If you know them, they might become beacons that light your life’s path: a collection of memorable quotes.

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.

In life, worries never seem to end—whether it’s the busyness of each day or anxieties about the future.

At times like these, having something to serve as a guiding star might help you move forward along the path you believe in without hesitation.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of memorable quotes.

From sayings that remind you of what truly matters to words that meet you where you are, you’re sure to find something that resonates with your current state of mind.

I hope you’ll recall them whenever you stumble and feel unable to take another step.

If you know them, they might become guiding lights that brighten your life: A collection of memorable quotes (121–130)

If we had nothing to regret, life would be very empty.Vincent van Gogh

A “life without regrets” is something everyone probably wishes for.

But in a sense, such a life might be dull.

Having no regrets can also be taken to mean never challenging yourself and never moving from a safe place.

As long as people live seeking something, they are bound to fail and to feel regret—that itself can be called proof of having truly lived.

Failure and regret are opportunities to grow.

If you think of them as things necessary to make life more fulfilling, doesn’t it make you feel a little lighter?

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Great achievements are not made by a momentary impulse, but are accomplished through the accumulation of small things.Vincent van Gogh

If you feel you tend to heat up quickly and cool off just as fast, why not keep this quote in mind? These are words left by Van Gogh, reminding us that to achieve great things, what matters is not fleeting emotions or actions, but how we sustain and build upon our passion and conviction.

Van Gogh kept painting throughout his life, believing in himself even without anyone’s recognition.

I hope you, too, find something you can be absorbed in for a lifetime, just like Van Gogh.

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Great things are accomplished by the accumulation of small things.Vincent van Gogh

It means that steadily continuing with small things is precisely what leads to great success.

I think people honestly want to succeed easily, but it doesn’t work that way so often, does it? In the end, to accomplish something big, you have to move forward step by step.

Continuing to make an effort isn’t easy, but persistence is arguably the fastest route to success.

Even small matters that seem unrelated to anything might actually be indispensable pieces of your life.

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Do not search for beautiful scenery; find something beautiful within the scenery.Vincent van Gogh

Hearing this quote, many of you may have felt a jolt of recognition.

I think it’s a wonderful phrase as a life lesson.

When you feel your surroundings are terribly dull, it’s easy to blame environmental factors.

Yet someone else might find something marvelous in that very same place.

By slightly changing your perspective, your life could become richer.

Since Van Gogh painted in such a distinctive way, perhaps he could see a beauty in the landscape that others could not.

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If you know them, they might serve as beacons that illuminate your life: A collection of memorable quotes (131–140)

Walls (obstacles) only appear to those who are capable.Ichiro

These are words of wisdom from Ichiro, the former professional baseball player who became the first Japanese position player in the Major Leagues and left behind numerous achievements.

He goes on to say, “Challenges only come to those who have the potential to overcome them; that’s why I believe that when there’s a wall, it’s a chance.” A wall is a test that appears precisely because you’ve kept taking on challenges, and it’s given to you because you have the strength to overcome it—his message feels so encouraging.

With a shift in mindset, a crisis can turn into an opportunity.

Doesn’t it make your heart race to think that new possibilities for yourself are spreading out just beyond that wall?

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It’s not that we run because it’s hard; it becomes hard because we run.William James

These are the words of William James, an American philosopher and psychologist.

When something painful happens, we sometimes choose to run away.

However, he says that it’s because we run away that it becomes even more painful.

There are several ways to interpret this, but one possible interpretation is that if you face the challenge and overcome it, you can come to see that the painful experience was a necessary trial.

Conversely, if you run away, only the painful memory remains.

So when you face a harsh difficulty, it might be good to remember these words and choose to take on the challenge.

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Where there’s a will, there’s a way.Abraham Lincoln

These are famous words left by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation and led the country to victory in the Civil War.

Many of us have felt discouraged when our efforts didn’t yield results, or have even given up partway through.

In such moments, these words give us the courage to face difficulties.

They’re like a protective charm, perfect not only for those challenging themselves or working hard, but also for anyone who has found a new goal.

Believe in these words and keep striving.

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