You’ve probably seen it on a Pinterest board or tucked into the corner of a therapist's office. It usually pops up right when everything feels like it’s falling apart—or, weirdly enough, when everything is just fine.
The quote starts simply: “Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again.” It’s honest. It doesn’t try to sell you a "good vibes only" lifestyle or a toxic positivity roadmap. L.R. Knost, the author behind these words, basically summarized the entire human experience in a few sentences. But there is a reason this specific 73-word passage has outlived a thousand other viral memes. It’s because it tackles the part of life we usually ignore: the boring bits.
The Reality of the L.R. Knost Life is Amazing Quote
Most people focus on the peaks and valleys. We talk about the "amazing" (the promotion, the wedding, the perfect vacation) and we lament the "awful" (the breakup, the illness, the loss). But Knost points out that most of our time is spent in the middle.
She writes, "And in between the amazing and the awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine."
Honestly, that’s where the real work happens. It’s the Tuesday afternoon at the grocery store. It’s the laundry. It’s the commute. Knost’s brilliance isn’t just in acknowledging that life changes, but in telling us how to breathe through those changes.
Breaking Down the Rhythm of Living
The quote provides a literal breathing exercise for your soul. Knost suggests three distinct actions:
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- Breathe in the amazing. Don’t just let it pass by. Soak it in.
- Hold on through the awful. You don't have to thrive in the darkness; you just have to survive it.
- Relax and exhale during the ordinary. This is the most underrated advice in the whole piece.
Think about that. Most of us are so stressed during the "ordinary" because we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. We’re bracing for the "awful" or chasing the "amazing." We forget to just exhale when things are actually okay.
Who is L.R. Knost?
You might know her as a parenting expert, but her reach goes way beyond that. L.R. Knost is an award-winning author and the founder of Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources. She’s written books like Two Thousand Kisses a Day and The Gentle Parent.
She isn't just someone writing fluff. Her perspective is forged in real-life grit. She’s a mother of six. She’s a social justice activist. She’s also a cancer survivor. When she says "hold on through the awful," she’s speaking from the trenches of chemotherapy and the uncertainty of a diagnosis.
Her life hasn't been a series of easy wins. It’s been a messy, "soul-healing," "heartbreaking" journey. That’s why her words don't feel like a lecture. They feel like a hand on your shoulder.
Why This Quote Blows Up During Crisis
Whenever the world feels chaotic—like during the global shifts we've seen leading into 2026—this quote resurfaces. Why? Because it validates the "awful."
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Modern society often tells us to "hustle" or "stay positive." Knost does the opposite. She grants us permission to find the awful, well, awful. She doesn't ask us to find a silver lining in the tragedy. She just says to hold on.
The quote reminds us that the "amazing" isn't a permanent state, but neither is the "awful." It’s a cycle.
The Part Everyone Forgets
The end of the quote is the kicker. "That’s just living—heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful."
It’s easy to see the beauty in the amazing. It’s nearly impossible to see it in the heartbreaking. But Knost argues that the beauty is in the whole thing. It’s the contrast that makes it breathtaking. You can't have the "soul-healing" without the "heartbreaking" that necessitated the healing in the first place.
Practical Ways to Apply the Quote Today
If you're feeling stuck in the "mundane" or drowning in the "awful," here’s how to actually use these words:
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- Audit your "ordinary": Stop waiting for a big event to feel "allowed" to relax. If today was just a normal, boring day, that is a success. Exhale.
- Stop the guilt during the "awful": If you are in a season of struggle, stop judging yourself for not being productive or happy. Your only job right now is to "hold on."
- Savor the "amazing" without the "but": When something good happens, don't immediately think, "But it won't last." Just breathe it in. Let it be enough for right now.
Life isn't a destination where you finally reach "amazing" and stay there forever. It’s a pulse. It’s a breath.
To really live by this quote, start by identifying which phase you are in right now. Label it. If it's ordinary, let yourself be bored and at peace. If it's awful, reach out for a hand to help you hold on. And if it's amazing, for heaven's sake, put down your phone and feel it.
The next time you see the lr knost life is amazing quote, don't just scroll past it. Use it as a reminder to check your internal rhythm. Life is moving, and as long as you're breathing, you're doing it right.
Actionable Step: Write down the words "Breathe, Hold On, Exhale" on a post-it note and put it on your mirror. Use it as a 30-second grounding exercise every morning to prepare for whatever version of "living" shows up today.