Some days call for a quote instead of advice. Below you will find over 50+ quotes about strength, sorted by what you actually need right now: something short to repeat to yourself, words to send a friend who is struggling, or a prayer for a hard season.
If you are supporting someone going through something serious, a heartfelt message matters, but it is not a substitute for real support from the people around them.
Quotes About Staying Strong
- “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” — Mahatma Gandhi
- “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert H. Schuller
- “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” — J.K. Rowling
- “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” — Thomas Edison
- “The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.” — Robert Jordan
- “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
- “Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness.” — Susan Gale
Be Strong Quotes
Short lines, easy to remember on a hard morning.
- “This too shall pass.” — Persian Proverb
- “She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails.” — Elizabeth Edwards
- “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” — Dolly Parton
- “The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about.” — Unknown
- “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” — Japanese Proverb
A common mix-up worth clearing up
“This too shall pass” gets repeated so often in sermons and devotionals that a lot of people assume it is a Bible verse. It isn’t. It comes from Persian and Sufi poetry, later popularized in the West by a story Abraham Lincoln used to tell. Still true, just not scripture.
Quotes About Strength and Courage
- “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” — Nelson Mandela
- “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” — E. E. Cummings
- “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Inner Strength and Mental Strength Quotes
- “Mental toughness is spartanism with qualities of sacrifice, self-denial, dedication.” — Vince Lombardi
- “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” — Maya Angelou
- “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
Words of Encouragement and Strength
For a card, a text, or a caption when you want to lift someone.
- “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — A.A. Milne
- “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” — Zig Ziglar
- “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
- “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” — Art Williams
Words of Encouragement for a Friend
- “You’ve survived every hard day so far. That’s a real track record.” — Unknown
- “You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward.” — Unknown
Quotes About Strength in Hard Times
- “When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change.” — Paulo Coelho
- “Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” — Tori Amos
- “Every storm runs out of rain.” — Maya Angelou
How to Send a Strength Quote the Right Way
A quote lands better when it fits the moment instead of sounding like a greeting card. Three things to check before you send one.
Match the quote to the situation, not just the topic. A quote about pushing through adversity fits a setback. It can feel dismissive next to grief or illness. For those moments, a gentler line about presence and comfort usually lands better than one about fighting on.
Say something in your own words first. Open with one honest sentence, then use the quote to support it rather than replace it. “I’ve been thinking about you. This line stuck with me:” does more work than the quote alone.
Check the punctuation. In American English, the period goes inside the closing quotation mark: “This too shall pass.” not “This too shall pass”. See our American English guide for more of these small but common rules, or our writing tips for putting a message like this together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good quote about being strong?
“Tough times never last, but tough people do,” by Robert H. Schuller, is one of the most repeated lines on the topic because it is short, easy to remember, and true without being naive about how hard the moment actually is.
What Bible verse says God will give me strength?
Isaiah 41:10 and Philippians 4:13 are the two most commonly cited verses for this. Isaiah 41:10 reads, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.”
Is “this too shall pass” from the Bible?
No. It is a Persian and Sufi proverb, not a verse from any book of the Bible, though it is often mistaken for one because of how often it appears in sermons and devotionals.
What do you say to someone going through a hard time?
Start with something honest in your own words, then add a quote if it fits, rather than leading with the quote. Something like “I’ve been thinking about you, and this line stuck with me” carries more weight than the quote alone.
What is a short prayer for strength?
A short, simple prayer works better than a long one when you are tired. Something like “Lord, give me the strength to face what today brings, and the peace to trust what I cannot control” covers the two things most people are asking for: capability and calm.
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