The words of those who have achieved or mastered something can sometimes give us courage and hope, can’t they?
People who are striving toward their dreams and goals, or who are trying to face what truly matters, may feel this even more strongly.
This time, we’ve compiled a list of striking quotes by great and notable figures that we’d like such people to know.
Each one is powerful, yet gently guiding.
We hope you’ll recall them when you need a push forward or want to reconnect with your own heart.
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- Powerful yet gentle, words that save the heart... Encouraging words that lift you up in tough times.
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- Knowing it will surely save your heart… Short quotes to remember when times are tough
- Knowing this will surely ease your heart… Comforting words from great and famous people.
- Words to remember when you feel like running away—phrases to rally a weakened heart.
- Quotes on Effort: A curated selection of passionate messages left by great figures and famous people
Just remembering them fills me with courage! Memorable quotes that pierce the heart by great and famous figures (1–10)
The mental strength to endure—to dig in with “One more step!” the very moment you think “I can’t go on”—cultivates an unbeatable power to overcome anything.NEW!Taihō Kōki
In the world of competition, you either win or lose.
In sumo, that contest can be over in an instant.
In such moments, there are times when you feel it’s all over.
But through this famous quote, Taiho teaches us that what matters is what comes next.
If you can take just one more step when you think you can’t, if you can endure, the moment that leads to victory may arrive.
A strong heart that never gives up, no matter the circumstances, is the key to drawing victory closer.
It’s a quote to remember especially when you’re in a do-or-die, on-the-edge situation.
Sweat you shed never liesNEW!Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
When does sweat run down our bodies? You might break out in a sweat due to changes in temperature or from fear, but if we’re talking about a sumo wrestler’s sweat, it’s surely the sweat shed during training.
Sumo is a world of competition—matches are often decided in an instant.
To rise to that decisive moment and demonstrate their true worth, wrestlers must train not only their bodies but also their minds to the utmost.
Chiyonofuji’s famous quote seems to say that tireless effort becomes one’s confidence and can, in turn, become the certainty of victory.
Because there was a humiliating defeat, my determination to absolutely win next time grew stronger.NEW!Kitanoumi Toshimitsu
Yokozuna Daishi Wajima and Toshimitsu Kitanoumi, who built the “Wajima-Kitanoumi era” in the 1970s and captivated many sumo fans.
In 2015, Kitanoumi said the following in a conversation published in Shukan Shincho.
It was about “the most memorable bout for the two of us,” their match on the final day of the Nagoya tournament in 1974.
At the time, Kitanoumi, then an ozeki, lost in a decisive bout where a win would have promoted him to yokozuna.
His words reflect the belief he held as a strong yokozuna: turning the bitterness of defeat into fuel and transforming it into a relentless drive for the next victory.
It’s hard to understand being criticized for asking pointed questions about what was discussed in the Diet.NEW!Katsuya Okada
@buzz.news3 Katsuya Okada of the Constitutional Democratic Party: “The one who’s wrong is Prime Minister Takaichi.”Liberal Democratic PartySanae TakaichiConstitutional Democratic Party of JapanTaiwan contingency
♪ Original Song – Japan BUZZ NEWS!! – Japan BUZZ NEWS!!
Asking sharp questions during parliamentary deliberations—should that be something to criticize? You could say that the more incisive the questions, the more refined politics becomes, so it’s strange that such questioning would draw criticism rather than appreciation.
We want to avoid a situation where everyone becomes a yes-man to someone’s statements and, before we know it, decisions are made without the public’s involvement.
Mr.
Okada’s forceful probing serves as a brake against that.
The fence isn’t built by others; it’s built by yourself.NEW!Aristotle
These words point you toward the idea that the feeling of others keeping their distance might actually be something you’re creating yourself.
When you sense hostility or a wall from someone, it’s important to face your own heart; by shifting your perspective, that wall may dissolve.
It conveys an encouraging message that precisely when you’re troubled by walls, you should broaden your thinking flexibly and find solutions.
It also seems like guidance that can prompt self-reflection, facing your inner self, and serve as a catalyst for growth.
No matter how much we study and how diligent we are, things sometimes don’t go well. This is because the time is not yet ripe, so we must all the more encourage ourselves and endure.NEW!Eiichi Shibusawa
These are words left by Eiichi Shibusawa, whose portrait was also chosen for the 10,000-yen bill.
No matter how earnestly you pile up your efforts, there are times when things don’t go well.
However, that’s because the time isn’t ripe yet; his teaching is that you must encourage yourself and push through further.
In other words, it means to keep working without giving up until the time is right.
When you experience failure despite your efforts, it’s easy to give up then and there, but if the timing aligns, things should go well.
Let’s keep at it without losing heart until that moment arrives.
Other people’s rulers and your own ruler each have different measurements, don’t they?NEW!Mitsuo Aida
This is a famous quote about values by Mitsuo Aida, a poet born in the Taisho era.
We want to avoid worrying about others’ opinions so much that we can’t be ourselves, or feeling angry and thinking, “Why won’t they even do this for me?” When you recall these words at such times, you realize that each person’s values are different, and that you shouldn’t be overly discouraged by others’ evaluations, nor should you judge others solely by your own values.