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130 Words Of Encouragement For Men To Empower And Uplift

130 Words Of Encouragement For Men To Empower And Uplift

Men, not any less than women, love to hear words of encouragement. Words have immense power and can motivate us and accelerate our growth and success.

Reading a powerful and inspiring quote can spark our flame and motivate us to change our lives.

Here are the 130 most inspiring words of encouragement for men found online to uplift them and help them reach their full potential.

10 Best Words Of Encouragement For Men

1. “Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed, but not defeated.” — Ernest Hemingway

image of a man representing words of encouragement for men

2. “Inhale, exhale, it is well, it is well. All of this is a part of the story you will tell.” — Morgan Harper Nichols

3. “One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.” — Benjamin Disraeli

4. “But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them, but through them.” — John Ruskin

5. “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” — Samuel Beckett

man with glasses representing words of encouragement for men

6. “The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.” — Brandon Sanderson

7. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

8. “The inner fire is the most important thing mankind possesses.” — Edith Sodergran

9.  “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” ― Roy T. Bennett

10. “Come out of the masses. Stand alone like a lion and live your life according to your own light.” — Osho

young man image representing words of encouragement for men

See also: 110 Powerful Lion Quotes To Unleash The Lion Within You

Encouraging Quotes For Men To Read Every Morning

1. “A man may conquer a million men in battle but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors.” — Buddha

man in black and white representing encouraging quote for him

2. “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” — Carol Burnett

3. “Start small, make a promise, and keep it. Then, make larger promises and keep them.” — Stephen Covey

4. “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein

5. “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. “ — Robin Williams

portrait of a young man representing encouragement quote for him

6. “The man was created in love and for love, so he must only show love. Therefore, we mustn’t even think about hating someone, it is against our original nature.” — Sunday Adelaja

7. “Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor.” — Benjamin Disraeli

8. “One should never criticize his own work except in a fresh and hopeful mood. The self-criticism of a tired mind is suicide.” — Charles Horton Cooley

9. “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” — George Herbert

10. “Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

young man in shadow representing powerful quote for men

See also: 120 Follow Your Dreams Quotes To Keep You On The Track

11. “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus

12. “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” — David Brinkley

13. “If you perform the sacrifice of doing your duty, you do not have to do anything else. Devoted to duty, man attains perfection.” — Bhagavad Gita

14. “Our lives improve only when we take chances – and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.” — Walter Anderson

See also: 100 Taking Chances Quotes To Help You Conquer Your Fears

15. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Confucious

portrait of a young man representing a quote by Confucious

16. “Courage isn’t the strength to go on. It is going on when you don’t have strength.” — Napoleon Bonaparte

17. “A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” — Saint Basil

18. “The good man is the man who is moving to become better no matter how morally unworthy he has been.” — John Dewey

19. “It’s not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you.” — Zig Ziglar 

20. “Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible.” ― Miguel de Unamuno

image of a young man representing uplifting quote for men

See also: 170 Genius Goal Achievement Quotes To Help You Succeed

Inspirational Quotes For Men To Awaken Inner Hero

1. “A man may fail many times but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” — John Burroughs

image of a man standing representing words of inspiration for him

2. “To be disciplined or non-disciplined is a choice you make every minute in every hour of your life.” — Russell Gerald Johnston

3. “There is nothing wrong with being afraid – but there is nothing more wrong than allowing that to be your master.” — Bobby Darin

4. “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” — Bruce Lee

5. “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein

figure of a man standing representing inspiring quote for men

6. “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” — Billy Graham

7. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger

8. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” — George Addair

9. “If you can’t fly, then run, If you can’t run, then walk, If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

10. “Strong men can always afford to be gentle. Only the weak are intent on giving as good as they get.” — Elbert Hubbard

image of a mysterious man representing strong man quote

11. “My idea of the modern stoic sage is someone who transforms fear into prudence, pain into information, mistakes into initiation, and desire into undertaking.” — Nassim Nicholas Taleb

See also: 90 Inspiring Stoic Quotes To Bring You Peace Of Mind

12. “We need the iron qualities that go with true manhood. We need the positive virtues of resolution, of courage, of indomitable will, of power to do without shrinking the rough work that must always be done.” — Theodore Roosevelt

13. “The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.” ― Arthur C. Clarke

