7 Quotes about Testing Times to Give You the Power to Persevere ...

1. "Man Needs Difficulties: They Are Necessary for Health." - Jung

This great quote about testing times reminds me of the fact that problems are actually good for you. It may not seem it at the time but it's how we approach the difficulties that matters. Will we bury our head in the metaphorical sand or use these difficulties as experiences to help us to grow as a person and possibly help others with their problems?

2. “if the Road is Easy, You're Likely Going the Wrong Way.” - Terry Goodkind

I love this quote. Nothing that's ever worth doing is going to be easy and if it is, is it really worth doing at all? We need challenges to help us grow and it's the journey, with all its pitfalls and potholes, that makes us who we are. In short, life is never easy.

3. “However Mean Your Life is, Meet It and Live It.” - Henry David Thoreau

This is another one of my favourite quotes. I love it because it is so blunt. It's almost like a slap in the face, accompanied with a 'get over it.' Sometimes, although we would love to wallow in self pity, we need to just face our challenges with gusto and learn from them.

4. “You Can't Be Brave if You've Only Had Wonderful Things Happen to You.” - Mary Tyler Moore

How would you know how to face problems and challenges if all the experiences you ever had in your life were full of sunshine and lollipops? Kids need to fall off their bikes and scrape their knees and as we get older, we all fall off our metaphorical bikes and scrape our knees, or worse. It's how we use these trials and tribulations to our advantage that matters.

5. “We Could Never Learn to Be Brave and Patient if There Were Only Joy in the World.” - Helen Keller

Again, this quote reminds me of the many things we learn through life's tragedies. Patience and courage are two of the things we develop as we get older and we face things. It's our experiences which make us able to face life.

6. “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

One of my favourite poems by Maya Angelou is "Still I Rise," from her 1978 anthology of poetry, And Still I Rise. Full of beautiful poems about life, love and rising against adversity, this quote by Maya really encapsulates the fact that things often happen for a reason: to help you grow and come out of the other side a better person.

7. “if You Find a Path with No Obstacles, It Probably Doesn't Lead Anywhere.” - Frank a. Clark

Life is like an obstacle course. Sometimes the blocks we need to overcome are more difficult than others, but that's what makes it worthwhile. It reminds me of something I often tell my students: if it's easy, what's the point?! So rise to the challenge.

So, these are my favourite quotes about testing times that remind me to be strong and persevere. Which are your favourite and do you know any others you would like to share?