“I cannot remember a time when the Golden Rule was not my motto and precept, the torch that guided my footsteps.” ~ James Cash Penney
That’s what mottos do. They act as torches that guide footsteps when and where footing is precarious and unsure. They point us in a direction and remind us of the direction we mean to travel when sidetracked by less important things.
After all, countries have constitutions. Companies have corporate mission statements. Clubs and other organizations have vision statements, taglines or mottos.
So why not us?
Both families and individuals would benefit as much as countries and corporation if we all were to develop our own personal mottos to, torch-like, guide our footsteps in this adventure called life (keep reading for 18 inspiring mottos you may want to pick from and adopt as your own).
“I have encountered riotous mobs and have been hung in effigy, but my motto is: Men, their rights and nothing more: Women, their rights and nothing less.” ~ Susan B. Anthony
We can learn a lot from other people’s mottos. They can inspire us to take action, to overcome obstacles and keep working toward our goals, persevering even in the face of overwhelming opposition. They inspire us to live up to our highest selves, to reach inside and pull the best within to the outside.
Not everyone, however, gets their mottos right. Sometimes we fail to live up to them. Sometimes we establish a motto without the commitment needed to make it the natural expression of our soul’s desire.
“My motto is: Live every day to the fullest – in moderation.” ~ Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay, it seems, struggles with hers (the moderation part, anyway). But truth is we all do the same to some extent. Our mottos reflect our insides, it’s true. But they also inspire us to improve what’s ticking on that inside as well. We are, after all, works in progress.
We can all, therefore, use the motivation and inspiration to help keep us keeping at it, to take the next step forward and then the next, to improve the life we live and the lives of those around us.
“My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” ~ Hank Aaron
On that note, I recently asked some blogging friends of mine if they would share their mottos with us here at M2bH to provide us with that motivation to keep swinging in life, and maybe to start swinging at something even better, something we haven’t yet dared to swing at.
The following is the result of that request …
18 Inspiring Mottos
Motto #1: Good Habits for a Great Life
“This really sums up my personal motto. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do.” Therefore, if you want to be outstanding, you have to develop the habit of personal excellence. In each key area of life, I seek out the very best practices and strive to make those my habits. The result is a continual incremental improvement in happiness, fulfillment and sense of purpose.” ~ Jeff Nickles of My Super-Charged Life
Motto #2: Live boldly and bloom to your fullest potential by taking small but fearless daily actions in the direction of your dream
~ Barrie Davenport of Live Bold and Bloom
Motto #3: The future is my unknown paradise
“Too many people worry about and fear the future. I choose to create positive assumptions and expectations.” ~ Tess Marshall of The Bold Life
Motto #4: Trust in yourself, before anyone else
“This means that I trust myself to do what’s right for me, and that I trust myself above anyone else. Without the self-trust, I could be led astray by others. Trust begins with each of us.” ~ Stuart Mills of Unlock The Door – Unlocking The Solutions To Your Problems
Motto #5: You cannot change or heal what you do not acknowledge
“The simple path to building healthy relationships, learning to love yourself and being a positive force in the world begins with discovering this powerful truth.” ~ Alex Blackwell of The Bridge Maker
Motto #6: Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
“It’s the title of my blog, but it’s also a famous quote from the movie the Shawshank Redemption. The motto really spoke to me at a time when I felt stuck in life. I realized that I either can do everything I can to make life exactly how I want it, or just sleepwalk through life and get one day closer to death. I had a choice to make and you can too if you’re not happy with the results you’re getting.” ~ Benny Hsu of Get Busy Living
Motto #7: My vision is to live a full, meaningful, and thriving life. I stay inspired and empowered by connecting with others, using my character strengths, and following my passions
(Editor’s Note: These are actually 2 different mottos Joe sent me. I’m hoping it was okay to combine them :))
~ Joe Wilner of Shake off the Grind
Motto #8: Lead Without Followers, Live from Within
“My motto speaks to the personal practice of how I wish to live amongst, on behalf of and for others. To lead without followers reminds me to lead by humble and quiet example. To live from within reminds me to live within my means, and to seek the simplest sources for happiness, wholeness and fulfillment — what’s already and always within each of us.” ~ Dave Ursillo of daveursillo.com
Motto #9: I can choose to be free
“This (motto) is powerful for me because I sometimes forget that my thoughts, perceptions, and interpretations shape my world. When I’m mindful of that—when I clear my head and minimize internal drama—suddenly challenging external circumstances seem far more manageable, and even beneficial for my growth and overall well-being.” ~ Lori Deschene of Tiny Buddha
Motto #10: Love is all that matters
“It is because of the love of my children and husband that I started to be a Zen Mama. I changed my attitude.” ~ Betsy Henry of Zen Mama
Motto #11: Be like the sun and you shall warm the earth
“I heard it when I was a teenager and ever since I took it as my own personal motto. To me it says that you must spread love, light and goodness to everyone you meet just as the sun spreads its warmth and light without judging who ‘deserves’ it or not.” ~ Angela Artimus of Powered by Intuition
Motto #12: Simple steps to a happier life
“Taking the initiative to take those simple steps can so radically transform a person’s life and open one to true happiness …We all want to be happy and it’s so simple, if we only open ourselves to the simplicity.” ~ Paige Burkes of Simple Mindfulness
Motto #13: There is nothing scary about facing the truth.
