You might even find your motto—short phrases that leave a lasting impression.
Words from great and famous people can linger in our hearts, even if they’re just a single phrase.
Those who have achieved something or who keep taking on challenges each have their own convictions and resolve, and even their briefest words carry power.
This time, I’ve put together a list of such memorable quotes.
They’re all the kind of sayings you’ll want to etch into your heart and remember.
Since they’re short, they’re perfect as personal mottos—so don’t miss them!
Jot them down so you can recall them right away.
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- Just remembering them fills you with courage! Striking quotes that touch the heart from great figures and famous people
- Gives you the power to face challenges! Inspiring words of courage from great and famous people.
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- Gems of famous quotes give us insights—words that move the heart and stir the soul.
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- If you know them, they’ll surely guide your life! Important words to etch into your heart
- Short quotes that resonate with the heart. Words that reach you effortlessly.
- Powerful words give you a push! Words that help you try even harder than before.
- Knowing this will surely make you feel positive! Beautiful, heart-touching words
You might even find a personal motto? Short, memorable phrases (51–60)
Even if you’re knocked down 99 times, all you need is to stand up the 100th time.Vincent van Gogh
As a painter representing the Post-Impressionists, the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is still beloved around the world for his works today.
The quote, “Even if you’re knocked down 99 times, it’s enough to stand up the 100th,” evokes the dramatic life he led.
The message—that you haven’t lost unless you think you have, and that if you can smile in the end, you’ve won—can be a salvation for those on the verge of breaking.
It’s a maxim that, if adopted as a personal motto, will surely strengthen the heart.
To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage.Confucius
Confucius, a philosopher from China’s Spring and Autumn period and known as the founder of Confucianism.
His famous saying, “To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage,” means that failing to do what one ought to do as a human being stems from a deficiency of courage.
Even in everyday life, helping those in need is something we naturally should do as people, yet don’t we sometimes pretend not to notice out of embarrassment or similar feelings? This saying reminds us of the reality that there are people who could be saved if only we mustered the courage.
If you have no failures in life, you fail at life.Shigeta Saitō
Known by the nickname “Mota-san,” psychiatrist Shigeta Saito was also active as an essayist and public speaker.
His famous saying, “If you have no failures in life, you will fail in life,” is a message that warns us about the pitfalls of perfectionism.
No one wants to fail, and we tend to think that piling up only successes will make us happy.
However, if we keep pushing forward without ever experiencing failure, our hearts may break when we face difficulties we’ve never encountered before.
This quote reminds us that those who accumulate all kinds of experiences—knowing both success and failure—are the ones who ultimately succeed.
Only by living desperately does one’s life shine.Oda Nobunaga
Lord Oda Nobunaga, a warlord counted among the Three Unifiers of the Sengoku period for his innovative political methods.
From his famous saying, “It is only by living desperately that one’s life shines,” we can truly sense the very essence of Oda Nobunaga’s life.
Not only should we act energetically with dreams and goals, but it is by throwing ourselves wholeheartedly into the act of living itself that our lives gain profound meaning.
This message teaches us that such a way of living becomes the proof that we truly lived and allows us to create a life uniquely our own, unlike anyone else’s.
Take the sky as a road, and see the road as the sky.Miyamoto Musashi
An unexpectedly popular character from the manga Fist of the North Star is Juuza of the Clouds.
His free-spirited personality must have made him a beloved figure.
When you’re going to school or work every day, there are days when everything just feels unbearable.
You might even want to quit living a life that runs on rails someone else laid down.
At times like that, please remember these words from Musashi.
They’ll make your heart take wing and give you the feeling you can walk your path freely.
“It’s up to you to decide how you live.” It almost feels as if he’s gently teaching us even that.