True, life can be extremely challenging at times; your moods are low, you feel defeated, and you’re starting to wonder why you bother in the first place. How to stay motivated in the face of failure or a particularly disheartening setback can seem practically impossible.
But never give up! You may have been on the verge of success, but if you give up, you will miss out. Life’s obstacles and failures are inevitable, but how you deal with them and go on is important.
These 110 inspirational quotes about feeling like giving up can help you stay inspired and achieve your goals, big or small.
Quotes about Feeling like Giving up (and Why You shouldn’t)
1. “Remember: Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.” — Rocky Balboa
2. “Don’t give up, ‘cos you have friends, don’t give up, you’re not beaten yet, don’t give up, I know you can make it good.” — Peter Gabriel
3. “Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful.” — Zig Ziglar
4. “No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.” — Regina Brett
5. “No one has the power to shatter your dreams unless you give it to them.” — Maeve Grayson
6. “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe
7. “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.” — Babe Ruth
8. “I already know what giving up feels like. I want to see what happens if I don’t.” — Neila Rey
9. “If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.” — Jesse Jackson
10. “How long should you try? Until.” — Jim Rohn
11. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.” — Thomas A. Edison
More Good Motivational and Encouraging Quotes:
12. “You just never give up, no matter how hard the challenges are, and observe this world with a healthy dose of criticism and don’t just follow the herd like somebody else might do.” — Renny Harlin
13. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson
14. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” — Thomas Edison
15. “Never give up. You only get one life. Go for it!” — Richard E. Grant
16. “Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.” — Satchel Paige
17. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein
18. “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” — Confucius
19. “God didn’t give man wings; He gave him the brains and the spirit to give himself wings. Just as He gave us the capacity to laugh when we hurt, or to struggle on when we feel like giving up. I’ve come to believe that how we choose to live with pain, or injustice, or death…is the true measure of the Divine within us.” — Alan Brennert
20. “I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” — Audrey Hepburn
21. “I have, despite all disillusionment, never, never allowed myself to feel like giving up. This is my message today; it is not worthy of a human being to give up.” — Alva Myrdal
22. “The longer you hang in there, the greater the chance that something will happen in your favor. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist, the more likely your success.” — Jack Canfield
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23. “If you ever think about giving up, remember why you held on for so long.” — Hayley Williams
24. “It’s not about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” — Rocky Balboa
25. “When you most feel like giving up is when you most need to be keeping on.” — Robin S
26. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is true strength.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
27. “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” — Christian D. Larson
28. “If you never feel like giving up, then your dreams are too small.” — Joel Osteen
29. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” — Walter Elliot
30. “In the end, everything will be okay. If it’s not okay, it’s not yet the end.” — Fernando Sabino
31. “Lift up your eyes, discouraged one. When you feel like giving up, when they say it can’t be done, it’s up to you to show them why they’re wrong.” — Matty Mullins
32. “I love the big fresh starts, the clean slates like birthdays and new years, but I also really like the idea that we can get up every morning and start over.” — Kristin Armstrong
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33. “The one thing you’ve gotta do is that you need to always do the best you can do, no matter what the given situation, no matter what comes up against you. You do the best you can do, and you never give up. Never quit.” — James Corden
34. “It’s probably my job to tell you life isn’t fair, but I figure you already know that. So instead, I’ll tell you that hope is precious, and you’re right not to give up.” — C.J. Redwine
35. “Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it away from you.” — Mark Cuban
36. “I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.” — Abraham Lincoln
37. “Every great story on the planet happened when someone decided not to give up, but kept going no matter what.” — Spryte Loriano
38. “Life isn’t finding shelter in the storm. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” — Sherrilyn Kenyon
39. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” — Maya Angelou
40. “Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.” — Winston Churchill
41. “When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” — Carol Burnett
42. “Sometimes you will think you can’t take it another day. But if you hang in there, one step at a time, you will be able to accomplish more than you ever imagine.” — Taya Kyle
43. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Confucius
44. “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” — Elizabeth Kübler-Ross
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45. “Never lose the childlike wonder. Show gratitude… Don’t complain; just work harder… Never give up.” — Randy Pausch
46. “Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.” — Jack Ma
47. “When someone tells you that you can’t do something, perhaps you should consider that they are only telling you what they can’t do.” — Sheldon Caho
48. “To find something, anything, a great truth or a lost pair of glasses, you must first believe there will be some advantage in finding it.” — Jack Burden
49. “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you … never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” —Harriet Beecher Stowe
50. “It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” — William James
51. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” — Ella Fitzgerald
52. “Every morning brings new potential, but if you dwell on the misfortunes of the day before, you tend to overlook tremendous opportunities.” — Harvey Mackay
53. “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
54. “I’ve found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.” — Brian Tracy
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55. “Don’t listen to what anybody says except the people who encourage you. If it’s what you want to do and it’s within yourself, then keep going and try to do it for the rest of your life.” — Jake Gyllenhaal
56. “A winner is just a loser who tried one more time.” — George M. Moore Jr.
