This selection of hopeful phrases is a reminder that you can maintain control of yourself even in times when everything seems to be going wrong.

Phrases of hope for encouragement in difficult times

We all go through difficult times, but we differ in the way we manage our feelings in those situations. Some people fall into such intense pessimism and sadness that it becomes the center of their lives, making them live only for it.

These phrases of hope and resilience can be combined with the help of friends, family and, in some cases, therapists , to make bad times more bearable.

1. Hope is the ability to see that there is light in spite of all darkness (Desmond Tutu)

Hope can be seen as a useful tool.

2. The future always starts now (Mark Strand)

Every day gives us the opportunity to find reasons to feel motivated.

3. Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future (Corrie Ten Boom)

Getting lost in melancholy when remembering the past means forgetting the possibilities that its teachings offer us to get through the bad times.

4. Life has a dark side and a bright side, and it’s up to us to choose the one we like best (Samuel Smiles)

In order to move forward, one must break out of the vicious circle of thoughts of sadness.

5. The first step is to say that you can (Will Smith)

When everything seems to be going against us, trusting one’s own abilities is, in itself, the first step out of the bad drink.

6. Let your hopes, not your wounds, shape your future (Robert H. Schuller)

Knowing on a regular basis where to focus our attention helps us to improve our quality of life.

7. Believe that you can and will go halfway (Theodore Roosevelt)

One of those phrases of hope that emphasize the importance of the change of mentality that makes us explore our possibilities.

8. Hard times never last long, but hard people do (Robert H. Schuller)

Making our actions speak for us in overcoming adversity is also a way of seeking motivation to manage bitter situations.

9. Don’t be discouraged, many times it is the last key in the pile that opens the door (Anonymous)

A very graphic way of conceiving the concept of what hope is.

10. Once you have chosen hope, anything is possible (Christopher Reeve)

One way of thinking can expand the options before us.

11. Life’s challenges are not meant to paralyze you, but to help you discover who you are (Bernice Johnston Reagon)

A constructive way of looking at the problems that come our way.

12. Although no one can go back and have a new beginning, everyone can start now and have a new ending (Carl Bard)

Our ability to live worse or better our life always exists in the present.

13. Everything that is done in the world is done through hope (Martin Luther)

Hope can be indispensable as an engine of change.

14. There are far better things ahead of us than those we have left behind (C. S. Lewis)

Our way of experiencing the good things that come is always better than remembering the pleasant experiences of the past.

15. Perhaps you must first know the darkness so that you can appreciate the light (Madeleine L’Engle)

The good side of difficult experiences, expressed in the form of a phrase about hope.

16. Sometimes happiness can be the source of your smile, but your smile can also be the source of your happiness (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Changing the way we act can make us see a more hopeful future.

17. You Are Never Too Old to Set a New Goal (C. S. Lewis)

Setting goals is a good way to get out of unpleasant experiences without realizing it, and that’s a strategy that doesn’t matter what age you are.

18. Hope is a talent like any other (Storm Jameson)

Knowing how to think positively is, in itself, a virtue, according to this writer.

19. If I am persistent enough, I will win (Og Mandino)

The persistence to continue to aspire to objectives through effort brings us closer to our goals.

20. Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines (Robert H. Schuller)

The difficulties are, in themselves, information that helps us to manage them.

21. In the middle of the difficulty lies the opportunity (Albert Einstein)

In times of adversity there is the possibility of drawing from them aspects that benefit us.

22. If it were not for hope, our hearts would be broken (Thomas Fuller)

Hope is a constant in our lives, even when it seems we don’t need it.

23. Lighting Tomorrow with the Present (Elizabeth Barret t Browning)

The here and now always contains elements to look to the future with optimism.

24. The best is yet to come (Robert Browning)

The future holds experiences that, however unexpected, are always more rewarding than memories.

25. It always seems impossible until it is done (Nelson Mandela)

Hope is also based on the knowledge that many things that seem impossible can happen.

26. No act of kindness, however small, is wasted (Aesop)

The acts that we perceive as good are, in themselves, moments of happiness.

27. Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do (John Wooden)

The most important thing is to focus on the potential of our actions, not on what seems impossible.

28. When you believe all is lost, the future remains (Bob Goddard)

The existence of a tomorrow always offers possibilities of change for the better.

29. Sometimes the most difficult thing is not to let go but to learn to start over (Nicole Sobon)

Assuming that some of the problems we face in difficult times have to do with the blockage in rebuilding our lives is a part of the progress we can make.

30. If you have joy in your heart, you can heal it at any time (Carlos Santana)

Optimism and joy are ingredients to improve our lives.

31. Time takes all the pain (Erasmus of Rotterdam)

Many times, the simple passage of time makes the sadness fade away before we have even noticed.

32.We may not be able to control what happens to us, but we can control what happens inside us (Benjamin Franklin)

Knowing how to manage our emotions is one of the most important aspects of life.

33. Optimism is faith that leads to achievement (Helen Keller)

Hope is part of what moves us forward.

34. Hope is a risk that needs to be taken (Tertullian)

Believing in the possibility of progress may seem dangerous but it always makes it easier to change for the better.

35. Better to travel full of hope than to arrive (Japanese proverb)

The experience of moving towards a better future is in itself a good thing according to this piece of folk wisdom.

