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 (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.
Since we are being kept alive, let’s simply feel grateful. We are kept alive because our lives are worth living.Jakuchō Setouchi
Jakuchō Setouchi, who also served as the chief priest of Tendai-ji Temple and as president of Tsuruga Women’s Junior College, is also known as a novelist who received awards such as the Women’s Literature Prize and the Tanizaki Jun’ichirō Prize.
Here is one of her famous sayings to remember when you hit a major wall in life or find yourself in doubt: We can never live all by ourselves.
We are kept alive by the support of those around us.
And the reason we are kept alive is that we ourselves are recognized as people of worth.
Simply being alive is happiness, and something we should fundamentally be grateful for.
Why not tuck these words quietly into your heart and keep them as a charm?
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.
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.
To become the best in the world, you need world-class effort.Keisuke Honda
Keisuke Honda is known as a former member of Japan’s national soccer team and is currently an active professional player who effectively serves as the owner of several professional clubs.
His famous quote, “To become the best in the world, you need to make the world’s best effort,” is a message that only someone like Honda—who has literally competed on the world stage—could truly convey.
If you place yourself in a world where rankings and hierarchies exist, it’s natural that everyone strives to reach the top.
Within that baseline of effort, to actually become number one, you have to work the hardest.
It sounds simple when put into words, but it’s something we tend to forget.
That’s why this quote is one I hope anyone with dreams or goals will engrave in their heart.
A true friend is someone who stands by you especially when you are in the wrong.Mark Twain
Mark Twain, who was active as a writer in the United States, is best known for his representative work, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
These are words left by that great author that express his view of how true friends behave.
A friend is not someone who always affirms you; sometimes, a friend sets you back on the right path, and together you can grow.
It’s a message that makes us reflect on the compassion embedded in stern critiques and advice.
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.
As long as you keep challenging yourself, failure does not exist.Mark Zuckerberg
These are the words of Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook and greatly influenced the fabric of society.
Through a series of innovative challenges, he has experienced a great deal of trial and error.
When we try to avoid mistakes and failures in studying for exams or taking tests, we end up reducing the very act of challenging ourselves.
As long as we keep taking action, we learn from it, leading to the next improvement.
Failure is not the end, but a process along the path of growth.
This quote shows that a persistent spirit of challenge opens up the future and encourages proactive action.
