Mottos that are sure to lift your spirits and keep you positive!
When you’re feeling down or things aren’t going well, sometimes the motto you’ve written in your personal journal can save you.
What kind of motto do you live by?
In this article, we’ll introduce positive mottos that will shine a bright light on you.
We’ve picked quotes from great figures and celebrities, as well as lines from manga, taken from a variety of contexts.
When you need just a little more strength to keep going, or when you’ve hit rock bottom and can’t pull yourself up, please remember the words we share here.
- Words I want to make my motto that always inspire me
- Words that strongly push you forward and give you energy
- Quotes that save your heart in times of pain or hardship
- Encouraging words that give you strength. Words you’ll want to share with those around you.
- Short quotes that reach your heart in an instant. Words to encourage you right now.
- Even a single word can save your heart! Uplifting, happy words that make you feel positive
- Blow away your anxiety and doubts! Short phrases that lift your spirits and set you on a positive path.
- Gives you a nudge and stays by your side... Uplifting words you’ll want to know
- Quotes from great figures that give us the power to live
- Powerful words give you a push! Words that help you try even harder than before.
- You might even find your motto—short phrases that leave a lasting impression.
- If you know them, they might become beacons that light your life’s path: a collection of memorable quotes.
- Maybe powerful words can give you strength? A collection of uplifting short quotes
These positive mottos (21–30) are sure to lift your spirits and keep you looking ahead!
There is no piece that cannot move forward.Makoto Nakahara
This phrase is recommended for those who feel timid.
Makoto Nakahara, the 16th Lifetime Meijin, is an undeniably monumental figure in shogi history: 1,308 career wins, 54 title terms in total, and five lifetime titles.
Knowing these words came from him gives them real weight.
For those unfamiliar with shogi, here’s a brief explanation: the game has pieces that move in various ways—diagonally, in tricky patterns, or straight—but what all pieces have in common is that they move forward.
He applies that idea to life.
It’s a message that can give courage to many people, even those who aren’t shogi fans!
There is no such word as ‘limit’ in my dictionary.LeBron James
These words express the mindset of pushing beyond limits that many athletes hold in their hearts, including basketball player LeBron James.
Drawing on Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous quote, “The word impossible is not in my dictionary,” known from the French hero, it conveys a combative spirit.
It communicates the idea that limits are determined by one’s own mind, and that by continuing to believe you can keep going, you can achieve even greater results.
It’s a phrase that strongly conveys the courage to charge ahead without fearing limits and the determination to keep fighting.
Children are beings of possibility. They have many choices every day. Actually, the same is true for adults.Hayao Miyazaki
It conveys a gentle message that everyone has many possible paths into the future.
We often say that children can “become anything” when they grow up.
But in truth, even as adults we can try new things and start over.
Regardless of age, every day is a series of choices, and the future changes depending on how we choose.
For example, starting a new hobby or beginning to study toward a dream are steps you can take today.
These words softly encourage us not to give up on our own potential.
We read “failure” as “success.”Katsuya Nomura
These are words by Katsuya Nomura—renowned in professional baseball as a player, manager, and strategist—expressing his view on failure.
He tells us that continual growth is vital to achieving success, and that failure can be a powerful catalyst for that growth.
Rather than giving up by focusing only on the outcome, it’s important to analyze the causes of failure and apply what you learn next time.
It’s a famous quote that conveys a positive mindset: don’t lament failure—keep moving forward without giving up.
Sweat is the highlight of effort; I’m shining again today.
When these words are offered as encouragement, it feels as if the very attitude of moving toward your goal is being acknowledged.
Rather than focusing on results or progress, they shine a light on your “forward-facing effort,” allowing you to affirm your steps just as they are.
Instead of trying to rouse you, they tell you that the way you’re currently engaging is good, so you don’t tense up unnecessarily and can accept it honestly.
It’s something that makes you smile in the moment, and later on helps you cheer yourself on, lifting your spirits with the thought, “I’m shining!”
The problem lies in the future. That’s why I don’t look back at the past.Bill Gates
Bill Gates, one of Microsoft’s founders and a well-known American entrepreneur.
This quote that places importance on the future comes from a successful person—him.
People often look back on the past, don’t they? It’s fine to revisit good memories.
But if what you’re looking back on is past failures or mistakes, you might get stuck there.
What lies ahead of you isn’t the past—it’s the future.
Let the past be refined into experience and lessons, and live while imagining a bright future.
Be true to the dreams of your youth.Friedrich von Schiller
What did you want to be when you were a child? A firefighter, a police officer, a baker, a candy shop owner…
You probably had all sorts of dreams.
But as we grow up and spend our days simply working through tasks, we begin to forget what we wanted to do and who we wanted to become.
In such times, remember the words of Friedrich von Schiller.
In those days when you were purely pursuing something…
your dream may still be there.