36. Even the rocks pull through (Anthony Liccione)

Everyone has the ability to move forward constantly.

37. Forget what hurt you but never forget what he taught you (Anonymous)

Lessons to be learned from the bad also apply in the future.

38. Aim for the moon, and if you miss you will be among the stars (Les Brown)

Setting goals and striving for improvement is always good, even if the results are not as expected.

39. It is never too late to become what you could have been (George Elliot)

Personal transformation is a possibility that is always there.

40. With self-discipline almost anything is possible (Theodore Roosevelt)

Determination and resilience make for impressive achievements.

41. From a small seed can grow a large tree (Aeschylus)

Potentiality can arise from the most insignificant sources.

42 If the sky falls, one must aspire to catch larks (François Rabelais)

In the most catastrophic situations we can retain the ability to give meaning to our lives.

43. There is nothing impossible for the one who tries (Alexander the Great)

One of the phrases of hope with a more literal interpretation.

44. Your big chance may be right where you are now (Napoleon Hill)

The opportunity for change doesn’t even depend on the weather : it can appear in what we are doing.

45. If I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would plant a tree today (Martin Luther King)

Projects can be planned at any time, as they keep us active and on track.

46.Your heart is full of fertile seeds waiting to germinate (Morihei Ueshiba)

All people carry with them the possibility of creating situations linked to happiness.

47. The power of imagination makes us infinite (John Muir)

Part of our lives is expressed through imagination and its absence of boundaries.

48. Miracles are born of difficulties (Jean de la Bruyere)

A phrase similar to Einstein’s, also in this one emphasizes the potentialities that await in difficult situations.

49. It is always the simple that produces the wonderful (Amelia Barr)

In the most humble conditions change for the better appears.

50. Hope smiles from the threshold of the year and then whispers: “it will be better” (Alfred Lord Tennyson)

One of the best phrases for not losing hope.

51. No matter where you are on your path, that is where you should be; the end is always ahead (Oprah Winfrey)

It is not worth lamenting the present if it does not serve to improve our well-being.

52. There is alchemy in pain; it can be transformed into wisdom (Pearl S. Buck)

In moments of bitterness there are possibilities to learn things that few people know.

53. Your interior is full of shapeless dreams and new beginnings (Lola Ridge)

A quote similar to others in which we talk about our capacity for resilience and personal development.

54. The birds of hope are everywhere, stop and listen to their song (Terri Guillemets)

Knowing how to manage our attention so that sadness does not keep it blocked is fundamental.

55. Only in the dark can you see the stars (Martin Luther King)

On the downside there are good aspects that can only be found there.

56. No matter how long the storm is, the sun always shines again (Khalil Gibran)

Time makes the worst moments pass by; the question is how do we use the time while that happens?

57. The best way out is always through (Robert Frost)

Going through difficulties is in itself a way out of them.

58. Hope is the dream of the awake man (Aristotle)

Hope allows us to act on the real world by following our goals.

59. In adversity a person is saved by hope (Menander of Athens)

Hope is part of what keeps us moral and capable of dealing with the bad.

60. He who does not believe in miracles is not a realist (David Ben-Gurion)

Keeping in mind that everything can be better without us knowing how it happened makes us more sensitive to the way reality works.

61. One lives with the hope of becoming a memory (Antonio Porchia)

To be able to leave a mark on others is something we aspire to, but which we do not totally control.

62. He who lives by hope will die by hunger (Benjamin Franklin)

Hope has to be accompanied by facts.

63. A healthy attitude is contagious (Tom Stoppard)

In the face of adversity, transmitting confidence can turn things in our favour thanks to the influence we have on others.

64. Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see all the steps (Martin Luther King)

In the beginning, faith and hope are very important.

65. Don’t be sad about your failures, learn from them (Richard Branson)

Defeats must be lived with a constructive attitude.

66. Optimism is the hope that leads to achievement (Hellen Keller)

Changing mindsets paves the way.

67. The more we wish to have good fortune, the less we deserve it (Seneca)

Sometimes just believing in something makes us not work for it.

68. Courage is like love, for it to flourish it needs hope (Napoleon)

To bring about personal change, one must have hope and willpower.

69. We must discover the difference between hope and expectation (Ivan Illich)

Simply wishing for something will keep us frozen in place .

70. A small dose of hope is capable of causing the birth of love (Stendhal)

Something so simple in believing that the best can come is able to make us take the first steps to achieve it.

71. The journey of the hundreds of leagues begins with a step (Confucius)

The biggest projects start in very simple ways.

72. The two strongest warriors are patience and time (Leo Tolstoy)

Hope can make progress unstoppable over time.

73. To live without hope is to stop living (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

We don’t have to give up our dreams if we want to live intensely.

74. All things are difficult before they become easy (Saadi)

The beginnings are usually the most complicated.

75. You cannot have a positive life with a negative mind (Joyce Meyer)

Having a clear goal and hoping that it can be achieved gives us strength.

76. I am prepared for the worst, but I hope for the best (Benjamin Disraeli)

Sometimes it’s good to keep expectations low so you can enjoy the achievements that come along.

77. Patience is sour, but its fruit is sweet (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)

The reward for effort can make it all worthwhile.

78. There are many good things in this world, and they are worth fighting for (J. R. R. Tolkien)

The seed of change already exists, and we can make it germinate.