Uplifting words by great figures and famous people that, despite their brevity, convey a sense of philosophy.

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.

There are times in everyday life when you just can’t get into the mood or your spirits won’t lift, aren’t there?

Even if you’re not doing anything particularly strenuous, everyone has probably experienced emotional ups and downs.

So this time, I’d like to share some short but uplifting words.

Each one is a gem of a quote that reflects the character and mindset of great figures and famous people.

I hope you’ll find them helpful when a quick change of pace or a bit of escapism doesn’t solve the problem.

Short but philosophical, uplifting words from great figures and celebrities (21–30)

Your happiness in life depends on the quality of your thoughts.Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, one of the Five Good Emperors and the 16th Roman emperor.

He is also known for leaving behind his work Meditations, and can be regarded as a model of a philosopher-king who preferred learning over war.

He was also a thinker within Stoic philosophy.

The happiness of life changes according to the quality of one’s own thoughts.

Controlling the mind and emotions through thought also affects how we ultimately interpret things.

In other words, a single way of thinking can make you happy—or unhappy.

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sasashina

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Unless the whole world becomes happy, individual happiness is impossible.Kenji Miyazawa

These are words by Kenji Miyazawa, the poet and writer of children’s stories famous for the poem “Be Not Defeated by the Rain.” Kenji Miyazawa is also known for works such as Night on the Galactic Railroad, The Restaurant of Many Orders, and Matasaburo of the Wind.

All humans live by supporting one another.

Even if we feel as though we live on our own, it’s hard to completely separate ourselves from others.

In other words, unless those around us are happy and the entire world becomes happy, our own happiness cannot truly exist.

Not only do we want our own happiness, but we also want the people around us and people across the world to be happy—these are words to keep close to heart.

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moko

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Don’t rush. But don’t give up.Shigeta Saitō

These are the words of Shigeta Saito, a psychiatrist who has supported many people’s hearts and conveyed ways of living through numerous writings.

When we keep making an effort, there are moments when we want to rush the results, but impatience narrows our perspective.

On the other hand, if we stand still and take no action, no progress can be made.

In studying, what matters is maintaining composure while not stopping your steps.

Even small steps, if continued, will surely move you forward.

It’s a famous saying that teaches us the value of trusting your own pace and persevering with tenacity.

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mutō

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It wasn’t by chance that we made it back alive. This is our mission.Sandwich Man

These are words from Sandwichman, a comedy duo from Sendai, that express a determination to keep moving forward.

The key point is that at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, they happened to be in Kesennuma, Miyagi—one of the disaster areas—while filming a TV show.

They convey what it means that they survived: being alive in that place was both fate and a mission, and they believe they are called to walk forward and pass on the story to the future.

You can feel their love for their hometown and their resolve to carry it on their shoulders as they move ahead.

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kappamaki

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Nature is an impartial and merciless enemy. Society is an unjust enemy with human sentiment.Soseki Natsume

Let me introduce a famous quote by Natsume Sōseki: “Nature is a fair yet ruthless enemy.

Society is an unjust yet compassionate enemy.” Natsume Sōseki was a Japanese novelist and scholar of English literature.

His major works include I Am a Cat, Botchan, Sanshirō, And Then, Kokoro, and Light and Darkness.

This line—“Nature is a fair yet ruthless enemy.

Society is an unjust yet compassionate enemy.”—appears in his work Reminiscences.

It’s a quote that encourages us not to underestimate nature and to prepare for natural disasters.

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In conclusion

This time, we introduced uplifting words from great and famous people. Each one is short, yet they all lift your spirits, don’t they? When you’re physically drained, rest is important, but if it’s a matter of mood, please make use of this article!