RAG Music - Quote Powerful words to cheer on a determined back… words that lift your spirits Words that strongly push you forward and give you energy 10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminder kepiko 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.
If you’re someone working hard toward your dreams and goals, there are probably times when you run into difficulties or feel discouraged.
While not giving up is a given, it’s reassuring to have something that helps you get back on your feet when your heart feels weakened.
So this time, we’ve put together a list of uplifting words that stay close to a heart that’s about to give out.
From mindsets that help you get through tough times to reminders of simple truths we tend to forget, we hope you find words that truly resonate with you!
Table of Contents Words that strongly push you forward and give you energy It’s never too late to become the person you wanted to be. George Eliot When you are given a dream, you are always given the power to make it come true. But to do so, you must put in the effort. Richard Bach It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop. Confucius A strong will to never give up becomes the steps that carry you all the way to the summit. Narumi Takahashi It’s not over when you lose. It’s over when you quit. Richard Nixon If you stay focused, you can overcome any obstacle. Warren Buffett Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Abraham Lincoln No matter how long it takes, that’s not the issue. What matters is having a goal. Eudora Welty I will defeat geniuses through hard work. Kisenosato Yutaka If you fail, you can try again. If trying again doesn’t work, think it through once more and try again. Konosuke Matsushita Our lives are worth only as much as the effort we put into them. François Mauriac You should have more faith in your talents and what you’ve done. Ichiro There are no solutions in life. What exists in life is only a force in motion. We have to create that force. The solutions will follow afterward. Saint-Exupéry What I want to tell people around the world is to make an effort. If you put your heart into it, you can achieve anything. Cindy Ngamba Don’t listen to others’ expectations. Live your own life and meet your own expectations. Tiger Woods What matters is not practice, but the passion for practice. Pelé There is no absolute champion. A champion is always a challenger. Kosuke Kitajima Believe in the 1% chance, believe in yourself, and believe in what you’ve done. Yuto Horigome Life isn’t for curling; curling is one of the things that make life shine. Mari Motohashi Effort is always rewarded. If there is effort that isn’t rewarded, then it can’t yet be called effort. Sadaharu Oh Doing things without changing what I aim for Ryo Ishikawa Don’t push yourself—take a rest. Recovering your energy is part of the job, too. Hiromu Arakawa We read “failure” as “success.” Katsuya Nomura You should be honest with your feelings. Hideo Nomo Failure is the mother of success. If you’re going to think, think big. If you’re going to live, live big. Do not avoid the difficult path. You must move forward if you want to reach your destination. Katherine Anne Porter You’ve got the wind at your back. Sweat is the highlight of effort; I’m shining again today. So what if you failed? Learn from the failure and just try again. Walt Disney We must win/earn every single step ahead of us. Florence Nightingale If you think you can, you can; if you think you can’t, you can’t. This is an unshakable, absolute law. Pablo Picasso There is only one way to succeed: never give up. Jeff Bezos Life doesn’t end when you lose. It ends when you quit. Richard Nixon There is no piece that cannot move forward. Makoto Nakahara Opportunities to take on challenges are equal for everyone. Steve Jobs The mental strength to endure—to dig in with “One more step!” the very moment you think “I can’t go on”—cultivates an unbeatable power to overcome anything. Taihō Kōki Sweat you shed never lies Chiyonofuji Mitsugu Other people’s rulers and your own ruler each have different measurements, don’t they? Mitsuo Aida If you believe in yourself, there are no limits. Cristiano Ronaldo Chase your dreams—even if you fail, it’s okay. Things will work out somehow. Maya Angelou Let those who wish to leave, leave. Alexander the Great As you stretch yourself to broaden your horizons, it’s possible you’ll actually grow taller. That’s part of what makes life interesting. Saburō Shiroyama An indecisive leader can even be harmful. Yoshihide Suga Without passion, no energy is born. Without energy, it’s the same as having nothing. If you admit defeat, you lose. Even if you acknowledge how bad the situation is, as long as you are determined to see it through to the end, a chance to win will emerge. Why not give it a try? Do you have anything to lose? One of the most important things is to never give up easily. Go your own way and let people say whatever they want. Dante Alighieri If you want to see a rainbow, you have to put up with a little rain. Dolly Parton If you firmly hold on to your dream and your purpose—what you aim for—then the way forward will surely open. Mahatma Gandhi As long as you keep striving without ever losing sight of a good purpose, you will surely be saved in the end. