RAG Music - Quote A quote so piercing it stirs your heart the moment you remember it.
Just remembering them fills you with courage! Striking quotes that touch the heart from great figures and famous people favorite_border Last updated:2026/2/25
10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminder kepiko Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
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.
Table of Contents Just remembering them fills you with courage! Striking quotes that touch the heart from great figures and famous people Whether I’m happy or not is something only I can decide. Matsuko Deluxe I’m not interested in where you stumbled. I’m concerned with how you rise from it. Abraham Lincoln If you work hard, will you be rewarded? That’s not it. You keep working hard until you’re rewarded. Lionel Messi If you believe in yourself, there are no limits. Cristiano Ronaldo Impossible is not a fact, but an opinion. Muhammad Ali Our lives are our art. John Lennon You don’t have to make yourself smaller for those around you. Let them catch up to you. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Small steps of progress add up to great success. Mahatma Gandhi If you try, you can achieve; if you don’t try, you won’t. Whatever fails to be accomplished fails because people do not attempt it. Uesugi Yōzan To love is to align your own happiness with the other person’s happiness. Gottfried Leibniz Don’t rush. But don’t give up. Shigeta Saitō Some believe that clinging makes you stronger. But sometimes, letting go is what makes you strong. Hermann Hesse If you fail, you can try again. If trying again doesn’t work, think it through once more and try again. Konosuke Matsushita Any person is capable of more than they think. Charles Chaplin If you think you can, you can; if you think you can’t, you can’t. This is an unshakable, absolute law. Pablo Picasso It’s never too late to become the person you wanted to be. George Eliot It is not the strong who win; it is those who win who are strong. Franz Beckenbauer To challenge yourself is to grow. LeBron James He who runs away can fight another day. Demosthenes Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Helen Keller 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. Taihō Kōki You should have more faith in your talents and what you’ve done. Ichiro What I want to tell people around the world is to make an effort. If you put your heart into it, you can achieve anything. Cindy Ngamba A champion is defined not by how they act when they win, but by how they rise after they lose. Serena Williams Don’t listen to others’ expectations. Live your own life and meet your own expectations. Tiger Woods What matters is not practice, but the passion for practice. Pelé Everyone has talent. But it’s effort that makes talent blossom. Michael Jordan Prioritizing the team’s victory over personal glory ultimately leads to individual success as well. Lionel Messi There is no such word as ‘limit’ in my dictionary. LeBron James There is no absolute champion. A champion is always a challenger. Kosuke Kitajima Winning or losing is a small thing. What matters is whether you gave it your all. Shuzo Matsuoka We read “failure” as “success.” Katsuya Nomura You should be honest with your feelings. Hideo Nomo If you can’t believe in yourself, who will? Kei Nishikori Life’s only failure is not to try. Lindsey Vonn I’m glad we were able to make it back alive like this. Ayumu Hirano It is precisely because there are restraints that I can fly. It is precisely because there is sorrow that I can soar high. It is precisely because there is adversity that I can run. It is precisely because there are tears that I can move forward. Mahatma Gandhi Beyond the clouds, the sky is always blue. Louisa May Alcott If you don’t give up on yourself, there is no such thing as losing in life. Shigeta Saitō Happiness is always decided by your own heart. Mitsuo Aida If you stay focused, you can overcome any obstacle. Warren Buffett It is the heart that makes a world without amusements into an interesting one. Shinsaku Takasugi I kept telling myself that everything I was studying was for my goal. Miles Davis It’s not that we run because it’s hard; it becomes hard because we run. William James Do not avoid the difficult path. You must move forward if you want to reach your destination. Katherine Anne Porter The problem lies in the future. That’s why I don’t look back at the past. Bill Gates In this world, there is a unique path that only you can walk. Do not ask where that path will lead. Simply press on. Friedrich Nietzsche If you have a clear dream and a clear goal, the path will surely open up. Mahatma Gandhi No matter how many times you fall, you can start over as many times as it takes. “Failure” isn’t falling down; it’s not getting back up. Mary Pickford Any genius is born of passion. Isaac D'Israeli Love is not about gazing at each other, but about looking together in the same direction. