A must-see for those who just can’t stay positive! A collection of inspiring quotes to lift a heavy heart

I reflect on what I should, but once I sleep, I forget it.Atsuya Furuta

Famous Quotes by Atsuya Furuta

While self-reflection is important as we keep striving, when that feeling grows too strong it can make us fear risk and stop in our tracks.

Here are the words of Atsuya Furuta—who excelled as both a player and a manager for the Yakult Swallows—offering a way of thinking about how to face reflection so we can keep looking ahead and moving forward.

He tells us that although reflecting is essential, it’s not good to dwell on it; we should reset our feelings and move on the next day.

His words convey the idea that reflection isn’t meant to shake our emotions, but to help us gain lessons for the future.

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The secret to staying cheerful is to live believing that tomorrow will surely be better.Ryotaro Shiba

Precisely now is the time to once again lend an ear to the words of Ryotaro Shiba.

The novelist Ryotaro Shiba, known for works such as Ryoma ga Yuku, which was adapted into a TV drama, advocates an optimistic way of life: even if something bad happens, tomorrow should be better than today.

Living with faith in something is healthy.

If I can’t entertain someone, there’s no meaning to being alive.Hayao Miyazaki

[Studio Ghibli] A Collection of Sayings and Famous Quotes Left by Hayao Miyazaki

These are the words of the director who created films like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind that transcend generations.

When you need a boost, remember Miyazaki’s anime and these words.

Doesn’t it lift your spirits just to know there are creators who live with such conviction and keep making their works?

Because we developed self-restraint, humans became able to get along with others.Juichi Yamagiwa

Interview on Assuming the Presidency of Kyoto University: Juichi Yamagiwa × Gorilla Research

A world-renowned authority in gorilla studies, he became the president of Kyoto University in October 2014.

Gorillas, renowned for their massive bodies, possess both tolerance and self-restraint and are said to adhere to nonviolence.

The same capacity for self-restraint has been passed down to humans, and this, the view goes, was the key to human development.

It’s encouraging to think that humans may originally possess the power to build peace.

Turn an unfamiliar corner, and the journey has already begun.Eikichi Nagayama

Eiroku Rokusuke (Ei Rokusuke) Edo conscience, rebellious spirit, collection of famous quotes, passed away on Tanabata at age 83.

These are words casually spoken by Eiji Rokusuke, who wrote the lyrics to many hit songs, including “Ue o Muite Arukō” (Sukiyaki).

They speak to a life of travel that continued until his very last years.

When you’re uncertain or feeling a bit down, simply taking a path you don’t usually walk might be enough to change something.

Believe that someday, your turn for a chance will surely come.Yasushi Akimoto

Yasushi Akimoto 2013 Close-Up Documentary 1

Yasushi Akimoto—the man everyone knows as a producer and lyricist for the AKB group.

The placement of the commas lends this statement an air of credibility, doesn’t it? Not only chances, but believing in something itself may be what gives us strength.

Think about how to secure the final victory.Kuroda Kanbei

[Genius Strategist] A Collection of Words and Famous Sayings Left in History by Kuroda Kanbei

These are the words of a military commander who lived from the Sengoku period into the early Edo period and was called a “genius strategist.” Even if a string of defeats continued, it was an era in which the fighting went on as long as one was alive.

He roused his dispirited subordinates by declaring that the process didn’t matter—the goal was to be the ultimate victor.