Motivational quotes for workers help us to not give up in hard times – and let’s face it, these are hard times. Now, maybe more than ever in the recent past, workers are feeling undervalued, burned out, and mistreated.
It’s easy to feel like there are no options but to hang onto your job, even if it’s toxic, or, if you’re job searching, to take the first offer that comes along no matter what it is.
I’ve gathered some motivational quotes to remind you just who you are. These quotes speak to resilience, dignity, and strength in the face of adversity. Read these quotes, and regain the power you truly own.
Motivational Quotes About Endurance & Inner Strength
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.
— Maya Angelou
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
— Nelson Mandela
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
— Confucius
“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.”
— Robert Tew
“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.”
— Audre Lorde
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
— Albert Einstein
“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”
— Shirley Chisholm
Motivational Quotes for Workers: On Dignity & Self-Worth at Work
“You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.”
— Unknown
“Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”
— Margaret Atwood (paraphrased Latin: Nolite te bastardes carborundorum)
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim.”
— Harvey Fierstein
“You can’t control how other people treat you, but you can control how long you stay in a place that doesn’t honor you.”
— Unknown
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
— Shirley Chisholm
Work Quotes to Rekindle Hope & Purpose
“Keep showing up. That’s all you can do. Keep showing up with your heart intact.”
— Unknown
“Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”
— Malala Yousafzai
“You were never meant to shrink to make others comfortable.”
— Unknown
“Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is keep going when you want to give up.”
— Brene Brown
“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
— Will Rogers
Motivational Quotes for Workers about Resilience in the Face of Adversity
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
— Maya Angelou
“I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.”
— Maya Angelou
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
— Japanese Proverb
“Tough times never last, but tough people do.”
— Robert H. Schuller
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing.”
— Unknown
“No one is coming to save you. This life is 100% your responsibility.”
— Brooke Castillo
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
— Louisa May Alcott
Dignity, Courage, and Standing Tall at Work
“Speak your mind—even if your voice shakes.”
— Maggie Kuhn
“I will not adjust myself to a world that is casually cruel.”
— Anaïs Nin
“Sometimes walking away has nothing to do with weakness and everything to do with strength.”
— Robert Tew
“You’re not difficult. You’re just not easy to exploit.”
— Unknown
“Don’t confuse having a job with having worth.”
— Unknown
“If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.”
— Greg McKeown
Motivational Quotes for Workers: Hope, Purpose and Keeping Going
“Keep going. No feeling is final.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
— Alice Walker
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”
— Earl Nightingale
“Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched.”
— Mindy Kaling
“Every great change is preceded by chaos.”
— Deepak Chopra
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
“You were never meant to shrink to make others comfortable.”
— Unknown
There you have it: 36 motivational quotes for workers going through hard times, burnout, or mistreatment in today’s economy.
Quotes are helpful, because they can offer a sense of solidarity and empowerment, and these are especially useful for workers navigating toxic workplaces, burnout or shattered confidence. Don’t forget your resilience, dignity, and self-worth, and come back to these when you need the courage to keep going, even when things feel stacked against you. They can help you find the motivation you need to keep going!