Powerful yet gentle, words that save the heart... Encouraging words that lift you up in tough times.

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 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!

Powerful yet gentle words that heal the heart... Words that lift you up in tough times (11–20)

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.Anne Frank

These are the words of Anne Frank, which gently wrap around a troubled heart.

The greater the loss, the more life may appear faded.

Yet this famous quote reminds us that there are still so many wonderful things by your side.

When you want to recover from a painful reality, don’t force yourself to forget; instead, try turning your attention to what you love and what moves your heart.

By doing so, your spirit may regain its strength, and a life that seemed washed out might come alive again in different colors.

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If you’ve done the best you can, worrying won’t improve the situation. I worry about many things, but I don’t worry about water overflowing from a dam.Walt Disney

These are the words of Walt Disney, founder of a dreamland that heals everyone’s heart.

The more earnestly you devote yourself to something, the more worries you’ll have.

You start fretting about this and that, and it can feel like your heart is being crushed by anxiety.

That’s only because you’re facing things sincerely—it’s not a bad thing.

Still, as this quote suggests, sometimes it’s important to let go of your worries.

And even if those worries do come true, if you’ve done everything you could, you’ll likely be able to accept that it would have turned out that way no matter what you did.

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Every event has meaning. The work of life is to understand that meaning.Suzanne Somers

There are times when, amid the daily rush of work and life, we ask ourselves what we want to do and how we want to live.

In such moments, a quote from Suzanne Somers, an American entrepreneur and actress, can nourish a tired heart.

When things are hard, thinking that this experience will surely help your future self can lift your spirits and spark new thoughts.

Because she endured breast cancer and continued to show a forward-looking way of life, her words may be all the more empowering.

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If you keep looking down, you won’t be able to find a rainbow.Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin

When we’re feeling down, we tend to look down…

This is a famous quote by Chaplin that I’d like you to remember at such times.

Rainbows are said to be a sign of good luck, and seeing one makes you feel fortunate, doesn’t it? In this quote, he encourages us to keep looking forward while reminding us not to miss the rainbow.

Rather than a blunt “Do your best,” it resonates precisely because it uses a gentle, indirect expression—“missing the rainbow.” It’s a quote that feels like someone quietly sitting beside you in support.

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He who runs away can fight another day.Demosthenes

These words can give courage to those who have failed once and feel like their life is over, or who are truly struggling but are holding back out of a sense of responsibility.

This quote is by Demosthenes, an ancient Greek statesman and orator.

He says that although “to flee” may sound like defeat, it actually means stepping back from the situation, regaining composure, and quietly waiting for the right moment.

Even if you quit in an environment that feels unfavorable, it isn’t running away; I feel it’s about not wasting energy so you can challenge yourself again.

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No one anywhere becomes happy through envy.Baltasar Gracián

Everyone feels envy from time to time.

But when it turns into jealousy and makes you hostile toward others, you may end up pushing your own happiness farther away.

Comparing yourself with others isn’t bad, but harboring ill feelings just because you can’t be like them is misplaced.

Constant jealousy wears down your heart and keeps you from seeing your own strengths.

Keep this quote by the philosopher Baltasar Gracián close to your heart, and keep pursuing challenges that lead to your own happiness, not to defeating someone else.

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