350 Best Encouraging Quotes for a Friend to Lift Spirits

Whether your friend is facing a setback, a heartbreak, self-doubt, or simply a bad week, you will find the right words below. Browse by theme — comfort for hard times, strength, short notes, fresh starts, heartfelt words for a best friend, cheers, and dreams — and don’t miss our Editor’s Picks for the very best of these encouraging quotes for a friend. If you are curious about the science behind it, Wikipedia’s article on encouragement explains why supportive words genuinely help.

The best encouragement sounds like you. Pick a favorite line, add one personal sentence, and send it today — your friend will remember that you showed up.

Encouraging Quotes for a Friend Going Through a Hard Time

When life gets heavy, the right words can steady a shaken heart. These encouraging quotes for a friend are for the hard days — grief, setbacks, and storms — each one a small reminder that pain is temporary and they are not facing it alone.

1. “The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost
2. “This too shall pass.” — Persian Proverb
3. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein
4. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert H. Schuller
5. “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” — C. S. Lewis
6. “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” — Dolly Parton
7. “The darkest hour has only sixty minutes.” — Morris Mandel
8. “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” — J. K. Rowling
9. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
10. “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo
11. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey
12. “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” — Helen Keller
13. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.” — Helen Keller
14. “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” — Helen Keller
15. “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” — Attributed to Helen Keller
16. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens.” — Helen Keller
17. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller
18. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
19. “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
20. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
21. “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
22. “Every wall is a door.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
23. “Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
24. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Confucius
25. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius
26. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Confucius
27. “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” — Confucius
28. “Fall seven times and stand up eight.” — Japanese Proverb
29. “The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.” — Japanese Proverb
30. “After the rain, the earth hardens.” — Japanese Proverb
31. “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
32. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
33. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
34. “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” — Maya Angelou
35. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” — Maya Angelou
36. “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” — Maya Angelou
37. “Still, like air, I’ll rise.” — Maya Angelou
38. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” — Maya Angelou
39. “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” — Maya Angelou
40. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou
41. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive.” — Maya Angelou
42. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” — Maya Angelou
43. “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” — Emily Dickinson
44. “Forever is composed of nows.” — Emily Dickinson
45. “Dwell in possibility.” — Emily Dickinson
46. “We never know how high we are till we are called to rise.” — Emily Dickinson
47. “Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door.” — Emily Dickinson
48. “The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” — Emily Dickinson
49. “Luck is not chance, it’s toil.” — Emily Dickinson
50. “Saying nothing sometimes says the most.” — Emily Dickinson

Encouraging Quotes for a Friend Who Needs Strength

Some days your friend doesn’t need advice — just the reminder that they are stronger than this moment. These lines about courage, resilience, and inner strength will help them stand back up.

1. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
2. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
3. “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
4. “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
5. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
6. “Do what you feel in your heart to be right — for you’ll be criticized anyway.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
7. “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
8. “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
9. “You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
10. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” — Mark Twain
11. “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.” — John Wayne
12. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” — E. E. Cummings
13. “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
14. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Attributed to Winston Churchill
15. “A champion is someone who gets up when he cannot.” — Jack Dempsey
16. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” — Babe Ruth
17. “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” — Vince Lombardi
18. “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” — Vince Lombardi
19. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” — Walter Elliot
20. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
21. “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
22. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius
23. “If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.” — Marcus Aurelius
24. “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” — Marcus Aurelius
25. “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” — Marcus Aurelius
26. “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” — Marcus Aurelius
27. “He who fears death will never do anything worthy of a living man.” — Seneca
28. “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a great deal of it.” — Seneca
29. “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” — Seneca
30. “Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.” — Seneca
31. “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” — Seneca
32. “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” — Seneca
33. “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” — Seneca
34. “No man is free who is not master of himself.” — Epictetus
35. “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” — Epictetus
36. “If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” — Epictetus
37. “First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” — Epictetus
38. “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” — Epictetus
39. “Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.” — Epictetus
40. “Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” — Epictetus
41. “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus
42. “The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” — Epictetus
43. “There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” — Epictetus
44. “Circumstances don’t make the man, they only reveal him to himself.” — Epictetus
45. “Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.” — Epictetus
46. “The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.” — Epicurus
47. “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.” — Epicurus
48. “Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship.” — Epicurus
49. “It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us, as the confidence of their help.” — Epicurus
50. “Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.” — Epicurus

Short Encouraging Quotes for a Friend

Sometimes a few words are enough. These short encouraging quotes for a friend are perfect for a quick text, a sticky note, or a message for the moments when you don’t know what to say.

