Throughout the month of March I’ll be sharing some thoughts on overcoming obstacles and setbacks. To start, here are some powerful quotes from others that you may find both inspiring and helpful in your particular situation.
1. “A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose.” – John C. Maxwell
2. “Of course it’s hard. It’s supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great.” – Michael Jordan
3. “You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” – Walt Disney
4. “Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.” – James Michener
5. “The difference between the successful and unsuccessful isn’t the absence of obstacles, but the presence of perseverance.” – Chris Widener
6. After you fail you will be one step closer to succeeding, and be wiser and more respected by those that are afraid to try. – Seth Godin
7. “Some of us get to learn from other people’s mistakes and the rest of us have to be the other people.” – Zig Ziglar
8. “It doesn’t matter how many times you fail. All that matters is that you get it right once.” – Mark Cuban
9. “Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.” – Roger Crawford
10. “A man can get discouraged many times, but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying.” – John Burroughs
11. “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You trust the Conductor.” – Corrie Ten Boom
12. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth
13. “The darkest hour has only sixty minutes.” – Morris Mandel
14. “You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.” - Edwin Louis Cole
15. “Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.” – Denis Waitley
16. “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.” – Mother Teresa
17. “Silver is purified in fire and so are we. It is in the most trying times that our real character is shaped and revealed.” – Helen Keller
18. “If our team doesn’t face enough adversity early on in a season, I create it. Nothing builds a team like adversity.” – Mike Tomlin
19. “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.” – C.S. Lewis
20. “Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired, you quit when the gorilla is tired.” - Roy Smoothe
21. “I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost over 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
22. “If we had no winter, spring wouldn’t be so pleasant: if we didn’t taste adversity, prosperity wouldn’t be so welcome.” – Anne Bradstreet
23. “Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.” – Napoleon Hill
What is your favorite setback quote from this list? Do you have a different quote that holds special significance for you? If so, please comment below and tell us!
Dale Marcouillier founded Integress Solutions in 2011 out of a desire to share basic success principles with others. You can email Dale directly at dale@myintegress.com.
I like #14. And I wonder about #20. If we are coming from a place of authenticity and doing what we’re meant to do, will we be wrestling the gorilla?
Dave,
Great question. Your comment makes me think of the stories we’ve all heard about someone doing their passion for years under the radar, just scrapping along, “wrestling the gorilla” if you will, and in 10 years they are an “overnight success.” I think that’s what I get out of it.
Speaking of Roy Smoothe, he does some great things on iTunes and other media streams. He takes motivational talks from Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Les Brown, etc, and blends and mixes them with synthesizer music. Inspiring stuff, and GREAT gym audio!
Thanks for commenting!
Dale
I love 23, it gives me hope. It reminds me of the difference between successful and unsuccessful people. Successful people after being pushed down for the hundredth time still get back up and when they may least expect it…Success. Thank you for this post.
Stuart
Stuart,
Thanks for your comments. I didn’t go overboard in the selection order process, but I did intentionally put that one last. I think it’s a good closing thought to leave the reader with.
I hope the Living Life by Design audio course is making a difference for you. Thanks for checking in today!
Dale