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe There’s no need to look back. There are countless paths ahead of you. Lu Xun Laughed at, laughed at, and grow stronger. Osamu Dazai If you don’t give up, there will always be a way. Always. Sakichi Toyoda Trust others, but trust yourself a hundred times more. Osamu Tezuka I have never failed. I’ve only found 10,000 ways that don’t work. Thomas Edison It is not noble to be superior to others. Ernest Hemingway Not being satisfied is the best technique for improving your ability. Wayne Gretzky Obstacles before you are opportunities. By facing difficulties, you can grow. Kevin Durant To solve a problem, don’t run away from it. Jack Dorsey You only realize your own strength once you’ve overcome your anxieties and concerns. Serena Williams It’s never too late to start something. Bill Gates As long as you keep challenging yourself, failure does not exist. Mark Zuckerberg Nothing is impossible. Muhammad Ali No matter how many times a person fails, as long as they don’t lose the courage to try once more, they will surely make something of themselves. Konosuke Matsushita Don’t rush. But don’t give up. Shigeta Saitō Do not fear change. It is part of growth. Elon Musk Only one thing is needed: to believe you can do it. Anthony Robbins To challenge yourself is to grow. LeBron James Fall down seven times, get up eight. Even if my life is a losing battle, I want to fight until the very end. Vincent van Gogh God doesn’t want us to succeed; He just wants us to try. Mother Teresa Just because you failed once doesn’t mean everything will fail. Marilyn Monroe In this world, there is a unique path that no one but you can walk. Friedrich Nietzsche Hardships are the best trials that forge me. Sanae Takaichi You can’t change other people or the past, but you can change yourself and the future. Eric Berne Do not rush. What matters is to keep moving forward boldly, like a cow. Soseki Natsume Life is one of two things: you either face it with courage, or you throw it away. Helen Keller To have been born into this world—that in itself is the greatest opportunity, isn’t it? Ayrton Senna Precisely because we’re serious, we run into walls. Shuzo Matsuoka If you truly fought for what is right, there’s no shame in losing. Katherine Anne Porter 98% of our worries are needless. Masahiro Fujimura If you keep looking down, you won’t find a rainbow. Charlie Chaplin Listen, the more scared you are, the more you should dive right into it. Taro Okamoto The secret to staying cheerful is to live with the firm belief that tomorrow will surely be better. Ryotaro Shiba Instead of seeking more than yourself, enjoy what you have. George Tokoro Live the present joyfully for the future, not endure the present for the future. Che Guevara The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer someone else up. Mark Twain There is never only one path in human life. There are hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of paths. Ryoma Sakamoto If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Walt Disney If you keep chasing your dreams and never give up, even the darkest path will begin to shine with light. Naoko Takahashi Let’s try to keep doing ‘just a little bit of effort’ every day. Naoko Takahashi Take the sky as a road, and see the road as the sky. Miyamoto Musashi Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. Hideyo Noguchi Do not abandon the hero within your soul. Friedrich Nietzsche Do not anticipate difficulties. Do not trouble your mind over things that may never happen. Always keep sunshine in your heart. Benjamin Franklin If you ever hear a voice within you say, ‘You can’t paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. Vincent van Gogh The goddess of fate favors those who act boldly. Niccolò Machiavelli No matter how ridiculous the idea, the world won’t change unless you take action. Michael Moore ...to be continued Energizing words (51–60) that give you strength and a powerful push forward If you firmly hold on to your dream and your purpose—what you aim for—then the way forward will surely open. Mahatma Gandhi He thoroughly practiced nonviolence and noncooperation, freeing his homeland from British colonial rule—truly the Father of India.
The honorific “Mahatma” attached to his name means “great soul.” These words of his teach us the importance of dreams.
They will encourage anyone who feels anxious about whether their ongoing studies or work will bear fruit.
Of course, there may be times when we are swayed by others’ actions or opinions on the internet.
Even so, he tells us to believe in our own dreams and keep going.
It’s a message that gives us the courage to think, “The best is yet to come!”
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As long as you keep striving without ever losing sight of a good purpose, you will surely be saved in the end. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe This famous quote speaks plainly about the importance of goals and dreams.
It will truly resonate with those who are giving their all to pursue their dreams.
When we hear “a quote by a poet or philosopher,” we tend to think it’s a bit affected, but Goethe’s words are passionate! If you search for Goethe quotes, you’ll find many more.
There are plenty of well-known people who take Goethe’s words as their personal motto, and every quote really hits home.
