16 Break Up Quotes to Move On When You’re Hurting

They say that breaking up is hard to do, and these break up quotes can help you get to a healthy place and put the past behind you. When you read quotes about moving on you are giving your brain positive messages that will help the healing process and get you back to a good-feeling place.

If you are still healing from a break up, you need to see this empowering list of quotes about breaking up and moving on.


If you’ve recently gone through a break up or can’t move on, also take a look at our list of 50 Quotes to Help You Heal from a Bad Breakup

1. Marilyn Monroe on Why Good Things Fall Apart

“Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” ~ Marilyn Monroe

“Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” ~ Marilyn Monroe

You just never know what’s around the corner, and you can’t hold the hand of who you’re supposed to be with until you let go of the hand you’re currently holding. There’s good in every situation, and in order to get through a tough break up and on to the next chapter in your life, you have to appreciate that what you had may have been good, but something better is on its way, and you’re a stronger person now because of what you’ve been through.

Also read: Inspirational Self Love Quotes

2. Sarah Mlynowski on the Worth of Relationships

“Just because a relationship ends, it doesn't mean it's not worth having.” ~ Sarah Mlynowski

“Just because a relationship ends, it doesn’t mean it’s not worth having.” ~ Sarah Mlynowski

Too often we try to soothe ourselves by diminishing a relationship’s value in order to get over it more quickly. But it’s OK to think that the relationship was pretty great, but now it’s over, and it was worth going through the pain of the ending for all the good times you had together. Love always comes with the risk of getting hurt and putting yourself through some tough times, but it’s always worth the special moments you share.

Also read: Positive Quotes for When Life Gets Hard

3. Paulo Coelho on What Crises Reveal

“Life always waits for some crisis to occur before revealing itself at its most brilliant.” ~ Paulo Coelho

“Life always waits for some crisis to occur before revealing itself at its most brilliant.” ~ Paulo Coelho

When you’re faced with a crisis like a breakup it’s actually life’s way of asking you what you really want. You now have a better idea of what you don’t want, so you can get clearer about what you do want and focus on that. A break up is a fresh chance to start over, to work on you for a little while and then attract the person of your dreams, edited to include all of your new desires that were formed from your last relationship.

4. Barney Stinson on the Virtue of Awesomeness

“When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead.” ~ Barney Stinson

“When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead.” ~ Barney Stinson

Even though Barney is a fictional character, he’s still good for an empowering quote now and then. This one rings true when you’re feeling down about a recent break up and you need to remind yourself just how awesome you are so you can get back to the real you. The good news is that when you start being awesome again you’ll attract someone just as awesome for you. It’s OK to feel sad for a bit after a breakup, but wallowing in it is only going to extend your misery.

Need some extra help?: 70 Inspirational Quotes About Life Struggles and the Challenges We Face

5. Guy Finley on Starting Over

“Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” ~ Guy Finley

“Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” ~ Guy Finley

You’re the only force that can limit what it is you’re capable of, so don’t let this temporary setback stop you from moving on to bigger and better things. There’s no timeline on how long it should take you to let go and start over, but you’ll feel that it’s the right time in your gut. When it starts to feel like a chore to still be hung up on this, that means it’s time to leave it behind and take a look at your fresh new clean slate with feelings of optimism.

6. Turcois Ominek Gets You Feeling Better

“One day they'll realize they lost a diamond while playing with worthless stones.” ~ Turcois Ominek

“One day they’ll realize they lost a diamond while playing with worthless stones.” ~ Turcois Ominek

If someone didn’t treat you right, it’s most likely because they didn’t recognize your true value. You shouldn’t want to be with someone that would do this, and even though it hurts right now they’ll eventually realize that they made a big mistake and should have seen just how special you are. When you’re with someone that would do that it just means that you need to be with someone else that wouldn’t. Now that you’ve broken up you can set your sights on a better match for you.

7. Oscar Wilde Gives Wisdom on Love

“Never love anybody that treats you like you're ordinary.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“Never love anybody that treats you like you’re ordinary.” ~ Oscar Wilde

If you got the feeling like you weren’t being treated like the extraordinary person that you are, then it’s probably best that you broke up, and you can now find someone that treats you as you should be treated. Relationships can be hard, and sometimes the passion will wane and couples will start taking each other for granted. If this goes on for too long it creates tension and a break up ensues. But there’s no reason for the passion to die out, and you can find someone that stays madly in love and ready to adore you daily.

8. M. Kathleen Casey on Pain and Suffering

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” ~ M. Kathleen Casey

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” ~ M. Kathleen Casey

It’s no surprise that you’re feeling pain as you go through a break up, but whether or not you suffer from it is a choice that you make. To feel pain is natural, but to make it something that ruins your life long after the event has taken place is totally unnatural. Feel the pain, learn from it, and use it in a way that makes you grow so that you can move forward with your life and have better results as you go along. Decide today to stop suffering and let the past be the past.