“I came up with this motto to remind me that the sooner I stop playing foolish games with the truth, the quicker I find solutions to problems. It is the basis of all that I speak about on my blog.” ~ Rob White of Mind Adventures
Motto #14: Be Who You Were Meant To Be
“For me this personal motto means to keep doing the work to find out who you really are so that you can live your life to the fullest.” ~ Cathy Taughinbaugh of Treatment Talk
Motto #15: To assist others to rise from the ashes of their lives and to become all that they have been created to become
“A few years ago I was drawn to the idea of creating my own original family crest to be cherished by present and future Sinclair generations – which in a sense is a broader expression of my motto. The tree, as represented in the crest, though burnt, is in the shape of a cross and is giving forth a green shoot. This speaks of resurrection and new life… This in fact defines everything I do in business, with my blog, my books, with my personal relations with others and the causes that I support.” ~ Peter G. James Sinclair of Motivational Memo
Motto #16: Never underestimate the power of your mind to change your destiny
~ Vidya Sury of Going A-Musing
Motto #17: Your life counts – and make it count. You are unique. There is no one like you on this planet. Never has been and never will be.
“Do not sell your self short. Do not sell the world short. This is your life – love it, live it. One life, one chance – grab it. Get the life you love – and live it” ~ Arvind Devalia of Make it Happen
Motto #18: Love, kindness, and compassion are what’s important in life. The rest is commentary
~ Fran Sorin of Awake Create
3 Questions to help create your own personal motto:
1. What are your core values?
2. What values would you most want to pass on to you children?
3. What values will most improve the person you are today?
The answers to these questions are a starting point. Figure out what speaks most clearly to you and begin working on the language to tersely express that core belief in an empowering and inspiring way. And then use it often to reinforce its message, letting it sink deeply into the fiber of who you are on a fundamental level.
Oh, and by the way, feel free to borrow others. They’re free!
One last motto: “Sharing is Caring”
- So please share your thoughts in the comments below.
- And share this article with others using your favorite social media if you found it to be of value.
- But most of all, always remember to share your love and decency and your example with others.
- Thank you for sharing your time with me. 🙂
- Read Part I of this series called What’s the Motto with You: The Power of Personal Mottos, Part I
- Read Part II of this series called 4 Mottos You Can Look at, but Can’t Keep: The Power of Personal Mottos, Part II
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
Hi Ken,
You’ve shared wisdom from many great bloggers here. I’m fascinated by everyone’s motto too. Each motto is a “window” into the inner workings of the person.
Thank you for including mine as well.
Angela Artemis/Poweredbyintuition recently posted … How Saying “No” Helps You Grow (and prosper)
Hi Angela,
Yeah, I was really happy with the responses to my request for mottos. Such a wide array of them too. Some similar, but none the same and many very dissimilar. And you’re right, I think it does allow us to peak, even if ever so slightly, in through the windows of the hearts and minds of these awesome people.
Thanks for sharing your motto with us, Angela.
Lovely. Hearing other peoples’ mottos (not mottoes) is also very inspiring. 🙂 I realized my comment requesting you to use my comment to your earlier post did not get published. 🙂 De nada! I am bookmarking this post to read often. Thank you, Ken.
Vidya Sury recently posted … A Sight For My Sore Eyes
Oh no! That was just an oversight. I put one of your mottos in late last night after reading your comment. It’s #16 now. Sorry I missed that, Vidya. And thanks for commenting across the series. YOU rock, my dear friend.
I appreciate it, Ken, very much. Ah, I believe that when i like/love someone, I must show it. 🙂 For, who knows what may happen the next minute. Thanks again.
Vidya Sury recently posted … A Sight For My Sore Eyes
Don’t know why you got imprisoned as potential spam, but glad I found you and unlocked the prison doors! 🙂
I think we’ve all heard those stories of the son who flew home to finally express his forgiveness for his dad only to arrive too late or the father who reaches out for his adult child to finally say he loves her only to make the phone call a day late. Such tragic moments of regret that will likely linger for the rest of their lives. But like you so wisely say, it doesn’t have to be this way if we say and show it now. Well, that’s how I interpreted what you said, anyway.
I like that statement (“I believe that when I like/love someone, I must show it”) on another level too. Many people use the word “love.” But I suspect fewer show it as often as they use the word. But the thing is, showing it speaks so much louder and clearer than the words that are often so contrastingly mixed in the muddy waters of bickering, nitpicking, grudges, past mistakes, holding on to past wrongs, and all the little and big things we do and say that fails to show the love we proclaim (or casually express) and thereby robs love of its power.
Thanks for making that point, Vidya.