1. “Keep going.” — Unknown
2. “You’ve got this.” — Unknown
3. “Stay strong.” — Unknown
4. “You’ve survived 100% of your hardest days so far.” — Unknown
5. “One day at a time.” — Unknown
6. “Better days are coming.” — Unknown
7. “Don’t give up.” — Unknown
8. “You are enough.” — Unknown
9. “Keep the faith.” — Unknown
10. “Stay hopeful.” — Unknown
11. “You’ve come so far.” — Unknown
12. “Proud of you.” — Unknown
13. “I’m here for you.” — Unknown
14. “You’re not alone.” — Unknown
15. “One step at a time.” — Unknown
16. “Small steps still move you forward.” — Unknown
17. “Progress, not perfection.” — Unknown
18. “Rest, don’t quit.” — Unknown
19. “Pause, then keep going.” — Unknown
20. “Cry if you need to, then rise.” — Unknown
21. “Feel it, then heal it.” — Unknown
22. “It’s okay to not be okay.” — Unknown
23. “Be gentle with yourself.” — Unknown
24. “Give yourself grace.” — Unknown
25. “You are doing better than you think.” — Unknown
26. “Trust the process.” — Unknown
27. “Trust your journey.” — Unknown
28. “Keep your head up.” — Unknown
29. “Chin up, heart open.” — Unknown
30. “The sun will rise again.” — Unknown
31. “After rain comes sunshine.” — Unknown
32. “Storms don’t last forever.” — Unknown
33. “You are braver than yesterday.” — Unknown
34. “Stronger every day.” — Unknown
35. “Grow through what you go through.” — Unknown
36. “Let it hurt, then let it heal.” — Unknown
37. “Your story isn’t over.” — Unknown
38. “This chapter will end.” — Unknown
39. “New day, new strength.” — Unknown
40. “Tomorrow is a fresh start.” — Unknown
41. “Start again, as many times as it takes.” — Unknown
42. “Get back up.” — Unknown
43. “Never lose hope.” — Unknown
44. “Hold on, better days are on their way.” — Unknown
45. “You matter.” — Unknown
46. “You are loved.” — Unknown
47. “You are seen.” — Unknown
48. “Lean on me.” — Unknown
49. “Call me anytime.” — Unknown
50. “I’m proud of how far you’ve come.” — Unknown

Encouraging Quotes for a Friend Starting Over

Every ending carries a beginning inside it. If your friend is starting a new chapter — a new city, a new job, a fresh start after heartbreak — these quotes will help them take the first step.

1. “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot
2. “Every day is a new beginning. Take a deep breath and start again.” — Unknown
3. “Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a brand new opportunity to rebuild what you truly want.” — Unknown
4. “The first step toward getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” — J. P. Morgan
5. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
6. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
7. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
8. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt
9. “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” — Theodore Roosevelt
10. “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — Theodore Roosevelt
11. “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing.” — Theodore Roosevelt
12. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
13. “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” — Attributed to Lao Tzu
14. “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” — T. S. Eliot
15. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” — Plato
16. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
17. “The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
18. “Light tomorrow with today.” — Elizabeth Barrett Browning
19. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” — Will Rogers
20. “Let go of what was, embrace what could be.” — Unknown
21. “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” — Attributed to Marilyn Monroe
22. “What feels like the end is often the beginning.” — Unknown
23. “Your current situation is not your final destination.” — Unknown
24. “Every ending is a new beginning in disguise.” — Unknown
25. “Close the door on yesterday, open a window to tomorrow.” — Unknown
26. “And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” — Meister Eckhart
27. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” — Charles Dederich
28. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
29. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — C. S. Lewis
30. “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” — C. S. Lewis
31. “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” — L. M. Montgomery
32. “It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” — L. M. Montgomery
33. “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” — Audrey Hepburn
34. “The most important thing is to enjoy your life — to be happy — it’s all that matters.” — Audrey Hepburn
35. “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” — Audrey Hepburn
36. “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” — Audrey Hepburn
37. “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” — Audrey Hepburn
38. “I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.” — Audrey Hepburn
39. “Pick the day. Enjoy it — to the hilt.” — Audrey Hepburn
40. “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” — Chris Grosser
41. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” — Chinese Proverb
42. “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” — Karen Lamb
43. “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” — Napoleon Hill
44. “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” — Napoleon Hill
45. “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” — Napoleon Hill
46. “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” — Napoleon Hill
47. “The starting point of all achievement is desire.” — Napoleon Hill
48. “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” — Napoleon Hill
49. “Action is the real measure of intelligence.” — Napoleon Hill
50. “Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.” — Napoleon Hill

Heartfelt Encouraging Words for Your Best Friend

Best friends deserve the most heartfelt words. These encouraging words for your best friend say what your heart feels — loyalty, love, and the quiet promise that you’re not going anywhere.

