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.
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Collection of Quotes to Use as Your Motto: Short Words from Great Figures That Can Change Your Life (1–10)
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.
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.
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.
Collection of Quotes to Use as Your Motto: Short Words from Great Figures That Can Change Your Life (11–20)
Rather than follow a paved path, forge your own way where there is none and move forward.Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American thinker known as a philosopher, writer, poet, and essayist—and also recognized as a leader of transcendentalism—famously said, “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This quote conveys the message that you should decide your own life for yourself.
As the Japanese proverb okame hachiken suggests, a third party often sees things more calmly and accurately than those directly involved, so we sometimes receive well-intentioned advice.
Of course, if you truly agree with that advice, there’s no problem.
But if you have something you really want to do, this message teaches that you will have fewer regrets if you stick to it.
Stay hungry. Stay foolish.Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, the entrepreneur who founded Apple and Pixar Animation Studios and generated countless revolutionary ideas.
His famous quote, “Stay hungry, stay foolish,” is well known as the words that concluded his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University.
The message—don’t be satisfied with the status quo and don’t be bound by conventional wisdom—reminds us of the ambition we must never forget in life.
It’s a quote I especially want people with dreams and goals to remember, and it’s also recommended as a personal motto.
Victory comes to those who are most patient.Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte, a military leader known as the hero who restored order after the revolution and who was crowned Emperor of the First French Empire, famously said, “Victory belongs to the most persevering.” This quote emphasizes the importance of fighting on to the very end.
Whether in competition or when pursuing dreams and goals, many people give up when faced with hardship or feel crushed and on the verge of breaking.
However, this message teaches us that true glory awaits those who endure and do not yield to adversity.
Anything that can be done someday can be done today.Michel de Montaigne
Michel de Montaigne, a French philosopher whose principal work influenced countries across Europe, also bore the aspects of a moralist, a skeptic, and a humanist.
His famous saying, “Whatever can be done sometime can be done today,” may make some of us wince.
Even when we know what we should do—what we must do—we tend to procrastinate.
But with the vague deadline of “sometime,” it’s hard to take action, and before we realize it, it may be too late.
This quote reminds us that adopting the mindset of acting as soon as we think of something reduces anxiety and broadens our world.