What a great collection of mottos. You have done an awesome research work here… 🙂 I am pretty sure that they insiped you as much as they inspire us, readers along the way.
Laura recently posted … Home-made shampoo update
Most definitely, Laura! I’m constantly being both educated and inspired by these bloggers and so many more out there writing insightful, informative and motivational material. But you know what? I’m also regularly inspired by my readers too. From comments they make to emails I get to the inspiration all of you are to me to keep learning and discovering and exploring and growing. I’m touched and inspired and motivated to keep passing on tidbits of what I learn to you through what I write here.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and time, Laura. It’s much appreciated.
Ken…
Each motto has given me ‘food for thought’. They offer a different way of seeing and being in the world. Thanks so much for the wise words from some awesome bloggers. 🙂 Fran
Fran Sorin recently posted … How An Unknown Writer Attracted 8100 Adoring Fans And A Book Deal In Just Over A Year
I like the way you put that, Fran. These mottos do make you think, don’t they. That’s one of the wonderful things about mottos. They speak to critical principles to our growth and happiness in such compact, bite-sized, thought-provoking, rhetorical packages. I loved putting this post together because, in part, it allowed me to read over the mottos many times as I chose how to order them and edit the article itself. Good stuff, here, for sure.
lovely life motos
Hi Ken, My motto has always been:
Gratitude is the best attitude…besides one size fits all….
Bryan
Hi Bryan,
The attitude of gratitude is so instrumental to our happiness. Grateful people are kinder, more thoughtful, more decent human beings who just enjoy life so much more than ingrates. “Gratitude is the best attitude” is an awesome motto to have, Bryan. But what did you mean by “besides one size fits all”? It’s probably obvious, but I missed it. If you mean everyone would benefit from having more gratitude, I agree. Such a critical trait to develop for both our happiness and out character.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your motto. It’s certainly an important reminder to us to work on how we think (and thank) our way through life.
Thanks for including me!
Benny recently posted … The Secret to Growing a Massive Audience Quickly
My pleasure Benny! Thanks for sending your motto over. Truly appreciated. I particular liked your explanation of watching Shawshank Redemption and being moved to change things. Awesome example.
Hi Ken,
Thanks for including me in this wonderful group! You have collected a great list of wisdom, inspiration, and insight.
Joe recently posted … Surviving the Journey Toward Your Thriving Life Purpose
I agree, Joe! Yours included in that wisdom and insight. We should all strive for living a passionate, meaningful life of character as we reach out and build relationships. Thank you for sharing those powerful mottos, my friend. Life is what we make of it and armed with that kind of commitment to living a full life, we can create a life that truly matters on a very deep level to us.
Hi Ken,
These are great!
Mine would be:
There are no mistakes in the universe
and
Trust what you get
Julie | A Clear Sign recently posted … Skeptics and Naysayers Debunking The Psychic
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for sharing your mottos here. That’s an interesting question about the universe, though. I know a lot of people who hold that view. I suppose I’m a bit on the agnostic side. I guess some of my agnosticism is not knowing exactly what the universe is responsible for. Is it the laws of physics and other sciences that govern the workings of life wherein people make mistakes? Or when you speak of the universe, do you include all that happens in life? I have to admit to some ignorance here. Mine is a more traditionally Biblical understanding of life.
Would love to hear your perspective on things like the Holocaust and rape and starvation and natural disasters and all. Or if I’m asking for a response that would be too much for a comment, I would be interested in being directed to an article somewhere (on your site?) that would provide those answers.
Thanks, Julie! I love learning new things about other people’s ways of thinking and perceiving things.
Hi Ken,
Wow, those are some big questions! I can’t take up your whole blog writing about them so here is a link to one article that addresses the “whys” of horrific events:
http://julielangdonbarrett.com/2011/09/01/life-purpose-and-the-bravery-of-just-showing-up/
In brief, I’d say that in my experience the “universe” means “everything.” To you that might translate to “God”? There are no mistakes. It can LOOK like a mistake. You can wish you never went there and did that. Actually what is it? A learning opportunity for your growth.
Try looking at it like this. The universe is comprised of everything there is and ever was. There is a record of every word, act, deed, utterance, event, etc etc from this moment going back until the beginning. You can actually access this (it is known as the Akashic Records). As a person, you are connected to every other person in what some call the “universal” or “collective” intelligence. Right now, you are connected, and you always have been – whether or not you perceive it. So basically it doesn’t matter if you believe it or not.
Interestingly, science is finally getting to the point where it is close to proving how this all works (because you know how we like proof!) .
What is the universe responsible for? I guess you mean as opposed to you? So…you are part of the universe. Your responsibility is…you have Free Will. That means that you direct everything. You co-create your entire experience.
The fact that you know and associate with a lot of people who see this in my same frame of reference just means that you’re very well connected or “plugged in” to the universe. Don’t think of it in religious terms. It’s not a religious thing.
Julie | A Clear Sign recently posted … Skeptics and Naysayers Debunking The Psychic
I was afraid it might have been one of those huge questions that would take a book to explain, but you did a great job of it here, and I thank you for that, Julie. Would you mind me pushing a little more (all lovingly, of course!)?
