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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You might even find a personal motto? Short, memorable phrases (41–50)
Once you’ve chosen a path, never give up.Katharine Hepburn
Katherine Hepburn, an American actor also known for winning four Oscars.
Her famous quote, “Once you choose a path, never give up,” conveys the way of life of someone who achieved great things.
Whether the choice was entirely your own or not, the message of pressing forward on the path you’ve chosen expresses a resolve that can serve as a guide for living in any era.
It’s an energizing quote that also makes a great personal motto.
The heart never strays from the Way.Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi, an early Edo-period swordsman also known for leaving behind the martial arts treatise The Book of Five Rings.
The famous saying “Keep your mind always on the Way” expresses the conviction of Musashi, who devoted his life to the way of the sword.
If you have a great dream, goal, or belief of your own, you should understand the importance of an unwavering heart that does not stray from your path no matter what happens—something anyone aiming for an endless ideal can appreciate.
It’s a message to recall when you’re tempted to take the easy way out, and one I hope you’ll engrave in your heart as a personal motto.
Excellent people quietly cultivate themselves and nurture their virtue.Zhuge Kongming
Zhuge Kongming, a statesman who was active from the late Eastern Han to the Three Kingdoms period and renowned as a genius strategist, is also remembered for his integrity and moral character.
His famous saying, “The virtuous cultivate themselves quietly and nurture their virtue,” reflects his philosophy.
It suggests that truly outstanding people neither boast of their abilities nor become arrogant; instead, they steadily refine themselves.
This message remains a timeless truth even today.
It’s a memorable quote, well worth adopting as a personal motto.
I want to turn both the reality of the good and the reality of the bad into nourishment for what comes next.Naoko Takahashi
Former track and field athlete Naoko Takahashi, known as the gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the first woman in Japanese sports to receive the People’s Honor Award.
Her famous quote, “I want to turn both the reality of good things and the reality of bad things into nourishment for what comes next,” is quintessential Takahashi, whose radiant smile stood out even through the rigors of competitive life.
If we can turn everything that happens to us into power, we should be able to keep growing.
It’s a positive saying that encourages viewing both the good and the bad in a constructive light.
The goddess of fate favors those who act boldly.Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli, an Italian political thinker known for advocating a realist political theory that politics should be considered separately from religion and morality.
His famous saying, “Fortune favors the bold,” can give us courage to face challenges.
Those who do nothing will never encounter opportunities, but taking action brings change and progress—doesn’t it? It’s a message I hope people who lack confidence in their initiative will adopt as a personal motto.
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.