Can you sum yourself up in a sentence? Do any of you swear by a motto? A saying that's close to your heart? Maybe something a famous person said, or something you heard in a book? If you don't have a mantra prior to reading this, just think about it. Maybe something will come to you that you can post. I could name a few, but the deepest and closest to me is, "The opposite is also true." I believe it's extracted from a quote by Niels Bohr: "The opposite of a trivial truth is false; the opposite of a great truth is also true." A big part of my life is learning not only to accept contradictions, but to embrace them, cherish them, and put them to use within and without me. It also rings the same bells as the concept of yin-yang, which I quite like. All-in-all an elegant expression of something I must remember every day.
I suppose the one that hits home the best for me would be: I always find this true, and sometimes it's wiser to not speak and listen than to ramble on like a fool. Lao Tzu has many great sayings, and I could keep going but I'll stop here hahaa.
I used to have a mantra that I would quote all of the time. I have not said it in a very long time. I wonder why. "Mind over matter." Logic over sensation, possibility over limitation, will over circumstance. There will always be a way around or through. Equally important, but almost never said in this way, is another goal I set for myself. "Know all." Obvious, and not so obvious. I do not mean to seek out which of two concepts is true because that cannot be found. Instead, I wish to gain knowledge of both concepts and all possible answers to the question. The simplest version of an idea is always the most beautiful, or so I think.
I could name several but this is probably the most concise and general of them: It not only reflects my value on optimism, but also facing challenges the 'right' way. For example, having a conflict with someone--instead of resigning myself to just holding a grudge, being the one to first extend apologies and try to make good.
I like that one, even though I vehemently hate the Roosevelts. A form of it could become one of mine in time.
"Every sentence I utter must be understood not as an affirmation, but as a question." I had no motto in mind when I entered this thread. This quote is by Niels Bohr as well, it was your mentioning him that had me look up quotes by him; and this quote in particular struck a chord with me. People taking my words as set in stone has been a source of numerous misunderstandings, they forget to remember that a wise man's thoughts and opinions should be up for a later revision. I make revisions all the time. I question in the form of a statement. But people are wont to take things at face value, they might understand the raw syntax but they fail to understand the implications, to think outside the box a little. I don't pretend that I know what I'm talking about. "Our senses enable us to perceive only a minute portion of the outside world." —Nikola Tesla Less a life motto and more an infallible truth, there is always more than meets the eye.
I've known my dad and my grandad for about 3 years...both of which live by the motto I myself find that in life that's extremely good advice, it teaches not to meddle with things that dont need to meddled, dont stir up ancient dust that's already settled...Be happy rather than try and find fault in things. :3
Even though many people here may look down upon my taking inspiration from Kingdom Hearts, I find that this the sort of motto that I want to live by. It's just the sort of thing that helps you to keep going, even when it seems like there's no end to the hardships or the struggles or the pain. To me, Kingdom Hearts is more than just a JRPG. It's shows you to never give up and always work toward your ultimate goal, despite how bleak the road ahead may be.
Honestly I admire it~ I mean a lot of quotes in kingdom hearts have kept me going in the past, I mean it can be so inspirational...I rather look up to the quote you gave aswell ^_^ Though one of my favourite quotes from kingdom hearts has to be That quote...It helps when I miss people...Even the dead...I can look up and be sure that somewhere out there...Whoeer it is I miss is somewhere under the very same sky~
I don't really live by any sort of quote or sum myself up based on a phrase, but if I had to choose one I'd go with this: So very vulgar, I know. But I find vulgarity to be a pure and unfiltered form of expression and I find this message to be very empowering. Do what you want, be what you want and don't let anyone stop you. **** YOU KHV I AM MY OWN WEBSITE.
To be honest, I never really thought about this much until I looked at this thread. A long time ago, there was something that I began to always say when things were looking rather grim, to reassure myself and my loved ones. "Everything will be alright." Nothing particularly intelligent, I don't pretend to be what I'm not, but this always seems to be the case. No matter what one is going through right at this moment, everything will be okay in the end, even if everything is horrid right until the curtain drops. In recent months, I've been noticeably saying it less and less, more things are starting to take a toll on my mind and body, but I still stand by it, even when all seems lost.
One thing I try to live by is 'time waits for no one', which I took from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. It reminds me to not let life pass me by, live in the now, so to speak. Instead of waiting for opportunities to present themselves to me, seek them out and so on. Another phrase I try to remember when life seems tough is 'this too shall pass', a Persian Proverb (thanks Mak!). Anything, no matter how cumbersome, can be overcome in time..
I finished playing Persona 3 a couple of months ago and although I don't normally draw inspiration from video games, there was a piece of dialogue that really struck home to me: I spent a fair amount of time last year trying to figure out or get some bearings about what I wanted to do in life. I seriously wondered for a long time if paramedics and nursing would be a suitable career for me. I was a bit down in the dumps during a 6 week placement on road, after seeing some of the worst that humanity had to offer. When I heard this mantra, I truly realized that I won't be able to save everyone in the world that I come across. But if I can devote my time and energy to saving and caring for the ones in front of me and at the very least, help them accept death, then that's good enough for me. A personal one of mine following this experience is:
