robert Louis Stevenson

“During difficult times, an important resiliency step is being able to express your feelings in healthy ways. You can’t make feelings go away, but you can move through them.” Al Siebert

“Resiliency is something you do, more than something you have. . . You become highly resilient by continuously learning your best way of being yourself in your circumstance.” Al Siebert

“The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.” Napoleon Hill

“Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good.” Elizabeth Edwards

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” Helen Keller

“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

Resilience and Happiness

“Our resilience increases as we recognize the magnitude of what we have already accomplished.” Patricia O’Gorman

“Gratitude breeds optimism, enthusiasm, resilience, happiness, and overall satisfaction which can decrease anxiety and depression.” Beth Bunchman

“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

We Can Do This!

I’d love to hear if any of these quote especially resonated with you. I plan to use my favorite image (the Japanese Proverb) as wallpaper on my phone as a reminder. Which quote was your favorite? This is really going to be a learning journey, not an overnight skill, so come along with me again next week! You’ve got this!