14. “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” — Napoleon Hill

15. “There is one rule, above all others, for a man. Whatever comes, face it on your feet.” — Robert Jordan

backshot image of a man representing Robert Jordan quote

16. “A man must at times be hard as nails: willing to face up to the truth about himself…But he must also be tender. No weapon will breach the armor of a woman’s resentment like tenderness.” — Elisabeth Elliot

17. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

18. “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” — Georgia O’Keeffe

19. “In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” — Tony Robbins

20. “To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.”  — Muhammad Ali 

image of a man standing tall representing support quote for him

See also: 160 Believe In Yourself Quotes To Bask In Your Confidence

Motivational Quotes For Men To Boost Confidence

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

words of motivation represented by an image of a man

2. “The stronger a man is, the more gentle he can afford to be.” — Elbert Hubbard

3. “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” — Rikki Rogers

4. “High self-esteem comes from feeling like you have control over events, not that events have control over you.” — Tony Robbins

5. “The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.” — Swati Sharma

image of a muscular man representing confidence quote for men

6. “… the greater the challenge, the more a good strategy focuses and coordinates efforts to achieve a powerful competitive punch or problem-solving effect.” — Richard Rumelt

7. “Nice guys may appear to finish last, but usually they are running a different race.” — Ken Blanchard

8. “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.” — Charles F. Kettering

9. “We define ourselves far too often by our past failures. That’s not you.  You are this person right now.  You’re the person who has learned from those failures.” — Joe Rogan

10. “The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.” — Dale Carnegie

image of a man representing motivational quote for him

11. “When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren’t the people who are motivated, but have consistency in their motivation.” – Arsene Wenger

See also: 50 Life-Changing Consistency Quotes On The Key To Success

12. “You have a greater potential than anyone who has ever lived before you! But you’ll never ‘make it’ by sitting on your duff and telling the world how great you’re going to be, starting tomorrow.” — Og Mandino

13. “Follow your dream… If you stumble, don’t stop and lose sight of your goal, press on to the top. For only on top can we see the whole view.” — Amanda Bradley

14. “We need men who can dream of things that never were.” — John F. Kennedy

15. “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!” — Henry Ford

man in darkness representing cute motivational quote

16. “When you feel insecure or like you don’t measure up, remind yourself of how far you’ve come. And in that moment, you’ll realize you’ve climbed mountains and can overcome anything.” — Brittany Burgunder

17. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.” — Mark Twain

18. “Sometimes people seem to be doing better than you. They may seem to be way ahead of you but never be bothered by it. Just keep on working hard and carrying on with the steady pace that works best for you.” — Chikamso Efobi

19. “A great man does not seek applause or place; he seeks for truth; he seeks the road to happiness, and what he ascertains, he gives to others.” — Robert Green Ingersoll

20. “A winner is not someone who conquers the world; a winner is someone who conquers himself.” ― Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

image of a mysterious man representing quote on winners

See also: 160 Winning Quotes To Celebrate Your Achievements

Positive Quotes For Men To Spread Good Vibes

1. “Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.” — Benjamin Franklin

man in a suit representing positive quote for him

2. “I think it’s possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary.” — Elon Musk

3. “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” — Mark Twain

4. “Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.” — Virgil Thomson

5. “I try to make my mood uplifting and peaceful, then watch the world around me reflect that mood.” — Yaya DaCosta

man with a watch representing quote on uplifting mood

6. “For what it’s worth, it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

7. “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” — Bob Marley

8. “When you give joy to other people, you get more joy in return. You should give a good thought to happiness that you can give out.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

See also: 80 Best Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes To Remember And Live By

9. “Positive thinking is powerful thinking. If you want happiness, fulfillment, success, and inner peace, start thinking you have the power to achieve those things. Focus on the bright side of life and expect positive results.” — Germany Kent

10. “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman

man in a business suit representing quote on sunshine

11. “Here’s all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid.” — George Carlin

12. “Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife.” — Franz Schubert

13. “Think about others and your own problem appears insignificant; think only of oneself and even a small problem appears unbearable.” — Dalai Lama

14. “When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.” — Wilma Rudolph

15. “If you feel happy, smile with all your heart. If you’re down, smile with all your might.” ― Paul Ian Guillermo 

man holding a watch representing quote about happiness

See also: Top 90 Positive Vibes Quotes To Empower You Every Day

16. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” — Helen Keller

17. “Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy.” — Groucho Marx

18. “The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” — Bertrand Russell

19. “Happiness isn’t about making more money, but rather freedom. The freedom to say no to things you don’t want to do. The freedom to say no to people you don’t like. The freedom to not feel like you are obligated to say “yes”. Freedom is saying yes when you want to.” — Shane Parrish

