Wonderful quotes and sayings

Words that embrace a wounded heart... Comforting sayings by great and notable figures

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.

When you go through something tough and can’t escape your worries or anxieties, it’s only natural to become negative.

Even when you try to take your mind off things, you might suddenly remember and feel your mood sink again.

So this time, I’ve put together a list of comforting words to soothe a wounded heart.

These are phrases you can use not only when you’re having a hard time yourself, but also when you want to show care for friends or family.

I hope the words of great figures and well-known people will lift your spirits.

Embracing wounded hearts… Words of comfort from great and notable figures (11–20)

If you fail, you can try again. If trying again doesn’t work, think it through once more and try again.Konosuke Matsushita

If you fail, you can try again. If trying again doesn’t work, think of a new way and try once more... A famous quote by Konosuke Matsushita.

If you fail, you can try again. If trying again doesn’t work, think it through once more and try again. — Konosuke Matsushita

Watch “If you fail, you can try again. If trying again doesn’t work, think it through once more and try again. — Konosuke Matsushita” on YouTube

Konosuke Matsushita, a business leader Japan can proudly present to the world and a peer to Soichiro Honda, the father of HONDA.

Many of you have probably seen the TV drama based on his life.

Matsushita’s words feel wonderfully familiar and even soothing.

Since he went out to work as an apprentice from a young age, his life was surely anything but smooth.

The belief that people can start over as many times as needed, and that each time we rise from failure we grow stronger—these are sentiments we should always hold close to our hearts.

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Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.Anne Frank

These are the words of Anne Frank, which gently wrap around a troubled heart.

The greater the loss, the more life may appear faded.

Yet this famous quote reminds us that there are still so many wonderful things by your side.

When you want to recover from a painful reality, don’t force yourself to forget; instead, try turning your attention to what you love and what moves your heart.

By doing so, your spirit may regain its strength, and a life that seemed washed out might come alive again in different colors.

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Every event has meaning. The work of life is to understand that meaning.Suzanne Somers

There are times when, amid the daily rush of work and life, we ask ourselves what we want to do and how we want to live.

In such moments, a quote from Suzanne Somers, an American entrepreneur and actress, can nourish a tired heart.

When things are hard, thinking that this experience will surely help your future self can lift your spirits and spark new thoughts.

Because she endured breast cancer and continued to show a forward-looking way of life, her words may be all the more empowering.

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All misfortunes are nothing but stepping stones to the future.Thoreau

When something unfortunate happens, it can feel like the rest of your life will be nothing but bad.

This quote shines a warm path of light into such a darkened heart.

What counts as misfortune differs from person to person, but in many cases we imagine failure or setback.

Things don’t go smoothly, unforeseen mishaps occur… By seeing them as stepping stones to the future, we can keep facing forward without giving up.

That’s what Thoreau’s words teach us.

If we think of misfortune as a step toward the next stage, we can surely take it in a positive light.

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If you keep looking down, you won’t be able to find a rainbow.Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin

When we’re feeling down, we tend to look down…

This is a famous quote by Chaplin that I’d like you to remember at such times.

Rainbows are said to be a sign of good luck, and seeing one makes you feel fortunate, doesn’t it? In this quote, he encourages us to keep looking forward while reminding us not to miss the rainbow.

Rather than a blunt “Do your best,” it resonates precisely because it uses a gentle, indirect expression—“missing the rainbow.” It’s a quote that feels like someone quietly sitting beside you in support.

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No one anywhere becomes happy through envy.Baltasar Gracián

Everyone feels envy from time to time.

But when it turns into jealousy and makes you hostile toward others, you may end up pushing your own happiness farther away.

Comparing yourself with others isn’t bad, but harboring ill feelings just because you can’t be like them is misplaced.

Constant jealousy wears down your heart and keeps you from seeing your own strengths.

Keep this quote by the philosopher Baltasar Gracián close to your heart, and keep pursuing challenges that lead to your own happiness, not to defeating someone else.

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Embracing wounded hearts... Words of comfort from great figures and famous people (21–30)

Think not of today’s failures, but of the successes that may come tomorrow.Helen Keller

These words teach the importance of looking to the future rather than the past.

When people fail, they often think, “If only I had done this back then…” That’s natural in a sense, and it’s important to reflect, identify causes, and apply the lessons next time.

However, it isn’t good to keep replaying failures and letting them become fixed in your memory.

Instead of dwelling too much on an unchangeable past, keep a positive mindset and pour your energy into succeeding at the next opportunity.

Failure is a necessary experience that guides you toward a better future.

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