Surviving Setbacks Quotes

Develop Resilience in the Face of Adversity

When I searched for quotes about setbacks, I came across a few proverbs: If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere and Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors. Also, Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock and Life’s problems wouldn’t be called hurdles if there wasn’t a way to get over them.

So true, all of them, that I had to smile.

Life is a journey filled with highs and lows, and setbacks are an inevitable part of the process. While they may feel overwhelming in the moment, setbacks are often the stepping stones to growth, resilience, and greater achievements. The right words at the right time can spark hope, reignite determination, and remind us of the strength within us to keep going.

That’s why I gathered together this collection of my favourite setback quotes — a selection of inspiring quotes from thinkers, doers, and dreamers who’ve been through the wringer and came out stronger. Whether you need a gentle nudge to keep going, a reminder to find the humour in life’s little catastrophes, or a full-on “get up and try again” battle cry, these quotes can inspire you to see setbacks not as roadblocks, but as opportunities to adapt, pivot, and persevere. Let their insights guide you toward embracing challenges with courage and curiosity:

“Every setback is an opportunity to come back stronger. Use adversity as motivation to push yourself further.” ― Felecia Etienne, Overcoming Mediocrity: Limitless Women

“Whenever you are going through life’s challenges, remember that for iron to be cast into its desired form, it must first go through intense heat.” ― Idowu Koyenikan

“A comeback is a setback that did its homework, learned the lesson, and then moved forward.” ― Eleanor Brownn

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn.” ― Helen Keller

“It’s not the mistakes in life that are important; it’s what we learn from them.” — Donna Guthrie

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.”— Maya Angelou

“Life is full of obstacle illusions.”— Grant Frazier

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” — Michael Jordan

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” — Dolly Parton

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” — Albert Einstein

“When you commit and act despite feeling a bit scared, when you side-step or clamber (however clumsily) over obstacles and setbacks, when you seek out adversity to learn from suffering, not despite it, and when you scour your world for tiny reminders of things to be grateful for in life, you are on your way.” ― Simon Marshall

“If at first you don’t succeed, you are running about average.” — M.H. Alderson

“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” — Norman Vincent Peale

“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound. Rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” — Napoleon Hill

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”— Margaret Thatcher

“Obstacles are those frightening things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” — Henry Ford

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less-than-perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”— Mark Victor Hansen

“Negative results are just what I want. They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t.” — Thomas Edison

“Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” — Christine Caine

“The next best thing to winning is losing! At least you’ve been in the race.” — Nellie Hershey Tullis

“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Oliver Goldsmith

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison

“Everyone faces defeat. It may be a stepping-stone or a stumbling block, depending on the mental attitude with which it is faced.” — Napoleon Hill

“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed.” — Booker T. Washington

“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” — Louise May Alcott

“Nobody’s going to win all the time. On the highway of life you can’t always be in the fast lane.” — Haruki Murakami

“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.” — Henry Ford

“If you believe it will work out, you will see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.” — Wayne Dyer

“I don’t necessarily sit around inviting life to knock me down, but when it does I don’t wait around for an invitation to stand back up either.” ― Craig D. Lounsbrough

“The person that tried his best and failed is superior to the person who never tried.” — Bud Wilkinson

“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” — Denis Waitley

“Great difficulties may be surmounted by patience and perseverance.” — Abigail Adams

For optimists, defeat is a challenge, a mere setback on the road to inevitable victory.” ― Seligman Martin

“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged.” — Lucille Ball

“You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.” — John C. Maxwell

“You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.”— Charles C. Noble

“In every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this, then begin looking for it.”— Norman Vincent Peale

“From the sadness, learn something; from the happiness, learn something. From the setback, learn something and even from the success learn something. Never stop learning from any situation in life, for that is where the wisdom lies.” ― Gift Gugu Mona

“Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.”— Alice Morse Earle

“Still I rise.” — Maya Angelou

“The only real failure in life is one not learned from.” — Anthony J. D’Angelo

Role Models: People Who Survived Setbacks

These stories demonstrate that setbacks are not necessarily permanent obstacles, but could be potential stepping stones to extraordinary achievements.

1. Albert Einstein struggled early in life, he did not speak until age three and was considered “lazy” by teachers. Despite these challenges, he went on to develop the groundbreaking theory of relativity.
2. Steve Jobs was dramatically ousted from Apple in 1985, only to return in 1997 and revolutionise the technology industry with innovative products like the iPhone and iPad.
3. J.K. Rowling faced numerous rejections from publishers before becoming one of the world’s most successful authors. She viewed her failures as opportunities for growth, ultimately creating the Harry Potter series.
4. Oprah Winfrey overcame poverty and early career setbacks, including being fired from a news show. She transformed a struggling morning show into an internationally renowned talk show and media empire.
5. Thomas Edison failed between 1,000 and 10,000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb, demonstrating extraordinary persistence.
6. Nelson Mandela endured 27 years of imprisonment but emerged to become South Africa’s first black president and a global symbol of freedom.
7. Viktor Frankl survived Nazi concentration camps and used his experiences to develop logotherapy, a groundbreaking approach to psychotherapy

During tough times, reading quotes can provide reassurance. They remind us that we are not alone in our struggles and that many successful people have faced similar challenges

Setbacks force us to hit pause and figure out what went wrong. They’re great for showing us what we’re good at—and where we need a little more work. Whether it’s a skill you need to brush up on or a knowledge gap to fill, setbacks are like a cheat sheet for personal and professional self-improvement.

Also, going through a rough patch yourself can help you understand other people’s struggles better. Setbacks humble us, and they remind us that everyone’s got their own battles. The result? A little more empathy and a lot more connection. Because when things go wrong, you really start to appreciate the people who have your back. Setbacks show us how important it is to lean on others—and how much stronger we are when we don’t try to do everything ourselves.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re in the middle of a tough situation or reflecting on past struggles, remember this: every setback has the potential to empower you. Bookmark this page and reread these quotes whenever you need motivation or inspiration, and trust in your ability to bounce back stronger than ever.