16 Quotes That Will Give You Hope During Hard Times
We could all use a little bit of it right now.
Between an unprecedented pandemic, immense changes in our political landscape, and the everyday struggles one experiences while existing in the beautiful, but certainly challenging, space called life, you may find yourself in a state of hopelessness. The thing about feeling hopeless is there usually isn’t a quick fix to pull yourself out of that mental space. Positive thoughts that once occupied your mind might be replaced with doubt, fear, and anxiety. So what do you do when shifting your own thoughts isn’t enough to pull you out of that cycle?
One effective method is seeking out the wisdom of others. While your family and friends may be able to offer solid advice when you're feeling down, we've compiled a series of quotes that specifically dive into how people such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Ava DuVernay, Oprah, and Michelle Obama, to name a few, keep feelings of hopelessness at bay. Use these inspirational quotes to begin the process of not only reframing your thinking, but reminding yourself that with hope there is always a way through the pain.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose finite hope," King was quoted saying in the collection In My Own Words.
Ava DuVernay
“What gives me hope in these tenuous times is the knowledge that there is precedent for change and there’s precedent for hope. Hope has bred change again and again,” DuVernay told Time.
Desmond Tutu
"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness," Tutu told The New York Times.
Michelle Obama
“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," Mrs. Obama said during a Keynote Address at the Young African Women Leaders Forum.
Helen Keller
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence," Keller wrote in her book, Optimism.
Langston Hughes
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird, that cannot fly," Hughes wrote in The Dream Keeper and Other Poems.
Oprah
“No matter where you are on your journey, that’s exactly where you need to be. The next road is always ahead,” Oprah said in the October 2015 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.
Stephen King
“Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies," King wrote in The Shawshank Redemption.
Mariah Carey
“When you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong and you’ll finally see the truth—that a hero lies in you," Carey wrote in her song Hero.
Barbara Kingsolver
“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," Kingsolver wrote in Animal Dreams.
Oprah Winfrey
"I've always had the good sense to know that however bad things were, they wouldn't remain so. Everything passes if you learn to hold things lightly," Oprah said in the May 2018 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.
Lauren Manning
"The lesson is not how strong we may have been in the past; it is about how strong we are right now. This is our unmeasured strength. This is the power we have inside us, to persevere and prevail," Manning wrote in Oprah Daily.
Christy Lefteri
"Where there are bees there are flowers, and wherever there are flowers there is new life and hope," Lefteri wrote in the The Beekeeper of Aleppo.
Lailah Gifty Akita
"Hope is holding on to the promises of God," Akita wrote in The Wings of Hope: Survivor.
Chanel Miller
"This is the rule of the universe, this is the one thing in life I know to be true. No matter how awful and long your journey, I can promise you the turn. One day it will lift," Miller wrote in Know My Name.
As the Lifestyle Writer at OprahMag.com, I cover beauty, style, relationships & love, work & money, health, and food. When I'm not working, you'll find me watching Bravo, on the hunt for the perfect jeans and white tee, or taking my yorkie, Chloe, out for walks in Riverdale, New York.
Cailey Griffin (She/Her) is the Editorial Assistant to Oprah Daily’s General Manager. In addition to assisting the GM, she also writes for Oprah Daily. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Columbia University. She has interned at 60 Minutes, NBC News, and her work has appeared in Foreign Policy magazine. Outside of Oprah Daily, she can be found running around Harlem or listening to the Wicked soundtrack on repeat.
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