Words for graduates: a collection of inspiring quotes from great figures to give you a push forward
As you reach the milestone of graduation, you may feel a vague sense of anxiety alongside your expectations for the new world that’s about to begin.
At times like these, words that resonate can gently stay by your side.
The great figures who left their mark on history, as well as pioneers in various fields, also carved out their own paths while overcoming doubts and inner struggles.
In this article, we present a selection of gem-like quotes as words of encouragement for graduates.
Short yet profound, simple yet powerful, these words will support your heart as you take your first step forward.
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Words for Graduates: A Collection of Inspiring Quotes from Great Figures (31–40)
Lifelong learning, lifelong youth.Mitsuo Aida
This is a famous quote by Mitsuo Aida, a poet and calligrapher.
He is known for his distinctive calligraphy style and works that encourage people.
Perhaps these words tell us that as long as we keep actively engaging with something, our brightest moments will continue no matter how old we are.
I also feel that to live a period truly worthy of being called “youth,” we must keep challenging ourselves.
Youth isn’t only for our teenage years—it extends into the future beyond that.
Doesn’t that make you excited? Let’s keep learning and continually updating ourselves so your life becomes just like that.
Walls only appear to those who are capable. They come only to people who have the potential to overcome them. That’s why, when I face a wall, I see it as a chance.Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki, formerly a professional baseball player who also excelled in the Major Leagues, left numerous records and stood as one of the world’s most iconic figures in baseball history.
Even for someone as remarkable as Ichiro, there must have been obstacles—difficulties and unexpected incidents that stood in his way.
Yet, it seems he learned that by refusing to slack off and persevering even when his spirit was close to breaking, he could break through those barriers.
His famous words teach us that by pressing on without giving up, we can overcome challenges and connect them to great success beyond.
These are words worth remembering as a mindset for the future as you graduate and move forward.
Easier done than said.
This four-character idiom shows that things often go more smoothly when you actually take action rather than keep worrying.
You’ve probably had times when you imagined failure before even trying and couldn’t take a step forward.
But once you took that first step, you may have realized it wasn’t as hard as you thought.
By acting, your anxiety gradually shrinks, and you become aware of your own potential.
When you move without overthinking, new vistas open up.
It’s a quote that gives a gentle push to high school students standing at the threshold of a new chapter in their lives.
You are in the middle of a shining life.Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi
These are the words Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi offered to students who spent the pandemic and are now graduating.
Some of them must feel they had more they wanted to do, that they wanted to spend more time with everyone.
But with Nagabuchi’s words, perhaps the days they’ve lived until now came to feel like a special time.
There’s no meaning in comparing your life to someone else’s.
Whatever it may be, that time is something special that only you can live.
In your life, you are the one who shines the brightest.
Human destiny is in human hands.Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre, the French philosopher, is a leading figure of existentialism, which holds that human beings choose their own way of living.
His words carry a strong message: fate is not predetermined; it is shaped by our own choices and actions.
Studying for exams is no different—whether to study or not is up to you.
Rather than blaming your environment or those around you, seeing it as “the path I chose” gives clearer meaning to your effort.
You create your own future.
His words remind us of this forward-looking perspective.
If you’re not willing to lift the stone by yourself, you won’t be able to lift it even with two people.Goethe
During your school years, you’re in an environment where many people support you—parents, teachers, friends, teammates.
But after graduation, in a new environment, there’s no guarantee you’ll have people to support you.
When you face accidents or obstacles, it’s up to you to take action and carve out your own path.
The naive idea that others will somehow fix things for you won’t fly, and you won’t be able to change your situation.
As the saying goes, if you keep that mindset, no matter how many helpers appear, the heavy stone won’t be lifted.
It’s vital to take responsibility yourself and decide to change.
These are words I want children to know as they step into a new world and make their mark.
The punishment for a liar is not, at least, that he is no longer believed by others. Rather, it is that he can no longer believe anyone.Bernard Shaw
Here is a famous quote by George Bernard Shaw, the renowned British playwright.
He wrote Pygmalion, which served as the basis for My Fair Lady, starring Audrey Hepburn.
He was originally known for making slightly sarcastic remarks.
So perhaps he saw people and things from angles different from everyone else.
As the famous quote says, if you lie too much, you will lose the trust of those around you.
However, it is also a painful situation when the person who lied can no longer fully trust the words of others.
It leads to constantly viewing those around you with suspicion.
For children who are about to spread their wings and soar, a safe and secure environment is essential.
The secret to success is to keep going until you succeed.Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison, an inventor who experienced countless failures, saw success not as a special talent but as the result of perseverance.
If you give up halfway, all the effort up to that point never takes shape.
The times when things don’t go as planned are part of the process of refining your approach.
Continuing is not easy, but the time you accumulate will surely become your strength.
The determination not to stop until results appear is the shortest path to success.
This quote captures the essence of effort and teaches us the value of persistently pressing on.
What is life if not enjoyed?Eiji Yoshikawa
Eiji Yoshikawa, who depicted the joys of life through numerous historical novels, was a figure who questioned our very attitude toward living.
When we are pressed by busyness and responsibility, we tend to put off the spirit of enjoyment.
Yet if the heart is not fulfilled, any success becomes hollow.
Even in difficult circumstances, by finding your own sources of joy and interest, life can regain its richness.
To take pleasure is not an escape, but an act that nurtures the power to live.
These words remind us of the importance of savoring each day with a forward-looking spirit.
Fear not the future, cling not to the past, live in the present.Takafumi Horie
Takafumi Horie, who has taken on countless challenges as an entrepreneur, has fundamentally reexamined the very way we perceive time.
If we remain bound by past failures, our actions slow; if we are shackled by anxiety about the future, we cannot take the first step.
In reality, the only time we can act is now.
By focusing on the present moment and steadily doing what we can, the future takes shape as a result.
Words that free us from regret and fear and encourage us to live proactively can empower us to take a new step forward.
It is a powerful quote that declares the resolve to live fully in the present.