20. “There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” — Amanda Gorman

man in a suit holding a watch representing light quote

See also: Brilliant List Of 120 Light Quotes To Awaken Your Mind

Encouraging Words For Men To Help During Hard Times

1. “There are two ways of meeting difficulties. You either alter the difficulties or alter yourself to meet the difficulties.” — Phyllis Bottome

man gazing through the window representing uplifting quote for hard times

2. “Be thankful for your pains and bad situations. Pick yourself up and go comfort others in similar situations.” — Calvin K. Lee

3. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert H. Schuller

4. “Adversity toughens manhood, and the characteristic of the good or the great man is not that he has been exempt from the evils of life, but that he has surmounted them.” — Patrick Henry

5. “When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up.” — Les Brown

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6. “If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.” — Mary Pickford

7. “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time.” — Malcolm X

8. “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.” — Stephen Hawking 

9. “Don’t give up on believing things can and will get better, even if they seem to be getting worse.” ― Yedidah Spann

10. “To have become a deeper man is the privilege of those who have suffered.” — Oscar Wilde

man gazing beyond the glass representing encouraging quote for hard times

See also: 100 Oscar Wilde Quotes For Every Pont Of Your Life

11. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.” — Nelson Mandela

12. “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” — Kenji Miyazawa

13. “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

14. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” — Henry Ford

15. “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” — Khalil Gibran 

young looking through the window representing strength quote for him

16. “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky

17. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” — Marie Curie

18. “Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.” — Aldous Huxley

19. “You are amazing simply for hanging in there and holding on, no matter how hard things get! And for moving forward no matter how scared you are or how anxious you feel. Yep, you are awesome.” — Karen Salmansohn

20. “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” — Dale Carnegie

“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” — Dale Carnegie

See also: 220 Best Proverbs About Success To Give You Inspiration

Wise Words Of Encouragement For Men

1. “The heart of man is very much like the sea; it has its storms, it has its tides, and in its depths, it has its pearls too.” — Vincent Van Gogh

man sitting by water representing words of encouragement for him

2. “If you want to overcome the whole world, overcome yourself.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky

3. “Just remember, there are no quick fixes. But, by taking action just a little bit every day, you will build up a powerful reservoir of confidence, self-esteem, and discipline.” — Scott Allan

4.“You should think in such a way that everybody could look into your soul and see what is transpiring there.” — Seneca 

5. “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” — Ernest Hemingway

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6. “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” — Colin R. Davis

7. “A strong man doesn’t have to be dominant toward a woman. He doesn’t match his strength against a woman weak with love for him. He matches it against the world.” — Marilyn Monroe

8. “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” — Steve Jobs

9. “On the road to your target, move cleverly and silently; when you reached your target, be humble and silent.” — Mehmet Murat Ildan

See also: 80 Move In Silence Quotes To Make You Think Like A Winner

10. “Whenever you deeply accept this moment as it is – no matter what form it takes – you are still, you are at peace.” — Eckhart Tolle

man lost in watery thoughts representing quote about peace

11. “A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.” — Winston Churchill

12. “Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” — Henry David Thoreau

13. “I must accept life unconditionally. Most people ask for happiness on condition. Happiness can only be felt if you don’t set any conditions.” — Artur Rubinstein

14. “The first step to being a good man is this: You must deeply feel the burden of the stones someone else is carrying.” — Mehmet Murat Ildan

15. “Genius is the power of carrying the feelings of childhood into the powers of manhood.” — Samuel Taylo

man contemplating by water representing genius quote

16. “Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism.” — David M. Burns

17. “It is not what he has, or even what he does which expresses the worth of a man, but what he is.” — Henri-Frédéric Amiel

18. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” — Lao Tzu

19. “The men who act without thinking, and the men who both think and act, are the ones who mold the world. The man who thinks and does not act never molds the world. He may think that he does – but that, too, is only a thought, the thought of a deedless, actionless thinker.” — Jack London

20. “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus 

man sitting by water representing quote about wise men

See also: 100 Wise Quotes About Bad Days To Help You Stay Positive

Final Words

I hope you have enjoyed these uplifting words of encouragement for men. Let the power of words inspire you and awaken your inner hero. 

Read next: 130 Daily Affirmations For Men To Bring Growth & Success

130 Words Of Encouragement For Men To Empower And Uplift