I guess my confusion is in hearing things like everyone is just where they’re supposed to be and that the universe brings to us what we need at that moment and that everything that happens is what is supposed to happen.
If I’m wrong in that assumption, and am oversimplifying or confusing disparate belief systems that are unrelated, let me know. But if the above paragraph is correct, I have a hard time imagining how slaughtering 6 million Jews in the Holocaust has anything to teach THOSE 6 million dead Jews. I’m assuming a benevolent universe. That’s what I believe I’ve read from advocates of the system (for lack f a better word). But if benevolent, would the universe teach OTHERS by torturing and murdering 1/3 of European Jewry?
I hope I’m not coming across in any other way but wanting to better understand. I just feel that you would be a wonderful source of information about this. And I’ve long had these questions and haven’t yet heard an answer that sits well with me.
Would love any insight you could shed!
And thank you so much for the willingness to have such a conversation. 🙂
Ken,
You’re making me work first thing on a Sunday?! OK I have my coffee 🙂
“I guess my confusion is in hearing things like everyone is just where they’re supposed to be and that the universe brings to us what we need at that moment and that everything that happens is what is supposed to happen.”
No, I don’t agree with that. Mind you, I do not purport to have all of the answers to these things! The other statements I made were based on my own personal experience (doing readings for other people). This part is just a guess based on what it “looks like” to me at this time. I reserve the right to change my mind 🙂
It all hinges on having Free Will. You can choose to take any action. If you take one that is immoral, then what goes around comes around. Karma, so to speak. What seems to trip people up here is that they observe a lifetime and say,”Well, that person did all of these awful things and still their life went great! They never got what was coming to them.” Fear not – and this I am sure of because I’ve seen it – there are many lifetimes at play here. Karma carries across lifetimes. Sometimes we are reaping what we sowed BEFORE, and whether it is good or bad, we can’t figure out why it’s happening because it doesn’t make logical sense based on what we’ve done in THIS lifetime.
“Everyone is where they are supposed to be” is based on their own Free Will. It is not at anyone else’s direction. It also can refer to the fact that we do plan our life path before we are born – to learn lessons and evolve for the purpose of the growth of our soul – but we don’t necessarily remember that plan. Even if we remember it, we have free will and can choose not to follow it.
“The universe brings to us what we need at that moment” – well yes and no. Yes the universe always does offer help (in the form of our own spiritual teams who are there to guide and protect us at the direction of our higher self – which is “you” at the soul level). Do we always hear it, heed it, or allow it to guide us? No, we don’t. Again, free will.
“Everything that happens is supposed to happen” – Yes, that is true intrinsically. Like, it DID happen because of our choices, so in that sense it was “supposed to” happen. But that doesn’t mean that there is some kind of Divine Plan that chooses things for us – there isn’t. No one is a Grand Director of life on Earth.
When bad things happen it’s because we screwed up. And, we will “pay” for it, but not in a “go straight to @#!*% ” kind of way. From what I can see, there is no @#!*% . There is however a Life Review. When you die there is a period where you get to experience what you did to others – exactly as they experienced it. You get a perspective on what your original pre-birth plan was and how you delivered on it by your actions – and this perspective is something that is very high level, something we could not grasp from our current perspective of being incarnated.
Remember that the whole purpose of us being here is so that God/The Universe/Source – however you think of it, it is the same thing – gets to experience Everything. That is what we are doing here as little parts of the Whole. Again, I don’t “know” this to be fact, I have no memory of any of my Life Reviews, I cannot be certain – but it sure looks that way to me from where I am sitting at the moment. Science is getting pretty close to establishing proof of past lives/reincarnation and that part seems very obvious to me. It’s the only way I can see that everything I have experienced makes sense. However I reserve the right to stand corrected 🙂
If you are really interested in this stuff and how it all works you really should come visit me at the blog and take a look around. I basically do readings for people every week and as I do them and learn and experience more about how this is all integrated I just write what I feel or write about what I am shown that is new. Posts come out every Thursday.
Julie | A Clear Sign recently posted … Skeptics and Naysayers Debunking The Psychic
Thank you, thank you, thank you Julie! “A+” for patience with the annoying guy at the back of the class who keeps raising his hand to ask more questions! 🙂
All so very interesting! You did a fabulous job answering my questions. I had never considered the belief of karma following into other lives. While I’m not a proponent of that belief (though respect it AS a belief), it certainly make MUCH more sense to me now. So it’s not that the 3 year old Jew in Poland did anything to attract the Holocaust to him, it’s the immoral use of free will exercised by Nazis and their sympathizers who will reap the effects of their immorality for having exercised their free will so horrifically here or in the next life.
It’s interesting to see where our beliefs overlap. My Biblical take on life allows for free will as well. I don’t believe in a Butler-God dictating or orchestrating life here. Rather, God can intervene, but allows us to go about doing good or bad because the centrality of free will to the whole purpose of life in our mortal experience. Also, while I believe in only one more life after this mortal one, it seems we both accept the idea that “karma” or the natural consequences for the way we chose to live our lives and treat others will follow us into the next one.