9. Joseph Campbell on Life’s Plans

“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ~ Joseph Campbell

“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ~ Joseph Campbell

Things don’t ever go exactly as planned, and the sooner you embrace that the sooner you can realize just how good things really are. Life has a way of working out according to its own design, and we can influence it but sometimes there will be twists and turns that we didn’t expect. As long as you stay positive and be willing to accept changes in your life that aren’t what you were expecting or planning on, you can start to see the beauty that life paints, and see that it uses broad strokes.

10. Alex Elle Shares the Proper Breakup Mindset

“I'm thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn't have stumbled across my strength.” ~ Alex Elle

“I’m thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” ~ Alex Elle

This is one of the most positive ways to look at a breakup, and if you can even come close to thinking like this about your own circumstances, you’ll heal much faster. It’s times like this that you find out just how strong you are, and because of that you become a better person, which can only lead to a better relationship when you decide to have another one. Without the struggle you would still just have an idea of how strong you are, but you wouldn’t have the proof to back it up.

Sometimes gratitude can be a big help to move on.

11. Sarah Evans on Weakness and Strength

“Even on my weakest days I get a little bit stronger” ~ Sarah Evans

“Even on my weakest days I get a little bit stronger” ~ Sarah Evans

It’s important to realize that this is a day by day process. There are no quantum leaps when it comes to breaking up and moving on. With each new day you get a little bit stronger and time works its magic so you’ll hurt a bit less. This doesn’t mean that this is a continual process, and there will be times when you regress now and then, but the point is that when you have a bad day it will be a little less bad than it was at ground zero when the breakup was fresh and most intense.

Find your inner strength: 40 Quotes About Strength

12. Marcia Wieder on Singing Each Day

“Every single day, do something that makes your heart sing.” ~ Marcia Wieder

“Every single day, do something that makes your heart sing.” ~ Marcia Wieder

Breaking up is hard to do, but if you take this quote to heart you’ll be able to get over it at a much faster pace. You may not feel like singing every day, and some of the songs along the way may be sad songs, but eventually you’ll want to sing something a little more uplifting, and when that day comes you’ll know that you’ve made some real progress and have managed to stay true to yourself and your own personal development.

13. Genevieve Rhode on the Power of Showing Up

“Get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.” ~ Genevieve Rhode

“Get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.” ~ Genevieve Rhode

Here’s a great quote to read every morning so you can get into the proper mindset for greeting the day after a break up. When you dress in clothes that make you feel good you can’t help but be affected by them. Show up to the party and get involved and you’ll see that there’s a whole new set of opportunities waiting for you just by you showing up. Never give up on love, even if you’ve been through some rough breakups. You’ll eventually end up where you’re supposed to be.

14. Carl Sagan on Getting Where You’re Going

“I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way.” ~ Carl Sagan

“I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” ~ Carl Sagan

You don’t have to know exactly where it is you’re going in order to head in the right direction. If you’ve been feeling bad for awhile about a breakup, and you haven’t felt like yourself in some time, you’ll know you’re back on track when you start doing things you used to like to do again. Once you start heading back to the real you, you’ll know it by the way you feel, and you’ll start to get feelings of excitement and anticipation at the new life that is shaping up for you.

15. Anthony Robbins on Deciding Your Destiny

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” ~ Anthony Robbins

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” ~ Anthony Robbins

When you decide to let this break up be part of your past, and move forward with the rest of your life, you’ll be taking a giant step in your self development. It’s these big moments when you feel like the world as you knew it is totally turned upside down that you’ll look back on and realize it was a huge turning point for amazing things to enter into your life. So decide today to be happy, healthy, and full of life and you’ll see signs that life is responding to your new energy.

16. Jack Kerouac and Loving Your Life

“Be in love with your life. Every minute of it.” ~ Jack Kerouac

“Be in love with your life. Every minute of it.” ~ Jack Kerouac

Even when you’re going through a tough time, it’s important to realize that this is your life, and you should love it. Not just the rosy parts, but all of it. This will help you realize that your life isn’t over just because of a breakup, and that this could be one of the best things that ever happened to you, you just can’t see the bigger picture yet. So you may as well try to enjoy it, even in the midst of what seems like a tragedy. Sadness is a part of life, not the dominant part, but a part, and it helps to show just how good you feel when you feel your best.

More Good Quotes to Help You Let Go, Move on and Be Stronger After a Break Up:

  • 28 Relatable Quotes on Fake People
  • 38 Beautiful Audrey Hepburn Quotes to Fuel Your Soul
  • 25 Uplifting Quotes to Brighten Your Day When Life Gets Tough
  • 65 Most Inspirational Quotes of All-Time
  • 30 Must-Read Love Yourself Quotes to Increase Your Self-Esteem
  • 31 Comments

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    1. Hi! I’m always reading this article of yours. It inspires me to move on and enjoy my life after a break-up. It reminds me that there are a lot of reason to go on and to stop dwelling in the past. Everyday I re-read it and it uplifts the pain. Continue to make more articles like this

    2. Its not a break up but one sided even so it’s like a break up and I think some of this motivational quotes really do inspire some people including myself

    3. I love ur articles so much, it has brought a positve living in me, afta my breakup, i was a dead moving person but coz ov wat i read in ur articles. Am alive now. Thanks so much.