1. “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” — Helen Keller
2. “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” — Walter Winchell
3. “A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.” — Elbert Hubbard
4. “Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” — Woodrow Wilson
5. “In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.” — Khalil Gibran
6. “A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.” — Donna Roberts
7. “Friends are the family you choose.” — Jess C. Scott
8. “Lean on me, when you’re not strong.” — Bill Withers
9. “You’ve got a friend in me.” — Randy Newman
10. “Count on me like 1, 2, 3, and I’ll be there.” — Bruno Mars
11. “I’ll be there for you, ’cause you’re there for me too.” — The Rembrandts
12. “The sun will rise and we will try again.” — Twenty One Pilots
13. “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind — or forgotten.” — Lilo & Stitch
14. “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” — Dr. Seuss
15. “A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” — Elbert Hubbard
16. “True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.” — David Tyson
17. “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” — Thomas Aquinas
18. “The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” — Hubert H. Humphrey
19. “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’” — C. S. Lewis
20. “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” — C. S. Lewis
21. “A true friend is someone who is there for you when he’d rather be anywhere else.” — Len Wein
22. “A friend is what the heart needs all the time.” — Henry Van Dyke
23. “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” — Henry Ford
24. “The best mirror is an old friend.” — George Herbert
25. “A single rose can be my garden; a single friend, my world.” — Leo Buscaglia
26. “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” — Oprah Winfrey
27. “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
28. “It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
29. “A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
30. “The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
31. “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
32. “Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” — Albert Camus
33. “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” — Jim Morrison
34. “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive.” — Anaïs Nin
35. “I get by with a little help from my friends.” — The Beatles
36. “That’s what friends are for.” — Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager
37. “You’re my best friend.” — Queen
38. “I’ll stand by you.” — The Pretenders
39. “You can always count on me, my friend.” — Unknown
40. “Through every storm, I’ll be right beside you.” — Unknown
41. “Your battles are my battles too.” — Unknown
42. “I’ll hold the umbrella while you weather the storm.” — Unknown
43. “Distance means so little when someone means so much.” — Unknown
44. “No matter how far apart, you’re always in my heart.” — Unknown
45. “I’ll be your anchor when the waves get rough.” — Unknown
46. “When you can’t find the sunshine, I’ll be your sunshine.” — Unknown
47. “Let me carry some of your weight for a while.” — Unknown
48. “You don’t have to face this alone — I’m right here.” — Unknown
49. “My door, my phone, and my heart are always open to you.” — Unknown
50. “A problem shared is a problem halved — tell me everything.” — Unknown

Uplifting Quotes to Cheer Up a Friend

A little laughter and light can change a whole day. These uplifting quotes are made for cheering up a friend — warm, hopeful lines that bring the smile back.

1. “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” — Mark Twain
2. “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” — Victor Borge
3. “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” — Charlie Chaplin
4. “Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.” — Marilyn Monroe
5. “Smile, it’s free therapy.” — Douglas Horton
6. “Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life.” — Yoko Ono
7. “Peace begins with a smile.” — Mother Teresa
8. “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” — Mother Teresa
9. “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” — Mother Teresa
10. “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” — Mother Teresa
11. “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” — Mother Teresa
12. “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” — Mother Teresa
13. “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” — Mother Teresa
14. “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” — Mother Teresa
15. “Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.” — Mother Teresa
16. “Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” — Mother Teresa
17. “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” — Aristotle
18. “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama
19. “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama
20. “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” — John Lennon
21. “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” — Charles R. Swindoll
22. “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” — Anthony J. D’Angelo
23. “Be the light.” — Unknown
24. “Stars can’t shine without darkness.” — Unknown
25. “The night is darkest just before the dawn.” — Thomas Fuller
26. “After every storm, there is a rainbow.” — Unknown
27. “No rain, no flowers.” — Unknown
28. “The sun always shines above the clouds.” — Unknown
29. “Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” — Rabindranath Tagore
30. “Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf.” — Rabindranath Tagore
31. “Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” — Rabindranath Tagore
32. “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” — Rabindranath Tagore
33. “The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” — Rabindranath Tagore
34. “If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.” — Rabindranath Tagore
35. “Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them.” — Rabindranath Tagore
36. “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” — Rabindranath Tagore
37. “The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” — Rabindranath Tagore
38. “Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” — Rabindranath Tagore
39. “Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom.” — Rabindranath Tagore
40. “Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance.” — Rabindranath Tagore
41. “The flower which is single need not envy the thorns that are numerous.” — Rabindranath Tagore
42. “We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.” — Rabindranath Tagore
43. “Bigotry tries to keep truth safe in its hand with a grip that kills it.” — Rabindranath Tagore
44. “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.” — Thomas Edison
45. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison
46. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.” — Thomas Edison
47. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” — Thomas Edison
48. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” — Thomas Edison
49. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison
50. “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” — Thomas Edison