I guess my one remaining question mark lingers over the child Jew (and all others in similar situations). Did 6 million dead Jews attract their fate by virtue of their previous lives? Or are they simply victims of free will? The latter would be my belief. But if the universe is perfect etc., how does that act of evil play out for that child?
I know, I know, I keep looking for the easy answers instead of doing the research myself. 🙂
Thanks again for humoring me, Julie! You’ve been GREAT! 🙂
PS: Does the Law of Attraction factor into this belief system, or is that something different? (last question … probably) 🙂
Always looking to learn something new about how others interpret humanity and life and all the good and bad that goes on here!
Ken,
I would guess you are right about being a victim. It doesn’t seem possible that there was something so many people could do to bring on such an atrocity. They may have known what was going to happen before they were born and agreed to have that experience, although for what purpose I couldn’t hazard a guess. I will leave that one for someone else to figure out.
I am not a big fan of Law Of Attraction books, movies and websites. Yes, LOA exists, but it seems to be only one piece of the puzzle. I have yet to find a blog about LOA where it makes sense 100% of the time – and that’s because there are holes in it. The rest of the Universal Laws are missing!
Some say there are 11 and others say there are 21…you can google “universal laws” or “laws of the universe” – immediately you get hit with a ton of marketing nonsense with things like The Secret or The Next Secret – avoid those. At quick glance this one looks like it is brief, informative without trying to hard to sell you something:
http://thelostuniversallaws.com/
You will have to dig into some pretty hefty religious and scientific texts to read about it in depth. You’ll notice that the Laws are called by different names in different places. The biggest one to me is “The Law of Non-Resistance”…but you obviously have to integrate ALL of them, not just pick and choose the popular one of the day, which is what LOA is.
Julie | A Clear Sign recently posted … Skeptics and Naysayers Debunking The Psychic
Once again, thank you so much for the awesome heavy lifting here, Julie! I love these kinds of conversations. There are so many ways of interpreting life and death and the meaning of the universe. Loved this little chat about some of those perennial questions.
Hope all is well with you and hope your week is joyful!
Wow…a page full of positivity…*love* it. I too shall bookmark this to visit often. Uplifting and inspiring…I thank you.
Encourage one another.
Elle.
Hi Elle!
I have to admit that the post is indeed filled with some pretty great stuff. Of course, that’s because some pretty great people responded to my request to offer them here. So glad you found value in what they wrote, Elle.
I like your motto: “Encourage one another.” Just think how many cultural pathologies would dry up if everyone adopted your motto! Thank you so much for the insight and wisdom behind it.
You’ve done it again Ken…congratulations
be good to yourself
David
David Stevens recently posted … My 7 Links Challenge & 7 Random Facts Expose
Thanks David. You’re too kind!
Hope all is well on your side of the fence, my friend!
Hi Ken,
I loved seeing the quote by James Cash Penney at the beginning of this post. I worked for J.C. Penney in public relations for many years. That motto wasn’t just a nice thought, it was the mission of the entire company. Part of the mission statement of the company was to give the customer good value for the money, but not to charge all that the market would bear. Every year, each JCPenney district would host The Golden Rule Awards to honor people in the community who did good works. Mr. Penney’s philosophy impacted me profoundly, even over a hundred years after he began the company. Having a motto or mission statement is not only important in business, but it should be the guiding principle in our personal lives as well. It gives our lives a sense of purpose and meaning that adds greatly to the overall quality of life. This series of posts is tremendously valuable, and I’m so grateful you asked me to be part of it!
I loved finding this out about both you and J.C. Penney, Barrie! I read something about Mr. Penney before along those lines. Forgot about it until your comment. I think that is so amazing when companies do things like that, offering The Golden Rule Award to people in the community, for example. Business people and corporations often get such a bad rap in the media these days, but the billions of dollars of good they do in the form of donations and other acts of corporate decency, is truly astonishing. Just Walmart alone gave something like $2-billion in cash and other gifts. But they certainly were not alone. Pfizer recently gave $3-billion. Oracle gave $2.3-billion and Merck gave $1.2-billion. I love those kinds of stories, especially when there is a face behind the corporate philanthropic culture such as J.C. Penney’s.
Thanks so much for sharing that, Barrie. And thank you for the kind words about this series. It was a lot of fun to write.
I really like your series. Having a personal motto is more important than I realized. I love everyone’s motto! will have to remember the James Cash Penney’s quote. It’s great! I’m going to print this out.
And thanks for including me! 🙂
Betsy at Zen Mama recently posted … Start Thinking You’re Lucky With “Lucky Thinking”
Hi Betsy! So glad you liked what you read! The quote by J.C. Penney is great, but the background information that Barrie provided and her first hand experience with it is priceless, as they say. 🙂
Thank you for providing me with your motto (and three of them to pick from!). It’s all of you and your thoughtful participation that provided the insight and wisdom and motivation here!
