Gives you the power to face challenges! Inspiring words of courage from great and famous people.
Have you ever wished for courage when you want to achieve your dreams or goals, when a major obstacle stands in your way, or when you want to break through the status quo—any time you need to overcome something?
Of course, it might be best if you could resolve everything with your own strength, but it’s reassuring to have something that supports your heart or gives you a little push forward.
So this time, we’ve compiled a list of inspiring words from great figures and famous people that will give you courage!
I hope this helps you even a little—please take a look!
- It’s sure to resonate most with those who are striving! Words of encouragement from great figures and famous people.
- Just remembering them fills you with courage! Striking quotes that touch the heart from great figures and famous people
- Words to remember when you feel like running away—phrases to rally a weakened heart.
- When you’re feeling unmotivated! Inspiring words from great figures and famous people
- [Heart-Touching] Quotes That Keep You Going Anytime! Fiery Words That Push You Forward
- Beautiful words by great and famous people that illuminate life
- Guaranteed to move you! Memorable words by great figures and famous people.
- To my present self! Memorable, uplifting words and the source of courage to change myself
- Encouraging quotes for when you're feeling down. Words that give you the strength to rise again.
- A collection of quotes that cheer on your challenges—words that give you strength.
- Even a single word can save your heart! Uplifting, happy words that make you feel positive
- When your tension or motivation is low! Short phrases to boost your motivation
- Words from great and famous people that make you forget negativity in an instant!
Gives you the power to face challenges! Inspiring words of courage from great and famous people (61–70)
Prepare pessimistically, act optimistically.Kazuo Inamori
Let me introduce a famous quote left by Kazuo Inamori: “Prepare pessimistically, act optimistically.” Kazuo Inamori was a Japanese entrepreneur and engineer.
He founded Kyocera and Daini Denden, which is now KDDI, and served as chairman of the Inamori Foundation, a public-interest incorporated foundation.
He was also honorary chairman of Japan Airlines.
In the planning stage, with a strong will that says, “No matter what, we must accomplish this,” one should reexamine the plan with a pessimistic eye; then, in the execution stage, with the confidence that “We can definitely do it,” one should carry it out optimistically—brightly and with dignity.
Doesn’t this conviction also apply to disaster preparedness?
Any person is capable of more than they think.Henry Ford
Henry Ford, an American entrepreneur known as the founder of Ford Motor and often called the automobile king.
His famous quote, “Every man can do more than he thinks he can,” is sure to give courage to many.
People tend to set limits based on their own experiences and are prone to give up on their dreams and goals.
However, if there’s a chance that your abilities can surpass your own imagination, you’ll feel motivated to try, won’t you? This is an encouraging quote I recommend as a send-off message, especially for those who lack confidence in themselves and should remember it.
While there is life, there is hope.Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes, a Spanish novelist who was active in the early 17th century and is also known as the author of Don Quixote de la Mancha.
His famous saying, “Where there is life, there is hope,” literally makes us feel that as long as we are alive, opportunities will come around.
Even when we feel despair, its message—that it’s not over yet—can give many people courage.
It’s a quote that reminds us of the importance of never giving up to the very end, and one to recall when you want to encourage yourself when you’re feeling down.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.Abraham Lincoln
In the United States, the politician Abraham Lincoln is known as the “greatest president in history.” His famous words, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” carry special weight precisely because he overcame the challenges of abolishing slavery and the threat of national division.
The message that even the steepest path will open up if you hold fast to your will also implies, conversely, that without will, you cannot move forward.
This quote teaches us that without our own intention and action, nothing will not only succeed, but won’t even begin.
You are the one who creates the story. Shape your life all the way to the ending just the way you like.Joseph Murphy
Joseph Murphy was an Irish religious figure who mainly served as a pastor in the Church of Divine Science and is also known for advocating the “law of the subconscious mind.” His famous quote, “You are the one who creates the story—craft the ending of your life exactly as you wish,” is especially a message we’d like to offer to those who worry too much about how others see them.
The idea that everyone is the protagonist of their own life and has the right to decide freely may lighten many hearts.
It’s a quote that loosens a mind that has become paralyzed by overthinking.
Go your own way and let people say whatever they want.Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri, a philosopher hailed as the greatest poet of Italian literature and known for his profound influence on Renaissance culture.
His famous words, “Follow your own path, and let people talk,” resonate with the life he led—continuing his writing during a wandering existence after being exiled from the political sphere.
People often worry about how others see even the dreams they themselves have drawn, and they waver at the voices of those who have nothing to do with them.
Yet he teaches us that there is no need to lend an ear to the words of those who irresponsibly deny us.
Etched in your heart as a personal motto, this quote will help you keep the courage to stand by your convictions.
Rather than follow a paved path, forge your own way where there is none and move forward.Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American thinker known as a philosopher, writer, poet, and essayist—and also recognized as a leader of transcendentalism—famously said, “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This quote conveys the message that you should decide your own life for yourself.
As the Japanese proverb okame hachiken suggests, a third party often sees things more calmly and accurately than those directly involved, so we sometimes receive well-intentioned advice.
Of course, if you truly agree with that advice, there’s no problem.
But if you have something you really want to do, this message teaches that you will have fewer regrets if you stick to it.