German also has a beautiful sound, so if you’re interested, please look some up.
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There’s no need to look back. There are countless paths ahead of you. Lu Xun Because the short story “Hometown” has been included in many textbooks, I think many people first learned about Lu Xun through their school textbooks.
People change as time passes, and so do their hearts—despite its brevity, it was a story that made me think about many things.
Lu Xun’s words, “We have only the future,” feel powerfully reassuring, as if declaring it outright.
They are strong words that stand by everyone who aims for the next try, even if they make mistakes or fail.
They also resonate with Shuji Terayama’s line, “Don’t look back; there are no dreams behind you.”
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Laughed at, laughed at, and grow stronger. Osamu Dazai Osamu Dazai, a great literary figure representing the Showa era, is known for works such as “Run, Melos!” and “No Longer Human.” Among the words he left behind are lines that speak to the relationship between how others see us and our own strength.
He suggests that others won’t always think well of you, and even if you are laughed at, overcoming that ridicule is what forges a stronger self.
He also conveys the impression that nothing is born from fearing others’ laughter, and emphasizes the importance of mustering courage and taking the first step.
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If you don’t give up, there will always be a way. Always. Sakichi Toyoda These are the words of Sakichi Toyoda, who supported Japan’s industrial development and laid the foundation for the future Toyota Group.
They reflect his determination to keep moving forward despite repeated failures and trial and error.
In study as well, we sometimes hit a wall and feel we can’t see the way ahead, but as long as we don’t give up, our thinking doesn’t stop.
As we persist, our perspective shifts and new solutions emerge.
It is those who continue to make steady efforts, no matter the circumstances, who find their path opens before them.
This is a powerful quote that supports not only perseverance but also the courage to believe.
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Trust others, but trust yourself a hundred times more. Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka, the manga artist who brought numerous masterpieces to the world such as Astro Boy, Buddha, and Black Jack.
“Trust others, but believe in yourself a hundred times more” is one of Tezuka’s famous sayings, and it is said to have been his personal motto.
In fact, there is more to it: he said that if you preserve yourself and remain your own ally, when you are betrayed by others, that will become the path to overcoming it.
Friends, lovers, family—so long as we live, there will be times when someone betrays us and hurts us.
In such moments, remember these words and ask yourself how you want to be.
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I have never failed. I’ve only found 10,000 ways that don’t work. Thomas Edison Thomas Edison left behind a wide range of inventions throughout his life, such as the phonograph and the incandescent light bulb.
This famous quote comes from him.
The harder someone works, the more shocking failure can feel.
You may think, “Was all that time a waste…?” However, if you recall this quote, you’ll see that failure itself is what matters.
It’s persuasive precisely because Thomas Edison reached success by learning from many failures.
Please keep running forward, viewing failure as an opportunity for growth.
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It is not noble to be superior to others. Ernest Hemingway These are the words of Ernest Hemingway, a Nobel Prize-winning author who had a profound impact on literary history.
His words show that value lies not in comparing ourselves to others, but in our own growth.
When you keep studying, you may find yourself worrying about others’ grades and progress, and feel anxious.
But what truly matters is whether you’ve taken one step forward from who you were yesterday.
Small, steady efforts build confidence and sustain your attitude toward learning.
It’s a famous quote that quietly teaches the meaning of striving on your own terms.
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Not being satisfied is the best technique for improving your ability. Wayne Gretzky These are the words of Wayne Gretzky, hailed as a legend in ice hockey and the all-time leading scorer in NHL history.
They reflect his refusal to be satisfied with the status quo and his commitment to holding himself to consistently high standards.
If we focus only on what we’ve already accomplished, our growth—whether in study or otherwise—tends to stall.
By keeping our eyes one step ahead and continually seeking areas to improve, we hone our abilities.
A mindset that resists complacency isn’t about driving ourselves into a corner; it’s a force that expands our potential.
It’s an inspiring quote that teaches the importance of ambition and the will to improve.
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Obstacles before you are opportunities. By facing difficulties, you can grow. Kevin Durant Words from Kevin Durant, who has experienced numerous scoring records and championships in the NBA.
Having survived in an intensely competitive world, he understands the meaning of hardship deeply.
When faced with a wall in your studies, many people want to avoid it—but that very wall can become a chance to grow.
By tackling difficult tasks, you cultivate your thinking and perseverance.
It’s often the tough situations, more than the smooth times, that help a person grow.
This quote presents a perspective that views obstacles positively and shifts our mindset toward growth.
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