What an awesome list of mottos! While we’re all on somewhat similar paths, we each have such unique views on life. Thanks so much for including mine!
I must say, I could get lost in your conversation with Julie. I love asking the BIG questions and challenging all the responses. Movies like What The Bleep Do We Know? is a terrific one that shows how science is starting to prove religion. I highly recommend it as it’s amazing food for thought. I don’t think there are any right answers. We humans like to say we know it all because it makes us feel a little bigger and in control when we’re not and never will be. Remember all the “absolutes” that existed in the Middle Ages that are considered a joke today? The same applies to today’s “absolutes.” Everyone from group A will find holes in the theories of group B and vice versa because they’re all just theories. Our meager attempts to explain the unexplainable. I certainly have my own theories but constantly find holes when I learn something new. It’s a fun little game we humans play. 🙂
Paige | simple mindfulness recently posted … Your Attitude Determines Your Outcome
Hi Paige!
Sharing your motto was my pleasure. Most of life is pretty simple, it seems to me. What’s difficult is actually doing the simple things consistently over time so as to feel the effects of those simple things. So your motto is just right!
Yeah, I just love having those kinds of conversations too. Big questions about big issues within the context of some big conversations. Good stuff! I’ll look into that movie you recommended.
You’re so right to be concerned about the Middle Age mindset of my brand is right and I’ll prove it by killing you until you agree.
But my take on it is that while we need to respect each others right to believe what we believe and to live according to those beliefs, there still is Truth: God exists or doesn’t. There is inherent purpose to life or there isn’t. There is life after death or there isn’t. The nature of life after death is what it is or it’s something else. How we perceive it or interpret it or interact with it doesn’t change the nature of what it is. So rather than conforming Truth to our particular vision of it, it’s humanity’s job to increasingly conform our perceptions to our evolving understanding of what IT is.
Still, you’re also right that the absoluteness of our positions robs us of the humility needed to grow. Thanks for this awesome comment, Paige. It’s deeply appreciated! 🙂
haha – I especially like Benny’s Get Busy Dying quote! 🙂
Hits nail right on the head
THanks Ken for the time spent on compiling this!
Noch Noch
Noch Noch | be me. be natural. recently posted … if I could choose a normal life, would I?
Hi Noch,
It was a blast to see everyone’s mottos and to put the post together. Benny’s is really good, I agree. His motto truly is reflected in his writing and life. I recommend his blog, if you’re not already familiar with it.
Ken,
A great series of mottos! I reckon everyone can look at these mottos and quotes and find something that resonates with their thinking.
Thanks for asking me to take part in this too, I appreciate it!
Guest post coming your way soon amigo 🙂
Stuart – Limitless Believing recently posted … Limiting People: How And Why People Can Limit You
Great point, Stu. You’re right, the varied nature of so many of the mottos gives everyone something to get inspired by. Thanks for participating and adding yours, Stu!
Look forward to the guest post!
Wow, I’m going to print out the whole post and the comments. Loved the post, and was informed and inspired by your discussion with Julie. Thanks to both of you for that!
Although I mentioned my motto–Make haste to be kind– in your first post on this topic, I thought I would add another motto here just for fun. “When you’re getting run out of town, get in front and make it look like a parade!”
Galen Pearl recently posted … I’m a Finder, not a Seeker
Hahahaha! I LOVE that added motto, Galen! I laughed out loud when I read it. But what a wonderful way to look at life, right?
The comments have been great (yes, especially Julie’s! What a rock star she is with those massive explanations!).
Thanks so much Galen!
Hi Ken,
What a wonderful list of mottos, and thank you so much for including me. Honored to be in the group. It is interesting to read the mottos and learn more about each person. Your series has been enlightening, positive and inspiring. Thanks for another great post!
Cathy | Treatment Talk recently posted … How to Overcome Addictions
Thanks Cathy! That means a lot to me. It does seem to open a door onto the hearts and souls of some great people, doesn’t it. There are some amazing people writing some amazing things with some pretty darn impressive mottos that certainly keep me inspired. Thanks for being one of them! 🙂
Love this post and this idea Ken. I think you are so right that you should live your life off a motto. It is so interesting to hear the perspective of other’s and get a glimpse into their minds. Thanks for passing along the wisdom:) Great article.
Sibyl recently posted … How You Can Never Lose “Infinite Hope” And Get What You Really Want
Thanks so much, Sibyl,
I just think it’s so helpful to have some core values focused and concentrated into the laser beam a well-written motto can be. It can then inspire us to live up to its message and provide us with the rhetorical lighthouse to keep us floating toward true north.
Hi Ken,
Love this list of mottos. What an inspiring post and I’m honored to be part of it. Mottos can lead and guide us through our lives. Companies and schools all seem to have mottos, but your post is a great reminder that we should have a personal motto, one that expresses our core beliefs. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Cathy! That’s right. I think most of us have core beliefs, even if not everyone has thought them through or articulated them very coherently. But we don’t always live by them, in part, perhaps, because we don’t always think to. We live day by day going about life without applying our core values to our daily decisions because we often live by habit. Having mottos helps to sink those core values into our hearts and helps bring them to the forefront of our minds so we can live more consistently by those core values.
