Messages from inspiring great figures that move the heart! Motivational quotes to uplift yourself
When you’re pursuing your dreams and goals, or throwing yourself into daily work or school club activities, aren’t there times when your spirit feels like it might break even if you have great ambitions? The more serious you are, the more grave things can feel when you face difficulties.
In such moments, having words that support your heart might help you shift your mindset.
So this time, we’ve compiled a list of “quotes to inspire yourself” from great figures and well-known people.
From words that give you a strong push forward to those that gently stay by your side, we’ve gathered a wide range—so try finding the ones that resonate with you.
Messages from inspiring great figures that move the heart! Motivational quotes to encourage yourself (1–10)
Chance smiles only upon those who have completed their preparation.NEW!Pierre Curie
Many people have a strong image of chance as something you wait for, and have experienced the pain of feeling that opportunities are far away.
Here is a quote from Pierre Curie that changes how we think about chance and shows how to strive.
It tells us that chance is not something to wait for doing nothing, but something to prepare for so we can seize it, and that only beyond such preparation do we truly see opportunities.
It makes us reflect on our way of moving forward, reminding us that we need to work hard even to be able to recognize chance.
If you truly fought for what is right, there’s no shame in losing.Katherine Anne Porter
Katherine Anne Porter, an American political activist who worked across a wide range of fields as a journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, and poet.
Her message, “If you’ve fought truly for the right thing, there is no shame in losing,” may sustain us even when we face unwanted outcomes.
Not only in struggles but also when we act on our convictions, results don’t always follow.
Outcomes matter, of course, but what truly counts is what we were striving for; this famous quote teaches us that if we gave our all, there is no need to regret the result—even if it is a disappointing one.
So what if you failed? Learn from the failure and just try again.Walt Disney
Walt Disney, the entrepreneur known as the creator behind the globally beloved Disney.
His famous quote, “So what if you fail? Learn from it and try again,” carries particular weight because he repeatedly faced bankruptcy and setbacks while growing his company into an international giant.
When we fail, we can be overwhelmed by a sense of finality and despair, but this positive mindset—that even failure can be turned into nourishment for success—surely gives courage to many.
It’s a powerful quote that encourages us to take on new challenges.
Abundance and peace breed cowards; hardship is the mother of strength.William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, a playwright from England, left behind numerous works that have been passed down through the ages, including the four great tragedies and Romeo and Juliet.
His famous quote, “Prosperity and peace make cowards; hardship is the mother of strength,” carries a stern yet powerful message.
Prosperity and peace are things everyone seeks, but once attained, we begin to fear losing them and stop taking on challenges.
It may be a saying that encapsulates a fundamental truth about humanity: that by placing ourselves amid hardship we gain true strength and cultivate a spirit of humility and hunger.
If you work hard, will you be rewarded? That’s not it. You keep working hard until you’re rewarded.Lionel Messi
An athlete from Argentina often called the greatest soccer player of all time, Lionel Messi.
His message, “Do you succeed if you work hard? That’s not it—you work hard until you succeed,” truly reflects a career in which he has won countless titles in soccer.
You can’t reach your dreams without effort, yet it’s also true that not everyone who works hard will achieve their dreams.
Even so, this quote pushes us forward, reminding us that as long as we’re pursuing our dreams, we must keep putting in the effort.
If you think you can, you can; if you think you can’t, you can’t. This is an unshakable, absolute law.Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso is known as a painter whose style kept shifting from one phase to the next.
Looking at his works The Old Guitarist, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, and Dove, you might even wonder, “Were these really painted by the same person?” Perhaps he had a curious nature that compelled him to try things whenever something caught his interest.
Here are some words Picasso left us.
Just as he changed his style as he wished, you too can surely become anything.
But if you decide on your own that you cannot, then you won’t.
So believe that you can, and keep moving forward.
If you want to see a rainbow, you have to put up with a little rain.Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton, a singer-songwriter known as a leading figure in country music and active across many fields as an actor, writer, entrepreneur, and humanitarian, once said, “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” From these words, we can learn the mindset needed to pursue our goals.
Dreams are dreams precisely because they’re difficult enough that we’re not sure we can achieve them, and we can’t obtain them without effort or hardship.
It’s a memorable quote that reminds us everyone is working toward their own dreams.