Encouraging Quotes for a Friend Chasing a Dream

Big dreams need big encouragement. If your friend is chasing something that scares them a little, these quotes will remind them why they started — and why they shouldn’t stop now.

1. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney
2. “If you can dream it, you can do it.” — Walt Disney
3. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney
4. “Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it’s done right.” — Walt Disney
5. “Whatever you do, do it well.” — Walt Disney
6. “First, think. Second, believe. Third, dream. And finally, dare.” — Walt Disney
7. “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.” — Walt Disney
8. “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” — Walt Disney
9. “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” — Walt Disney
10. “Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.” — Walt Disney
11. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” — Steve Jobs
12. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
13. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” — Steve Jobs
14. “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” — Steve Jobs
15. “I think the things you regret most in life are the things you didn’t do.” — Steve Jobs
16. “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money.” — Steve Jobs
17. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” — Steve Jobs
18. “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs
19. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
20. “There is no passion to be found playing small — in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” — Nelson Mandela
21. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” — Nelson Mandela
22. “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” — Nelson Mandela
23. “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” — Nelson Mandela
24. “Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela
25. “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” — Nelson Mandela
26. “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” — Nelson Mandela
27. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela
28. “I never lose. I either win or learn.” — Nelson Mandela
29. “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” — John C. Maxwell
30. “The future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi
31. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
32. “Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso
33. “Well done is better than well said.” — Benjamin Franklin
34. “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” — Benjamin Franklin
35. “Diligence is the mother of good luck.” — Benjamin Franklin
36. “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” — Benjamin Franklin
37. “Lost time is never found again.” — Benjamin Franklin
38. “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” — Benjamin Franklin
39. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson
40. “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” — Christian D. Larson
41. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
42. “You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” — Oprah Winfrey
43. “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
44. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail.” — Oprah Winfrey
45. “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” — Oprah Winfrey
46. “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — A. A. Milne
47. “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” — A. A. Milne
48. “You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” — A. A. Milne
49. “The things that make me different are the things that make me, me.” — A. A. Milne
50. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — A. A. Milne

Editor’s Picks: The Very Best Encouraging Quotes for a Friend

Eleven lines we would send our own friends — the brightest of the collection.

Encouraging Quotes for a Friend: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good encouraging quote for a friend?

“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” This classic by Robert H. Schuller is one of the most-shared encouraging quotes for a friend because it honors both the pain and the person’s strength. For a best friend, pair it with a personal line: “I’ve watched you survive harder days than this.”

What can I text a friend who is going through a hard time?

Keep it short and warm — try “You’ve survived 100% of your hardest days so far” or simply “I’m here for you.” The short section above has 50 one-line messages made for texting; add one sentence of your own so it doesn’t feel copied.

How do I encourage a friend who wants to give up?

Remind them of how far they’ve come, not how far they have to go. Lines like “It always seems impossible until it’s done” (Nelson Mandela) and “Fall seven times and stand up eight” (Japanese proverb) work because they normalize struggle. Then listen more than you talk.

Can I share these encouraging quotes for a friend on social media or in a card?

Yes — every line above is free to share in cards, texts, captions, and posts. If you post one as a picture quote, a quick credit to the author keeps it classy. For a card, pick one quote and add two or three sentences in your own words about why you’re proud of them.

More to Explore

If these encouraging quotes for a friend lifted your spirits, keep exploring:

• Good morning quotes to start their day with hope
• Gratitude quotes to remind them of life’s blessings
• Success quotes for a friend chasing big goals
• Confidence quotes to rebuild their self-belief
• Anxiety quotes for calm, courage, and hope
• Positive vibes quotes to lift their spirit
• Bible verses about strength for a friend of faith
• Love quotes for the people they cherish most
• Family quotes about the ties that hold us together
• Hope quotes for brighter tomorrows
• Kindness quotes to warm a weary heart
• Dream quotes to keep them reaching higher