57. “We can’t retract the decisions we’ve made. We can only affect the decisions we’re going to make from here.” — Nick Rice
58. “When a defining moment comes along, you can do one of two things. Define the moment, or let the moment define you.” — Roy McAvoy
59. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” — Sir Richard Branson
60. “97% of the people who quit too soon are employed by the 3% that never gave up.” — Anonymous
61. “Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.” — Benjamin Disraeli
62. “Once bitten, twice alert.. Don’t shy away.” — Tapan Ghosh
63. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle
64. “All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” — Samuel Beckett
65. “When you least expect it, a breakthrough happens. Keep pressing!” — Tony A. Gaskins Jr
66. “Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” — Helen Keller
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67. “God sees in you what you can’t see in yourself. Remember to keep the faith and never give up!” — Prophetess Dina Rolle
68. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” — Newt Gingrich
69. “If you never give up, you’ll be successful.” — Dan O’Brien
70. “Part of being a champ is acting like a champ. You have to learn how to win and not run away when you lose.” — Nancy Kerrigan
71. “Never give up on things you’ve always dreamed of. Your dreams will become reality by your dedication and hard work.” — Hopal Green
72. “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” — Henry Ford
73. “The reason I never give up hope is because everything is so basically hopeless.” — Anne Lamott
74. “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe
75. “Everything comes in its own time. Everything comes when you are ripe. Everything comes when you deserve it – this is my experience.” — Osho
76. “Never give up. Never give in. Never become hostile… Hate is too big a burden to bear.” — John Lewis
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77. “As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better.” — Dr. Steve Maraboli
78. “Survival can be summed up in three words—never give up. That’s the heart of it really. Just keep trying.” — Bear Grylls
79. “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” — Julie Andrews
80. “Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” — Napoleon Hill
81. “You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up.” — Chuck Yeager
82. “Ask yourself this question: ‘Will this matter a year from now?’” — Richard Carlson
83. “Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes
84. “Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” — Unknown
85. “It takes a dream to get started, desire to keep going, and determination to finish.” — Eddie Harris, Jr.
86. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius
87. “You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up.” — Chuck Yeager
88. “The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Don’t give up.” — Robert Tew
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89. “If you run, you might lose. If you don’t run, you’re guaranteed to lose.” — Jesse Jackson
90. “A failure is not always a mistake. It may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.” — B.F. Skinner
91. “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” — Samuel Beckett
92. “Either do not begin or, having begun, do not give up.” — Chinese Proverb
93. “When hardships keep coming back, do not take it personal. It’s just life.” — Naide P. Obiang
94. “I actually learned that you should never give up, and if you love something, take courage and absolutely go after it.” — Jessica Jung
95. “Some people go through hard times, so bad that they can’t even talk about it, but no matter what, we should never give up.” — Ifeoluwa Egbetade
96. “God helps those who persevere.” — The Koran
97. “A failure is not always a mistake. It may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.” — B. F. Skinner
98. “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” —Albert Einstein
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99. “Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so that you can be all that you were intended to be.” — Charlie Jones
100. “Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” — Marilyn vos Savant
101. “No matter how hard the battle gets or no matter how many people don’t believe in your dream, Never give up!” — Eric Thomas
102. “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
103. “Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.” — Barry Finlay
104. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” — Earl Nightingale
105. “The only thing you should ever quit is giving up!” — Steve Pfeister
106. “Never give up your desire to be what you want to be. Stay focused, persistent and relentless.” — Debasish Mridha MD
107. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I will try again tomorrow.'” — Mary Anne Radmacher
108. “Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” — Unknown
109. “You’re a fighter. Look at everything you’ve overcome. Don’t give up now.” — Olivia Benson
110. “If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.” — Wayne Dyer
Final Thoughts
I hope these “quotes about feeling like giving up” inspire you to stay with your goal, no matter what it is.
When you make a conscious decision not to give up, you’re one step closer to becoming stronger and turning challenges into possibilities. There are challenges in every life, but how we deal with them is what matters.
Please share your experiences with not giving up in the comments area below. I’d love to hear about them.
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