    4. Thank you so much for ur words of support ! I’m going through hard breakup ! And reading the quotes is a big lifter! Thank you

      • Same here Marie. I got a blow in relationship just a day back… These lines are an mental anchor of life ahead.

    5. Really the inspiring quotes for me. Thanks for sharing. I am going through the situation in which I love my girlfriend so much, but every moments with her is heart breaking. I am breaking with her very soon, have taken a hard decision. Every time feel so painful but I know its really important for me.

    6. The love of my life, as she WAS saved in my phone, and I, are no mas. It was a really bad breakup, unfortunately… bc we were really great together. My brain has been wired to believe she IS still the one, as truth, even though there is no possible way of going back.. I created a powerful vision for our lives together w/ her son, and even while I believe these quotes to be true I still find myself struggling hard. It’s almost like I need to lie to my brain and start reprogramming with all these empowering type quotes…but…it’s really hard right now. I could really use some more help and comfort right now knowing this IS for the best, but these quotes definitely did lift my hopes! THANK YOU!!

      • Going through the same. The only difference is it is our daughter. Our little girl. And she left. The pain and suffering quote has really hit home. Can you share with me how you’ve gotten through? How to continue on?

    7. Thank you like a million times,new me new life new ambitions.No more sobbing like a kid.
      five stars rated to these articles ????????????????????

    8. Great and inspiring quotes. Really came when I was in a state of confusion. Now I feel I have it me to let go and move on with my life. I can’t keep holding on to the past. After all it’s the past.

    9. This quotes are a life saver, I was so sad after a break up but reading this quotes made me realise that I am not alone I can dust off the piececs of my heart put tgem together because I still need my heart more than I need him.Thank you so much

    10. I met my ex my senior year. I gave up the Marines, collage. She does not have papers, so I was saving up for our future. I was engaged to her, and did my best to love her everyday. She ended up leaving me, and slept with another guy a few weeks later. Some people will love you one moment, and leave you the next. I know I am a good guy, and one day someone will love me & never give up on us.

      • Very nice message, im in now in the process of nowhere, my heart turn into pieces. I cant think of the things to save my tears.

      • Hi, John..
        I feel sorry for you….
        I was in a relationship with girl for 3 years, I was like planning more for future.
        But finally ended up with break up, she don’t even care to meet me… I was shattered..ofcourse still.
        I saw her with a guy, still my heart won’t believe truth which my mind knows…

      • How did it feel seeing her with another guy? Because I want to be ready for that if it happens. My ex gf dumped me over text last week. The fact that she texted me makes me so sad

    11. Inspired me a lot. Though I can’t forget him whole of my life. But yes moving on seems easier. Thank you

    12. I keep coming back to this article when I feel like I’m starting to slip back into that self-pity mindset. Seriously, thank you for putting this together, you have saved my ass so many times!
      Thank you!

    13. The guy I thought was my everything just left me without saying anything, I’m wondering why did it have to happen but after this article I feel great, because he didn’t deserve me

    14. thank you for these lovely and inspiring quotes, I just broke up with my boyfriend, and reading these quotes really gives me strength and a reason to move on with my life.continue touching lives of people and giving hope to the hopeless.

    15. Break ups are rough but coming on here and seeing so many people drawing strength is awe inspiring and I wanna add my thanks to you for piecing together such empowering quotes for us all right now I’m looking to make that transition from being sad to putting this behind me in ready for something née

    16. I see my ex everyday at college,i feel much better when i don’t see her,but now i have to attend the classes,whenever i see her all those good times we had together comes back.after reading this article i feel like i can now face her on a daily basis.

    17. I just sent these to my best friend who had her heart broken by text – to all of you out there, having been through the brutality of heart break i can tell you something!

      IT DOES GET BETTER, YOU DO HEAL AND YOU DO LOVE HARDER IN THE FUTURE!!

      Start looking forward to it as it is coming your way xxx

    18. 2 days ago I found that my boyfriend have another girlfriend, he betrayed me,and its hard to move on, I though he is the right one for me after I gave my half of me…i gave all to him but still the broke my hearh ,and thank you for the empowering quotes that makes help me to realize that its not the end of my life..

    19. My girl friend will me for 6 year .just one month ago , i am busy let her be alone ,she betrayed me sleep will other guy..i give my 100% heart to her it really hurt and very painful in my heart like having a cut is inevitable feeling ,,Any million thank you for empowering really help me to understand life how to on be positive mind in life ,i need more time day by day i will slowly release my pain.

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