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Do not abandon the ambition you sought to achieve just because of a single defeat. William Shakespeare Sweat you shed never lies Chiyonofuji Mitsugu Because there was a humiliating defeat, my determination to absolutely win next time grew stronger. Kitanoumi Toshimitsu It’s hard to understand being criticized for asking pointed questions about what was discussed in the Diet. Katsuya Okada The fence isn’t built by others; it’s built by yourself. Aristotle 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. Eiichi Shibusawa Other people’s rulers and your own ruler each have different measurements, don’t they? Mitsuo Aida Those who do not advance will surely fall back, and those who do not retreat will surely advance. Yukichi Fukuzawa 98% of our worries are needless Masahiro Fujimura Saying it must be this way just because it’s been that way for only 50 or 100 years is strange; I want to try absolutely everything without taboos. Kimi Onoda Let those who wish to leave, leave. Alexander the Great What I’m doing is by no means something big, but it is something necessary. Che Guevara Find a way. If there isn’t one, make one. Hannibal Barca Your happiness in life depends on the quality of your thoughts. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus People deserve praise or blame solely based on whether they have the perseverance to see things through. Leonardo da Vinci No success for those without dreams. Yoshida Shōin As you stretch yourself to broaden your horizons, it’s possible you’ll actually grow taller. That’s part of what makes life interesting. Saburō Shiroyama Unless the whole world becomes happy, individual happiness is impossible. Kenji Miyazawa We came in with the resolve that even if we can realize just one or two policies that benefit the people, we will take all the criticism ourselves. Yuichiro Tamaki Politics moves. Yuichiro Tamaki An indecisive leader can even be harmful. Yoshihide Suga Without passion, no energy is born. Without energy, it’s the same as having nothing. Do not be easily satisfied—whether with yourself or with anything else. Even when the wind is against you, grit your teeth and refuse to compromise. If you admit defeat, you lose. Even if you acknowledge how bad the situation is, as long as you are determined to see it through to the end, a chance to win will emerge. If you’re going to think, think big. If you’re going to live, live big. No dream is too big, and no challenge is too great. Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself. Coco Chanel The best way to pave the road to success is through effort and diligence, and by focusing on what is going well rather than on what isn’t. To have been born into this world—that in itself is the greatest opportunity, isn’t it? Ayrton Senna If you can take one step, you can take another. Todd Skinner Even if my life is a losing battle, I want to fight until the very end. Vincent van Gogh It’s in the moments you decide that your destiny is shaped. Anthony Robbins No one ever regrets having done their best. George Halas If you don’t give up, there will always be a way. Always. Sakichi Toyoda It is not noble to be superior to others. Ernest Hemingway What matters is getting back up every time you fail. Winston Churchill Not being satisfied is the best technique for improving your ability. Wayne Gretzky Obstacles before you are opportunities. By facing difficulties, you can grow. Kevin Durant There is only one way to succeed: never give up. Jeff Bezos To solve a problem, don’t run away from it. Jack Dorsey You only realize your own strength once you’ve overcome your anxieties and concerns. Serena Williams Knowledge is power. Francis Bacon As long as you keep challenging yourself, failure does not exist. Mark Zuckerberg Nothing is impossible. Muhammad Ali Even if I face setbacks, I don’t lose my pride—that’s because I’m putting in the effort. Shigeo Nagashima Do not fear change. It is part of growth. Elon Musk In the Way, one thinks without shunning death. Miyamoto Musashi I was born to accomplish something in this world. Hideyo Noguchi If you truly fought for what is right, there’s no shame in losing. Katherine Anne Porter ...to be continued Just remembering them fills me with courage! Memorable quotes that pierce the heart by great and famous figures (1–10) Whether I’m happy or not is something only I can decide. Matsuko Deluxe Matsuko is so popular that there’s hardly a day you don’t see her on TV.
No matter what show she’s on, she never wavers—almost as if she’s always playing “Matsuko Deluxe”—and it’s so cool! Her way of speaking can sometimes come off as brusque, but I’m sure that’s partly her own way of hiding her shyness.
These words of hers really encourage those of us who tend to brood and worry, don’t they? When you lose sight of who you are, try to remember these words as if you were telling them to yourself.
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I’m not interested in where you stumbled. I’m concerned with how you rise from it. Abraham Lincoln Let me introduce a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.
This saying conveys that failing itself is not what matters; what matters is what you do afterward.
Many of us have probably felt frustrated after working hard on something.
Everyone stumbles and fails at times.
