The pandemic has tipped our world off its axis, spilling each of our lives into uncharted waters. When adversity cloaks our everyday in an uncertainty that is increasingly difficult to navigate, sometimes we need something to help lead the way. A guiding hand, a flicker of light, a whisper of wisdom.

While there is no one answer or cure any of us can prescribe, I have gathered some of my favorite words of wisdom from others who have walked before us.

Adversity is not a newcomer on this earth. We are built for this. We are equipped to face challenges, to grow, to change, to rise and transform into something stronger than we knew we could be. Here are some of my favorite reminders from those who have proven that to be true:

1. “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.” – ​Martin Luther King

2. “There are moments when troubles enter our lives and we can do nothing to avoid them. But they are there for a reason. Only when we have overcome them will we understand why they were there.” – Paulo Coelho’

3. “Just as despair can come to one from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one by other human beings.” – Elie Weisel

4. “To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.”—​Gail Sheehy

5. “If you haven’t been journaling through this, now is a good time to start. One day, you and people who love and loved you and people who will never know you may want to look back to understand how you survived.”― Darnell Lamont Walker

6. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert H Schuller

7. “You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you’.” – Joel Osteen

8. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”—Confucius

9. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt

10. “A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.” – Henry Kissinger

11. “One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.” – ​Shannon L. Alder

12. “​If you feel like giving up​, give up on that feeling and give into the realization there are endless possibilities waiting to be discovered before you.” – ​Tom Althouse

13. “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

14. . “Every adversity, every failure and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.”– ​Napoleon Hill

15. “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” – Christopher Reeve

I chose #15, wrote it down, and put it on my nightstand for a daily reminder that it IS possible. That we CAN make it through. That we WILL come out stronger.

Which one do you choose as your reminder?