Doesn’t have to be a life motto. Any motto, for any application.
Mine is: “Fear is shorter than regret.”
For food safety: When in doubt, throw it out.
… on to a plate for me to eat it!
Try to live a happy life imposing as little as possible on others.
You can’t change the past and can’t control the present. Deal with the future.
If you can’t control it, don’t worry about it.
Used to mostly keep me sane at work
If you can’t do something about a problem, worrying just gives you another problem. If you can do something about it, don’t waste energy worrying about it, just do the thing
“In doubt, reboot”
People should really learn this one
I personally need a reboot how do I go about doing this?
Follow a Ramadan or Lent fast and take as much a break from electronics as possible especially around bedtime.
I think about Roy and Moss every week at my stupid job.
“Don’t say things about someone behind their back, if you wouldn’t be prepared to say it to their face”
Funny… I think the internet’s motto is the exact opposite of this lol
I like this one, but looking at it from a different angle I say nice things about people behind their backs pretty regularly that I absolutely would not be prepared to say to their face cuz toxic masculinity. Anybody have tips on how I can keep working on the opposite of this problem? 😭
Smack em on the ass and say “you’re looking good today my dude.”
Shoulder, slap the shoulder. You don’t want to get called by the HR.
Batman in an interrogation room pins joker to the wall.
Batman: “I’ve only got one rule”
Joker: “Then that’s the rule you’re gonna have to break to get what you want”.
Now I hate Marvell and all super hero movies but I do find that quote applies to a lot of things. You cant be a pacifist and have free and fair elections, or have open boarders and socialism, or have high tax or no tax, or strict policing or lax policing or whatever. Whatever you say is a law, or a line is something that people will exploit.
Everything is temporary
Conversely, nothing is permanent
Brings to mind the bene gesserit litany against fear:
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
I often pair with:
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
Which is a nice allegory for most any chemical stimulant (coffee).
Everything is true, nothing is permitted.
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
The Benne gesserit is my second favourite quote.
90% of life is showing up.
I use this every time I’m on the fence about going to an event or just curling up on the couch.
It’s a good one. I’ll meditate to this.
I usually just show up to my couch
Paraphrased from Forrest Gump.
“Well, I’ve come this far. Might as well keep going.”
It’s great, because you just lie to yourself about the starting point of any task, and it doesn’t seem so bad.
If I’ve survived from birth until now, then I guess I can survive doing the dishes.I was just about to give up on dishes thank you kind stranger
“Different strokes for different folks.”
It’s a reminder that your preferences aren’t the only acceptable way to feel. It’s OK if some people like things you don’t. On different scales, it’s a lesson in tolerance.
It goes hand-in-hand with “Be excellent to each other.” Kindness goes far!
Together I hope someday they lead to “Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding.”
Don’t be “that guy”.
Depending on the situation, whatever “that guy” is will be different, but generally I try not to be “that guy”. Very rarely “that guy” is a good guy, and then the whole philosophy breaks down, but most of the time that’s not the case, and I am happy trying not to be “that guy”.
Be the change you want to see in the world
To me that means to live in a way that if everyone else did too, the world would be a better place. It obviously doesn’t gurantee that my moral compas always points to the right direction but it’s the only indication I’ve got about what’s right and what’s wrong. This also means that I don’t go out of my way doing some major charity work but just that I do my part no matter how insignificant it might feel because I believe that if everyone else did that too it would bring about a real change.
Never trust anything with a beak. Except for crows; crows are bros.