Such a nice collection of inspiring mottos! My favorite is number 9: I can chose to be free! Thanks for this wonderful post!
Julie recently posted … dentfirst
Hi Julie!
I agree. I was inspired too as the mottos were sent to me and as I compiled this post. I love Lori’s motto as well. So much more of our lives are the result of our use of free will, the ability to choose how we will respond to the world. That freedom is so profoundly connected to our happiness because it’s the context within which happiness is made possible. Just imagine life without the freedom to choose our responses!
Thanks for coming by, Julie! I truly appreciate it!
Thanks for sharing these inspiring mottos, I think I’ll print them and hang it in the wall!
Catwoman recently posted … Elisabeth garden
Thank you so much! That’s a great idea! The more we see and repeat them, the more likely they will one day be hung inside the heart as well!
this is such a motivational post Ken
the idea of the series is awesome,
keep in touch 🙂
Thanks Farouk! It was a fun one to research and write. Thanks for stopping by!
It’s so easy to get hooked on all our little dramas, isn’t is? That’s why these mottos have served me so well.
Brandon recently posted … Cable Cincinnati
Hey Brandon,
So glad the mottos have been of benefit. It’s true, our little dramas can seem so big and important at the time. But a good motto can help center us, ground us and place our concerns in proper perspective. Then mole hills are recognized as just mole hills. And we are so much better prepared to recover from life as it happens.
Thanks so much for the comment, Brandon. Have an awesome week!
Hi Ken,
I so enjoyed this post and all of the comments. I am currently designing my new self-improvement blog and will be launching it in a few days. You have inspired me. Thank you! I have had my own personal and professional mottos for many years. The motto of my therapy practice was, “You do not have to be a victim of your autobiography.” The motto of my Life Coaching practice is, “There is pain in change, and there is pain in staying the same. Pick the one that moves you forward.” And one of my personal mottos is,”I’ll try anything…twice.”
Well done, Ken! I look forward to following your blog!
Hi Kristin,
Wow, that’s such great news! I’ll be rooting for the success of your new venture. Once it’s up and running, I’d love you to send me a note (email or another comment with a link to your site so I can check it out.
I love your mottos! I especially like the motto of your therapy practice: “You do not have to be a victim of your autobiography.” We do create some pretty self-defeating autobiographical accounts of life, don’t we! But so much of our autobiographies were written for us at such young ages. But then we can go back and edit those accounts in ways that self-affirm and build and reinterpret and motivate us forward. What a great line that so tersely and beautifully conveys such an important idea.
Thank you so much for sharing your mottos here, Kristin!
And don’t forget to send me a link to your site!
Ken,
Thanks for posting these. I especially like the “Keep swinging…” by Hank Aaron. I may not be a sports person (I’m a musician), but the same can apply in any field.. Keep on keepin on. In my case, that would be “Keep singing…”
Thanks,
Deborah
Deborah E recently posted … 4 Things My Grandpa Taught Me
Hi Deborah,
So glad you dropped by and shared. My daughter is a musician (singing/piano) who married another musician (piano) who have a great business going (YourMusicLessons.com). I’ve seen the countless hours of “swinging” and “swinging” and “swinging” some more. Sound advice from a man who knew what he was talking about.
oh..thank you to all of you I have learned many about your mottos so I have an answer to my assignment..All of this mottos are very inspiring…
Hi Shaina, So sorry I missed your comment until now. I was looking at old posts and stumbled into your comment here. Not sure how long ago it was left, but thank you so much for leaving it! I agree with you, Shaina, such inspiring mottos by everyone!
[…] Meanttobehappy /* Posted in Inspiration Tags: determination, haters, inspiration, persistence, stepping […]
thank you for the author…and some people who are kind to share their mottos..So i have been learned more..(inspiring)>.<
Hi Stacy! So glad you found the post so inspiring. There are lots of people out there so willing to share their thoughts and insights with others. I’m so grateful for that. And I’m grateful you took the time to share your thoughts here as well.
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the mottos. Reading the mottos keep us motivated.
On Motto#2, I wonder how can one be more fearless. And it is the same as courageous? What is your view on that.
I want to become more fearless
joey recently posted … Zen and intuition
My pleasure, Joey. I agree. Mottos can act as bite sized motivational snacks to pick us up when we need it. They can also distil deeper into our souls and become expressions of our hearts.
Yes, I think courage and fearlessness are related, even if not identically the same thing. I think courage is a moral trait whereas fearlessness is an emotional one.
This is what I mean (or at least the way I look at it): To act with courage doesn’t necessarily mean that we don’t feel fear. It just means we do the thing that needs to be done anyway.
