Powerful yet gentle, words that save the heart... Encouraging words that lift you up in tough times.
There are times when we overthink, when our hearts feel worn out, and when it seems impossible to pick ourselves up on our own.
There may also be times when, even though your mindset is positive, the situation itself feels tough—like when you’ve pushed yourself too hard and it’s exhausting.
So this time, we’ve put together a list of uplifting words for when you’re feeling down.
Quotes from great figures and well-known people are sure to ease your pain.
They’re also perfect for when you want to encourage someone around you—so be sure to check them out!
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Powerful yet gentle, words that save the heart... Encouraging phrases for tough times (21–30)
It’s okay, it’s okay—someday the day will come when we’ll get out of here.Banana Yoshimoto
These are words that encourage your heart when you’ve hit rock bottom and can’t see what lies ahead.
Banana Yoshimoto, a novelist known for many works such as “Kitchen” and “Miton to Fubin,” wrote them.
This line is from her novel “Moonlight Shadow.” When you’re in complete darkness, it’s easy to feel despair, as if this situation will go on forever.
In those moments, remember these words.
You may begin to sense that there is an end to your sorrow and suffering that will come someday.
It’s the everyday that makes up a true life. Ordinary days swept along by miscellaneous tasks. Spending our days without enjoying that “normal” time—worse yet, holding back from enjoyment. What a waste. Each day is a wonderful gift.Christine Lewicki
Many people may find themselves bored with ordinary days in which nothing big ever happens, sometimes even grumbling about it.
But it is precisely those unremarkable, everyday moments that we should cherish.
That’s what Christine Lewicki—who thrives as a mompreneur and consults entrepreneurs around the world—reminds us.
She herself must be busy and caught up in daily chores, yet perhaps it was in some fleeting moment of everyday life that these words slipped out.
If you feel that every day isn’t fun, that it’s full of unpleasant things, try looking for the small, unassuming joys hidden in the everyday right before your eyes.
If you worry about what you don’t have, you’ll waste what you do have.Ken Keyes Jr.
People tend to focus on what they can’t do.
And it’s natural to feel envious of those who seem more talented.
But the same is true for others as well.
Everyone has their own individuality, with strengths and weaknesses.
People are people, and you are you.
You, too, surely have wonderful talents and value that others would envy.
Instead of fixating on what you lack, why not turn your attention to what you have? You’ll likely discover something new.
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
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the novelist who wrote The Little Prince, a work loved around the world.
Here is a passage from one of his masterpieces, Night Flight.
Life never goes backward.
As we keep moving forward, we must overcome many things.
However, moving forward requires effort.
He tells us that as we proceed through life by trial and error, we can find solutions to each of our problems.
If you’re troubled and have come to a standstill, try, above all, to take a step forward.
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
Here are some words I want to share with those striving toward their dreams and goals.
They come from Cindy Ngamba, the women’s 75 kg boxer.
Cindy Ngamba won a brilliant bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first medalist from the Refugee Olympic Team.
“What I want to tell people around the world is to work hard.
If you put your heart into it, you can achieve anything.” These words apply not only to sports but to everything in our daily lives.
From her message, you can feel her strong will and the grueling effort she puts in day after day—a powerful quote that pushes forward everyone who strives.
I wonder what truly matters to me. Who are the people who are truly important to me? I feel like just sincerely pondering these two things is enough to lead a good life.Shigesato Itoi
It teaches us that happiness isn’t found outside, but within our own hearts.
When we’re always busy, we tend to get distracted by others’ opinions, money, and trends.
But simply pausing now and then to ask, “What truly matters to me?” gradually brings our way of living into alignment.
For example, if you decide you want to cherish time with your beloved family and friends, your actions will naturally start to change.
These words convey that facing your true feelings leads to a warmer, more fulfilling life.
Don’t push yourself—take a rest. Recovering your energy is part of the job, too.Hiromu Arakawa
Hiromu Arakawa is a manga artist who has released numerous popular works such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Daemons of the Shadow Realm.
In Silver Spoon, the series she serialized from 2011 to 2019, the heroine Aki Mikage’s mother says the following.
Working hard is important, and it’s necessary.
However, if you push yourself too far and your performance suffers—or in the worst case, you collapse—then it’s all for nothing.
She teaches us that in order to work hard, it’s also important to take proper breaks at times and recharge.
Face great sorrows with courage, and face small sorrows with patience. After you finish the day’s work through hard effort, sleep in peace. The rest is in God’s hands.Victor Hugo
These are the words of Victor Hugo, who was active as a poet in France, offering advice on how to strive day by day.
From the idea that when suffering is great you need courage, and when it is small you need patience, you can sense a message encouraging us to overcome difficulties with the strength that suits the situation.
It also gives the impression of portraying the importance of rest after making an effort, and conveys a powerful call to move forward with faith.
The words express a gentle reminder not to take on too much, that it’s important to stay composed and proceed calmly.
Happiness is always decided by your own heart.Mitsuo Aida
These are the words of Mitsuo Aida, who was active as a poet and calligrapher, that resonate especially when you find yourself wondering whether you are truly happy.
He speaks to us, saying that whether we feel any event as happiness or unhappiness depends on our own hearts, not on someone else’s judgment.
It also feels like a call to see things positively—if we keep thinking on the bright side, even ordinary days can turn into something fulfilling.
It’s a quote we want to remember on anxious days, one that helps turn our feelings forward.
Do not laugh at those who have fallen. They tried to walk.Seiichiro Yonekura
These are the words of Seiichiro Yonekura, expressing how wonderful failure can be, even though many people laugh at it.
If you fell, it means you had been walking up to that point—failure is proof that you took action.
It also feels like a question directed at those who laugh at someone who has fallen: are they really moving forward themselves, and do they have the right to laugh at failure? It’s the kind of message that affirms the effort someone has made up to their setback and gives them the courage to keep walking.