A collection of quotes to make your motto—brief words from great figures that can change your life
Encountering words that give you a push at life’s turning points or sweep away your doubts.
Among them, short quotes you hold close as a personal motto can bring courage and a fresh perspective to everyday life.
In this article, we present a carefully selected collection of short quotes.
We hope it becomes the moment you meet special words that, once discovered, continue to live on in your heart.
Collection of Quotes to Use as Your Motto: Short Words from Great Figures That Can Change Your Life (1–10)
Nothing makes you regret more deeply than indecision.René Descartes
René Descartes, the French mathematician whose statement “I think, therefore I am,” proposed in his own writings, is counted among the most famous propositions in the history of philosophy.
His maxim “Nothing is more conducive to regret than indecision” teaches the importance of making decisions in life.
If you take on a challenge and fail, you may feel regret, but you can reflect on it and use the experience next time.
However, if you cannot bring yourself to decide to take on the challenge, nothing happens—there is nothing to reflect on, only the regret of inaction remains, and that cannot be undone.
This is a message worth keeping as a personal motto to help reduce regrets in life.
Go your own way and let people say whatever they want.Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri, a philosopher hailed as the greatest poet of Italian literature and known for his profound influence on Renaissance culture.
His famous words, “Follow your own path, and let people talk,” resonate with the life he led—continuing his writing during a wandering existence after being exiled from the political sphere.
People often worry about how others see even the dreams they themselves have drawn, and they waver at the voices of those who have nothing to do with them.
Yet he teaches us that there is no need to lend an ear to the words of those who irresponsibly deny us.
Etched in your heart as a personal motto, this quote will help you keep the courage to stand by your convictions.
Heaven does not extend a helping hand to those who do not act for themselves.William Shakespeare
The poet William Shakespeare, who left behind numerous works including the four great tragedies and is hailed as a leading figure of English Renaissance drama.
The famous quote, “Heaven helps those who help themselves,” may prompt us to confront our own actions.
Reality is not so easy that miracles will happen if we leave things to fate or to others.
This saying teaches us that things turn around as if aided by heaven precisely because of what we have built up through our own actions.
Effort opens every door.Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine is a poet whom every French person knows and is said to remember for life.
His famous quote, “Diligence is the mother of good fortune” (literally, “Effort opens every door”), is simple yet packed with truth.
The message that anything can be achieved if we face it earnestly and make the effort it deserves is something many people understand but struggle to act on.
Of course, there are times when effort alone won’t get us there, but it never leaves us with nothing.
It’s a saying worth engraving in our hearts, one that can serve as a guiding principle in life.
Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.Theodore Roosevelt
Known for his great achievements as a statesman, Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, also wore many other hats: soldier, writer, hunter, explorer, and naturalist.
His famous saying, “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground,” is short yet reminds us of something important that’s easy to forget.
If we focus only on our goals, we can lose our footing; if we look only at our feet, we cannot dream of distant heights.
The message urges us to solidify our foundation even as we strive toward our dreams and goals.
To mature, one must take the long way around.Takeshi Kaikō
The writer Ken Kaikō, who left behind a wide range of works—from novels based on his reporting experiences during the Vietnam War to essays about his hobby of fishing—once said, “To mature, one must take the long way around.” It’s a message that seems to call a halt to the modern trend of overvaluing youth.
Companies seek immediate contributors, and the arts are trending younger, but humans are neither completed nor truly grow in such a short span.
Isn’t it precisely through a variety of experiences and repeated failures that we mature? It’s a quote I want to remember as a personal motto—one that teaches us to move forward steadily without rushing.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.Abraham Lincoln
In the United States, the politician Abraham Lincoln is known as the “greatest president in history.” His famous words, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” carry special weight precisely because he overcame the challenges of abolishing slavery and the threat of national division.
The message that even the steepest path will open up if you hold fast to your will also implies, conversely, that without will, you cannot move forward.
This quote teaches us that without our own intention and action, nothing will not only succeed, but won’t even begin.
Life has no meaning unless humans give it one themselves.Erich Fromm
In psychoanalysis, the German-born social psychologist Erich Fromm is regarded as part of the Neo-Freudians, the Freudian left.
His famous quote, “Life has no meaning unless we give it meaning ourselves,” prompts us to reflect on what life is.
If we don’t understand what we are living for—what we want to do and what we must do—it becomes hard to see any meaning in life.
It’s a quote that makes us realize that the purpose of living equals life itself.
Those who accomplish great things are always bold adventurers.Charles de Montesquieu
The French philosopher Charles de Montesquieu, often regarded as a father of sociology, left us a memorable quote: “Those who accomplish great things are always bold adventurers.” It’s a message worth keeping close to heart.
If we only do what anyone can think of, we won’t achieve results beyond imagination.
By advancing with conviction and facing what others don’t expect or have avoided, we can reach uncharted territory—this is what the quote seems to teach us.
It’s an inspiring motto that encourages us to take the first courageous step.
The goddess of fate favors those who act boldly.Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli was a Renaissance political thinker known for founding a realist political theory in an age dominated by idealism.
His famous quote, “Fortune favors the bold,” may give us the courage to take the first step.
Simply waiting and doing nothing will not bring us any closer to our dreams and ideals.
Taking action can lead to failure or discouragement, but it is precisely through this that we grow and move forward.
It’s a message I want to keep as a personal maxim, always close to my heart.