Wonderful quotes and sayings

One-Line Life Quotes: Carefully selected words that gently nudge you forward

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.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

The words of great figures—who have accumulated many experiences, wrestled with doubts, and taken action throughout their lives—are filled with wisdom for living richly.

One way to learn from them is by reading autobiographies.

But many people may find it hard to make time to read thick volumes packed with the intense lives of those who came before us.

So in this article, we’ve selected and shared some special messages from the famous quotes of various notable people that can serve as hints for life.

If you read them when you hit a wall or feel lost and unsettled, you’ll likely find your heart calming and your thinking becoming clearer.

[One-line Life Quotes] Carefully Selected Words That Gently Push You Forward (1–10)

What is hard to gain and easy to lose is time.Yoshida Shōin

[Audio] Yoshida Shōin: One Saying a Day [One Must Establish Aspiration]

What is hard to gain and easy to lose is time. — Yoshida Shōin

Shoin Yoshida was a thinker and educator who blazed through the final years of the Edo period.

He is also famous for founding Shokasonjuku, a private academy that became a place of learning.

One of Yoshida’s well-known sayings is that time is the hardest thing to gain and the easiest to lose.

Because time is both finite and equal for everyone, we should cherish it.

When we have plenty of time, we may end up idling it away, but by acting with an awareness of time, we might encounter new worlds and opportunities.

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Your happiness in life depends on the quality of your thoughts.NEW!Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, one of the Five Good Emperors and the 16th Roman emperor.

He is also known for leaving behind his work Meditations, and can be regarded as a model of a philosopher-king who preferred learning over war.

He was also a thinker within Stoic philosophy.

The happiness of life changes according to the quality of one’s own thoughts.

Controlling the mind and emotions through thought also affects how we ultimately interpret things.

In other words, a single way of thinking can make you happy—or unhappy.

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People deserve praise or blame solely based on whether they have the perseverance to see things through.NEW!Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci, a master artist of the Renaissance known for The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa.

From this quote he left behind, we can sense the importance of perseverance.

The ability to carry through without abandoning what you have decided to do is essential for success.

By continuing to make efforts without giving up until the end, people earn praise and etch their names into history.

Leonardo da Vinci is known as a remarkably versatile figure, even called a “universal genius.” Perhaps it was precisely because he possessed this power of perseverance.

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[One-line Life Quotes] Carefully Selected Words That Gently Push You Forward (11–20)

There is only one way to succeed: never give up.Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos, who founded a global company and transformed the nature of business, left words that convey his unwavering resolve—accepting failure and criticism without stopping.

When studying, there are times when results don’t show, and you may question the meaning of your efforts.

However, only those who choose not to give up can move on to the next stage.

As long as you don’t quit halfway, your experiences will surely accumulate into strength.

This quote teaches us the importance of valuing consistency over results and committing with resolve.

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No matter how much criticism I receive, I will stick to the path I believe in.NEW!Yoshihide Suga

[Words That Change Lives] Yoshihide Suga: 15 Selected Quotes

No matter how much criticism I receive, I will stick to the path I believe in. NEW! Yoshihide Suga

Watch "No matter how much criticism I receive, I will stick to the path I believe in. NEW! Yoshihide Suga" on YouTube

These words from Yoshihide Suga are ones I hope you’ll remember when you’re feeling weak.

I’m sure each of you has something you’ve decided for yourself, no matter how small.

There will be times when others offer opinions or criticize what you’ve decided.

It may be difficult to stick to what you believe is right.

Precisely because these are the words of someone who has acted without bending his convictions, they carry weight and persuasiveness.

At the same time, they also express the importance of taking responsibility for what you decide and putting it into action.

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The attitude of refusing to listen to any criticism is wrong, but so is getting depressed when you hear it.NEW!Tarō Asō

No one is a fully formed person from a young age. #TarōAsō #Quote

The attitude of refusing to listen to any criticism is wrong, but so is getting depressed when you hear it. NEW! Taro Aso

Watch on YouTube: "The attitude of refusing to listen to any criticism is wrong, but so is getting depressed when you hear it. NEW! Tarō Asō"

This message clearly conveys the difficult theme of how to face criticism.

If you shut your ears, you lose chances to grow; if you take everything to heart, your spirit will break.

It argues for the importance of avoiding those extremes: maintaining your own center while taking in only the feedback you need.

Especially in today’s world, where we’re easily swayed by ratings and noise, it urges us to be calm and strong.

It teaches the sense of distance needed to protect yourself while moving forward.

A practical quote that teaches mental resilience.

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God doesn’t want us to succeed; He only wants us to try.Mother Teresa

10 Selected Quotes by Mother Teresa

God doesn’t want us to succeed; He only wants us to try. — Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was a humanitarian who reached out to those in need before thinking of herself, stood by the poor, received the Nobel Peace Prize, and was highly esteemed around the world.

One of her famous sayings is: “God does not require us to be successful—only to try.” When we aim to accomplish something, we often focus on the results, but she reminds us that the process and the willingness to take on a challenge are important as well.

I believe that what we gain along the way and what we gain after challenging ourselves will surely build our confidence.

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