I’ve always loved inspirational quotes. There’s just something so satisfying about seeing the simple truth distilled out of a complex idea. I hang them all over my house.

Quotes are powerful too. The right quote, seen at the right time, can change the direction of a person’s life. It can uplift us when we’re down and motivate us when we need a push. It can inspire us to be better, do better, and try harder.

Over the last few years, I’ve collected hundreds of inspirational quotes. But not all quotes are created equal.

Today, I give you the best of best: 51 inspirational quotes on life, chronic illness, adversity, pain, and hope.

The Quotes:

1) “She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings.” – Ariana Dancu

2) “Behind every chronic illness is just a person trying to find their way in the world. We want to find love and be loved and be happy just like you. We want to be successful and do something that matters. We’re just dealing with unwanted limitations in our hero’s journey.” – Glenn Schweitzer

3) “Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip Toe if you must, but take a step.” – Naeem Callaway

4) “I fight for my health every day in ways that most people don’t understand. I’m not lazy. I’m a warrior!” – unknown

5) “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

6) “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” – Thomas Edison

7) “You wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before, and that, my love, is bravery.” – unknown

8) “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think” – A. A. Milne

9) “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie

10) “When the unthinkable happens, the lighthouse is hope. Once we choose hope, everything is possible.” – Christopher Reeve

11) “You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do something, which is what most people do. You should focus on why perhaps you can, and be one of the exceptions.” – Steve Case

12) “Regret for the things we have done will be tempered by time. It is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” – Sydney J. Harris

13) “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to just try one more time.” – Thomas Edison

14) “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside of you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson

15) “Normality is a paved road. It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” – Vincent Van Gogh

16) “The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” – Vince Lombardi

17) “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work; you don’t give up.” – Anne Lamott

18) “You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” – Timber Hawkeye

19) “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

20) “You are strong when you know your weaknesses. You are beautiful when you appreciate your flaws. You are wise when you learn from your mistakes.” – unknown

21) “You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.” – Josh Shipp

22) “The truth is we’re all a little bit broken. We must learn to love the broken pieces of ourselves – be gentle and empathetic with ourselves, and others.” – Karen Salmansohn

23) “It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority.” – Mandy Hale

24) “Live to inspire, and one day people will say, because of you, I didn’t give up” – unknown

25) Hope doesn’t require a massive chain where heavy links of logic hold it together. A thin wire will do…just strong enough to get us through the night until the winds die down. – Charles R. Swindoll

26) “Nothing is more beautiful than a real smile that has struggled through tears.” – unknown

27) “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

28) “So this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.” – Stephen Chbosky

29) “I often say now I don’t have any choice whether or not I have Parkinson’s, but surrounding that non-choice is a million other choices that I can make.” – Michael J. Fox

30) “If opening your eyes, or getting out of bed, or holding a spoon, or combing your hair is the daunting Mount Everest you climb today, that is okay.” – Carmen Ambrosio

31) “Resting is not laziness, it’s medicine!” – Glenn Schweitzer

32) “Don’t forget you’re human. It’s okay to have a meltdown, just don’t unpack and live there. Cry it out and then refocus on where you are headed.” – unknown

33) Some days are better, some days are worse. Look for the blessing instead of the curse. Be positive, stay strong, and get enough rest. You can’t do it all, but you can do your best. – Doe Zantamata

34) “I can’t tell you when, but I can promise you it will get better, it will get easier, and it will all be worthwhile. Just promise me you won’t ever give up.” – unknown

35) “The strongest people I’ve met have not been given an easier life. They’ve learned to create strength and happiness from dark places.” – Kristen Butler

36) “Maybe life isn’t about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it’s about collecting the scars to prove that we showed up for it.” – Hannah Brencher

37) “Please be patient with me. Sometimes when I’m quiet, it’s because I need to figure myself out. It’s not because I don’t want to talk. Sometimes there are no words for my thoughts.” – Kamla Bolaños

38) “Those you love will go through hard times. Don’t give up on them. Patience + Caring + Empathy = Love.” – unknown

39) “We are stronger in the places we have been broken.” – Ernest Hemingway

40) “Sometimes you will be in control of your illness and other times you’ll sink into despair, and that’s OK! Freak out, forgive yourself, and try again tomorrow.” – Kelly Hemingway

41) “I don’t want my pain and struggle to make me a victim. I want my battle to make me someone else’s hero.” – unknown

42) “At any given moment, you have the power to say this is not how my story is going to end.” – unknown

43) “Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” – Iain S. Thomas

44) “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill

45) “What would the hero of your life’s movie do right now? Do that!” – Joe Rogan

46) “Maybe it’s not always about trying to fix something that is broken. Maybe it’s about starting over and creating something better.” – unknown

47) “Do not believe the things you tell yourself when you’re sad and alone.” – unknown

48) “The reason why people give up so fast is because they tend to look at how far they still have to go, instead of how far they have gotten.” – unknown

49) “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

50) “Never let the things you cannot do prevent you from doing the things you can. ” – Coach John Wooden

51) “If you stumble, make it part of the dance.” – unknown