Wondering how to bounce back in tough times? If you’re feeling devastated, defeated, even frightened, you might not see a way out of despair. And though family and friends tell you to stay strong because time heals all wounds, you find just surviving today the greatest struggle of all. So, how do you get back up when life knocks you down? 

When you’re facing challenges, bouncing back to normal life again isn’t easy. Especially if you’re dealing with trauma or even tragedy. I know, I’ve been there. Six years ago my world caved in on me when I discovered I had leukemia. 

Yet, after the initial shock, I found strength in many ways. And, unknowingly at the time, inspirational quotes turned into one of the building blocks in my resilience foundation. In them I found solace, hope, and the determination to carry on. They were my lighthouses in a storm, light in the darkness, truths that cut through the relentless anxiety and kept me focused. 

So, if you’re going through tough times right now, do not give up the fight. You’ve got this. There is hope and there are many ways to carry on. 

To start, here are 25 resilience quotes to keep your fire alive and help you bounce back:

1. “Where you stumble and fall, there you will find gold.”  – Joseph Campbell
2. “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” – Fred Rogers
3. “Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”  – Joseph Campbell
4. “It is in our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Taylor Benson
5. “Silence isn’t empty. It’s full of answers.” – Unknown

6. “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. “At the center of your being, you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” – Lao Tzu
8. “You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.” – Deepak Chopra
9. “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
10. “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”  – Buddha
11. “Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.” – Buddha
12. “Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith is what will be.” – Sonia Ricotti
13. “Without fear we are able to see more clearly our connection to others. Without fear, we have more room for understanding and compassion. Without fear, we are truly free.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
14. “Don’t be too quick to interpret the moment. Just keep quiet. My encouragement is: never think anything is against you. Everything is a blessing. Why should it be different? Just be quiet, see how it works itself out.” – Mooji
15. “If you figured it all out today, what would be the point of tomorrow? Enjoy the process of being a work in progress.” – Unknown
16. “Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.” – Pema Chödrön

17. “Pain is temporary. It may last for a minute, or an hour, or a day, or even a year. But eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it will last forever.” – Eric Thomas

18. “When you complain, you make yourself a victim. Leave the situation, change the situation or accept it. All else is madness.“ – Eckhart Tolle
19. “With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.” – Wayne Dyer
20. “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve
21. “Nothing in the world can bother you as much as your own mind, I tell you. In fact, others seem to be bothering you, but it is not others, it is your own mind.” – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
22. “Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.” – Desiderius Erasmus 
23. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” – Maya Angelou
24. “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius

25. “You must not make up your mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats.” – Theodore Roosevelt

I hope these nuggets of wisdom have infused you with as much clarity, fire, and courage as they did me. So, believe that you can do this. Believe in yourself. And believe in your inner strength to bounce back. Carry on, my friend, because you are resilient.