But rising up from there and continuing to take on new challenges may be what opens the path to success.
Please remember the importance of keeping these words in your heart and moving forward with courage.
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If you work hard, will you be rewarded? That’s not it. You keep working hard until you’re rewarded. Lionel Messi Let me introduce a quote from Lionel Messi, a giant in the world of soccer and a symbol of both talent and hard work.
We often hear the phrase, “If you work hard, you’ll be rewarded.” What we can learn from this saying and from Messi’s way of life is the importance of “working hard until you’re rewarded.” He wasn’t successful from the very beginning.
He experienced many failures and setbacks and kept building himself up through practice.
Behind that is an unyielding spirit and passion.
Even if the results of your efforts don’t appear right away, it may be important to believe that steady effort will bear fruit someday.
And rather than comparing yourself to others, we should have our own goals and the courage to keep striving toward them.
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If you believe in yourself, there are no limits. Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo has set numerous scoring records and won many titles on the world’s biggest stage.
Through strict self-discipline and relentless effort, he has always continued to believe in his own potential.
The moment you decide something is impossible for you, your learning and growth come to a halt.
Limits are not imposed by others; they are born from your own assumptions.
By believing in yourself and continuing to work hard, you can get closer to results beyond what you imagined.
This passionate quote highlights the importance of confidence that springs from within.
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Impossible is not a fact, but an opinion. Muhammad Ali These are words that seem to embody the relentless drive toward results, spoken by the champion Muhammad Ali, a legend in the world of boxing.
They convey the idea that “impossible” stems from preconceptions and weakness of will, and that if we keep a spirit of challenge, anything can be transformed into the possible.
By refusing to set limits and continuing to face challenges, anything becomes achievable, leading to great outcomes.
They are powerful words that evoke an attitude of fighting on without excuses and the strength of will to keep doing so.
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Our lives are our art. John Lennon Here’s a quote by John Lennon, often called a pioneer of music and a symbol of peace.
Many of you may be about to take on something new.
When you find yourself pausing in your new life, try to remember these words.
I feel as if life is being compared to a single canvas.
Our choices and actions may add color to it moment by moment.
If you’re mustering the courage to take a new step now, think of that step as your own art.
Believe in yourself, and take that new step forward.
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You don’t have to make yourself smaller for those around you. Let them catch up to you. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Beyoncé, an American singer who commands attention around the world, is active not only in music but also as an actress and entrepreneur, making a significant impact on culture and society.
Her words teach us the importance of being ourselves.
We don’t need to hold back or suppress ourselves out of too much concern for what others think; instead, we can live proudly and confidently as who we are.
It’s a quote that gives us a push when we’re on the verge of losing confidence.
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Small steps of progress add up to great success. Mahatma Gandhi These are the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who achieved India’s independence through the philosophy of nonviolence and influenced the world.
They show that even great change begins with small, daily actions.
In studying, we tend to seek dramatic results, but it is steady, everyday effort that becomes real strength.
As you deepen your understanding bit by bit, the efforts you’ve continued will one day appear as major achievements.
Even when visible results are hard to see, it’s important not to stop moving forward.
This is a weighty quote that gently conveys the value of perseverance.
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If you try, you can achieve; if you don’t try, you won’t. Whatever fails to be accomplished fails because people do not attempt it. Uesugi Yōzan Uesugi Yōzan was a mid-Edo period feudal lord and the 9th daimyō of the Yonezawa Domain in Dewa Province.
These words are said to be a lesson he composed and gave to his retainers.
Both “為す” (nasu) and “成す” (nasu) are pronounced the same.
“為す” means to take action; “成す” means to accomplish something.
In other words, if you try, you can do it.
You can’t do anything if you don’t try.
If something can’t be done, it’s because the person doesn’t attempt it.
These words teach the importance of effort and taking action.
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To love is to align your own happiness with the other person’s happiness. Gottfried Leibniz A German philosopher who wore many hats—politician, scientist, and thinker.
If you’ve studied mathematics in depth, you probably know infinite series by the name of Leibniz’s formula.
Is there some kind of rule that philosophers often come from a science background? The idea that happiness shouldn’t be kept to oneself but shared with those around you—and that doing so makes you even happier—is truly something to emulate.
We tend to try to fence in our own happiness and keep it all to ourselves…
This is a recommended quote that helps us be kinder to others.
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