Wonderful quotes and sayings

Words for graduates: a collection of inspiring quotes from great figures to give you a push forward

Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”
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 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

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.

Words for Graduates: A Collection of Inspiring Quotes from Great Figures (21–30)

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.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Believing in yourself changes the futureMother Teresa

Mother Teresa stood by those in vulnerable positions throughout her life.

She believed in the power that dwells within the human heart.

When we feel anxious about the future, we tend to underestimate our own potential.

However, without belief in ourselves, we cannot find the courage to take the first step.

Even small actions, if we trust our choices and continue to build on them, will gradually change our circumstances.

Listening to our inner voice, rather than to others’ evaluations, is what will open up the future.

This quote quietly reminds us that the source of hope lies within ourselves.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Words for Graduates: A Collection of Inspiring Quotes from Great Figures (31–40)

It’s not about whether you can or can’t; it’s about whether you will or won’t.Soichiro Honda

Soichiro Honda, who continually took on challenges as a world-class engineer, left us these words that find value in action itself.

When people face a challenge, they tend to overthink whether they can do it and end up hesitating.

But possibilities don’t expand by thinking alone.

Only by taking action do problems become visible, leading to ingenuity and growth.

It is the fear of failure that causes us to do nothing—and that, more than anything, brings about stagnation.

Adopting a “try first” mindset is what opens the path to results.

These are words that inspire the resolve to take on challenges.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Don’t look for the right path—make the path you choose the right one.Konosuke Matsushita

Konosuke Matsushita, who made countless decisions as a business leader, continually sought the essence of choice in life.

When faced with a path or a job, people tend to wonder which option is the right one.

But at the moment of choosing, we cannot discern a perfect path.

What matters is how we face what we’ve chosen and what actions we take afterward.

Through effort, ingenuity, and attitude, any path can be made meaningful.

By moving forward without fearing decisions and taking responsibility, our choices become the right ones.

It is a quote that teaches the importance of resolve and a proactive mindset.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Small efforts add up to great strength.Saneatsu Mushanokōji

Saneatsu Mushanokoji, who observed the human way of life as a man of letters, spoke of the dignity of steady, daily accumulation.

In our pursuit of big achievements, we often neglect the small actions right before us.

Yet no success appears out of nowhere; it is shaped by a continuous stream of steady effort.

Even an unremarkable step, when continued, turns into genuine strength.

Without haste, a posture of steadily doing what we can will eventually produce results beyond what we imagined.

It is a weighty saying that quietly teaches the value of perseverance.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Gladly take on any job. Even the ones you don’t want or that go against your wishes contain the power to refine you and make you stronger.Kazuo Inamori

Kazuo Inamori, a business leader who nurtured many talents, believed that one’s very attitude toward work fosters personal growth.

If you only choose the tasks you want to do, your potential will not expand.

It is precisely the assignments you don’t prefer or the roles you find challenging that cultivate perseverance and ingenuity.

Those experiences become the foundation that will surely support you later on.

By taking a positive view of the circumstances you’re given and approaching the work before you with sincerity, you grow stronger from within.

This is a growth-inspiring quote that teaches us there is something to learn in every situation.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Never yield. Never, never, never!Winston Churchill

Never give in — Winston Churchill

Never yield. Never, never, never! Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill, who led Britain through an unprecedented crisis.

His words, which never abandoned hope even in desperate circumstances, give us courage.

When difficulties persist, people feel on the verge of breaking and begin to doubt their own strength.

Yet the very stance of refusing to give up becomes the driving force that changes the situation.

Even if results don’t appear right away, the will to endure will open the way to the future.

In these oft-repeated words lies a resolve to keep moving forward no matter the adversity.

It is a famous saying that symbolizes an indomitable spirit, teaching us that the courage to stand firm becomes a source of strength.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem