We all need a little encouragement sometimes, and sometimes all it takes is a few encouraging quotes to turn things around. Whether you want to use quotes to encourage others or yourself, there are plenty of helpful options to choose from. These quotes can help with feeling hopeful, and they offer a comforting aspect that promotes your emotional well-being.

Reading encouraging quotes is a mood-booster and helps with positive thinking. The encouragement will also boost your self-esteem as you become more hopeful for the future. It gives you a positive outlook on life, work, and anything else going on in your life.

Encouraging quotes help you harness the power of positive thinking, helping you reframe your mindset. If you often complain or think negatively, these quotes can help you change your thoughts. When you can shift to a positive mindset, it encourages you to look for growth opportunities.

As you accept growth opportunities in your life, it leads to becoming a better problem-solver and leader. These encouraging quotes will help you feel inspired and ready to face whatever lies ahead. As you read through the encouraging quotes, write down your favorite ones to refer to later.

Fifteen Encouraging Quotes That Will Melt Your Heart

encouraging quotes

1. “Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

You can’t expect to be happy if you don’t work for it. If you find yourself wallowing in self-pity and unhappiness, remember this encouraging quote. Happiness comes from what you do, so make sure your actions reflect how you want to feel.

2. “The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.” – Charles Dickens

Refer to this quote for encouragement if you don’t feel like you’re getting enough done early on. It doesn’t matter what your timeframe looks like. You can start late and still gather the strength and courage to do more.

While Dickens’ quote references the timeframe of a day, you can apply this to any timeframe. Everyone gets things done at different paces, so don’t feel discouraged if you’re behind someone else. The only important thing is that you get started and keep pushing forward.

3. “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson

Sometimes all it takes to find encouragement is to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. Your life is a reflection of your inner thoughts, so remember this quote as you go through your day. If you can replace each negative thought with something positive, you’ll quickly notice a difference.

This encouraging quote is an excellent reminder. With a positive mindset, you won’t struggle with finding encouragement anymore. You’ll be ready to face anything that comes your way, and your to-do list won’t seem as strenuous.

4. “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell

Things don’t always go as planned, but it doesn’t mean that you should give up. Stay encouraged and come up with a new plan. Sometimes when things don’t work out, it’s the universe’s way of telling us that there is another life waiting for you.

Follow the advice of Campbell and let go of things that aren’t meant for you. Don’t try to force things in your life, or you might miss out on what you could have had.

5. “Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve done before.” – Bonnie Blair

You don’t have to be first to win. Winning is all about the way you look at it. Compare how you did this time to how you’ve done in the past.

The personal comparison to the past and present is the only one that matters, despite which place you took. When you can remember that you don’t always have to be first, you’ll find the encouragement you need to keep trying.

6. “You may not always have a comfortable life, and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” – Michelle Obama

Life is unexpected, so your situation might not always be comfortable. As Obama explains, you might not be able to solve problems immediately, but you can make a difference. Never underestimate your power because, with courage, you’ll encourage others, too.

Remember this quote when discomfort or obstacles present themselves. Keep pushing through and working toward your goals because your hope for the future can make all the difference.

7. “It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” – William James

As the first psychology instructor in the United States, James knew about facing difficult tasks. His outcome was successful, making his words of wisdom that much more encouraging.

Face your goals and challenges with a positive attitude, and you’ll receive positive results. Likewise, if you face things with a negative mindset, you’ll struggle to find success. Use this quote to encourage you to stay positive no matter what situation you experience.

encouraging quotes

8. “You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.” – Dr. Seuss

This encouraging quote by Dr. Seuss will melt your heart and encourage you to keep moving. With your goals in mind, you’re well on your way to where you need to be.

Use this quote to remind you that you can make great strides today. The universe is ready for you to tackle your goals, so use the positivity from this quote to help you get started.

9. “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

You can’t control everything, and unexpected situations occur that set you off your path. While you can’t eliminate all issues and obstacles, you can adjust your mindset and actions. Come up with a new plan to achieve your goals because you can only control yourself.

Having to find a new path doesn’t mean you must stop moving forward. If you readjust, you can quickly get back on track and accomplish anything.

10. “The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.” – Carl Rogers

You can’t achieve happiness and expect it to stay without effort. Having a good and happy life is a never-ending process. Keep working towards it, finding small, happy moments along the way.  Don’t wait to find happiness either, because as Rogers explains, it’s not a destination. Even when things are going great in your life, continue striving for happiness.

11. “In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.” – Les Brown

No matter how your day started, you can make a change at any moment. With so many minutes in the day, you have plenty of opportunities for positivity and encouragement. When you use these opportunities, you’ll make a positive impact each day.

12. “No one is perfect – that’s why pencils have erasers.” – Wolfgang Riebe

If you can remember that no one is perfect, you’ll feel better about yourself and your life. Don’t strive for perfection because it’ll never happen, and it’ll lead to discouragement. Instead, aim to be better than you were before.

When you stop aiming for perfection, you’ll be nicer to yourself and have more positive thoughts. Plus, you won’t have the negative self-talk telling you that you’re not good enough. This quote will help you feel encouraged as you realize that mistakes are okay.

13. “The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” – Barbara Kingsolver

When you know what you hope for, you’ll have a goal in mind. With a goal, you’ll have a path to follow and meaning in your life. Once you know what you hope for, figure out how to make it happen.

You can’t just sit back and wait for your dreams to happen to you. Do the things that can lead you to where you want to be. If you don’t know where to start, make a list of what you must do to make your dreams happen.

14. “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne

Never doubt yourself because you are an extraordinary person. Remember that you are brave, strong, and smart. The reminder will help you do great things as it encourages you to keep moving.

15. “Winning is fun, but those moments that you can touch someone’s life in a very positive way
are better.” – Tim Howard

You don’t always have to come out on top, so remembering this quote can be comforting. Sometimes, the most meaningful moments in your life are when you were able to help someone else. Remember this quote the next time you need encouragement because it helps put things back into perspective.

encouraging quotes

Final Thoughts on These Sayings That Will Melt Your Heart

These encouraging quotes will melt your heart and help you feel better about moving forward in life. Things don’t always go as planned, and sometimes we lose motivation. No matter what’s happening in your life, these encouraging quotes can help you.

Write down or print your favorite encouraging quotes so that you can easily reference them later. Don’t forget to share the quotes with others, too, because everyone can use some encouragement.