Whereas fearlessness strikes me as being without fear, so there is no moral component to acting when we have no fear in taking the action. Rather, it is the result of seeing life differently than the fearful do. People who live in fear are very focused on themselves, on how others perceive them and whether or not they’ll fail and in the failure be seen as a fraud or week or whatever. The point is that they are hypersensitive to others’ opinions of them, their image and their safety.
Not sure I entire;y answered the question you were trying to pose, so please let me know if you’d like more clarity (or at least clarity on my opinion of the matter!)
[…] Mottos That Inspire Greatness […]
[…] distinct difference between setting goals, having a personal motto versus setting intentions, and how each impacts the end results of your […]
But then nothing haunts us more than the things we don’t say 🙂 Well I completely agree, motto’s are certainly like torches that bring the light of wisdom and guide our way with knowledge. Thanks for sharing this thoughtful post!
You’re welcome, Joana. I hope the mottos inspire others to create mottos for their own lives so they can benefit from the lighted torch and source of wisdom they can be to us.
[…] about the item(s) you’re most passionate about. That sentence (personal mission statement or motto) will be your north star in your quest to brand […]
These are all great, you have gathered all these motto’s to give inspiration to your readers. It serves as guidance to our behavior and the path which we pursue. Thanks for sharing. Great post !
sherill recently posted … The Place I Started My Spiritual Studies – Life Comes Full Circle (Part 4 of 4)
Thank you, Sherill. Mottos can be very powerful motivators that help us stay the course when things get difficult. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here.
My motto:
“Don’t always follow any one mottos. Life is full of possibilities and possible problems. Sometimes you have to act different to face it right.”
Think about it. Most any motto has times where I, personally, think it won’t work out. So I think mottos are fine, but for specific things, not for everything. So when it comes down to a choice, PICK your motto for that instance, don’t grab the one you always kept in your pockets. Make new ones everytime you need to. After all, there are so many locks, and so many keys. Not one, so many.
Thanks for sharing that perspective, Omnimal! I think you make a good point, even if I wouldn’t go as far as you did. True, there are times when “keep at it” would be a great motto, but other times quitting and redirecting would be better. If I’m climbing a hill and my motto is driving me up it in the face of wanting to quit when the hill erupts and lava is flowing toward me, to follow my motto anyway is to die.
But there are people known as hard workers or patient, forgiving or loving people. Those people often have personal mottoes that drive them forward when challenged with people or circumstances where it is difficult to work hard, be patient, forgive or keep loving. To have a new motto for every event and for every person you meet is to have no mottoes at all, nothing that helps identify your core strengths.
While someone who lives by the motto, “Live and let live” will have times when they need to stand up to abuse and stop someone from living at the expense of someone else, it is still a good idea to usually “live and let live.”
Having said that, you certainly spoke the truth here, that to stick too tenaciously to a particular motto just may take you down one of life’s unwanted paths.
Best motto ever: I can get a good look at a t-bone by sticking my head up a bulls arse but I’d rather take the butcher’s word.
Haha! Very funny, Tommy. But very true too!
This was an amazing read. I was doing some research on how to generate a strong personal motto for my senior exit exam/portfolio. I got that and more. This article helped me to identify and isolate key factors in my life that make up my core values that I subconsciously live my life by. I’m beginning to see clearly what my purpose is. Thank you for this.
Simply awesome, Jasmine. So glad to have played some role in that clarification of your core values. There will be no work you can do that will have a more lasting impact on yourself and the world than discovering your life purpose and living up to your values in its pursuit. It will be a large ripple in life’s pond that will affect others in ways you will never even know. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts here. Blessings.
I’m lucky and excited to find this website when I am preparing for my personal essay of college application. “Sharing is Caring!” So now I share my personal motto in this comment and hope someone may find it useful or meaningful to him or her~
“Think big and Do small to pursue happiness—-Mine and that of the world. Remember:No excuses, No limits!”
Thank you Ken, for writing this essay and inspire people around the world. Hope I can be one of the awesome people on this wonderful planet!
Thanks for finally talking about > Mottos that
Inspire Greatness: The Power of Personal Mottos, Part III | Meant to be Happy < Loved it!
Gadari.Ru recently posted … Gadari.Ru
its really a great honour reading all these mottos
they’ve really inspired my life a great deal
I’m deeply touched. Thank you for saying so.
Thanks for the enlightment. Please am an entrepreneur and I need a motto for my business. Am running a fish farm business, provisions store
Twitter: rizk_hramain
said :
Wanna ask, anyway wht is ur motto Ken Wert???? #greetingsfromIndonesia
Hey Rizka, Thanks for asking. I have several mottoes. I suppose the motto I use most frequently is: “Live and learn!” Whenever something doesn’t go the way I wanted it to go (or whenever something doesn’t go the way someone else wanted it to go, you can usually hear me saying, “Live and learn!” as a way of looking for the life-lesson buried in the situation. My second most used motto when something happens I have no control over and can do nothing to change is: “It is what it is.” It helps me accept the reality and be at peace with it.
the idea of the series is awesome,
keep in touch