Small statements. Big ideas.
I Love a Good One-Liner
I've always loved the ability of poets and philosophers to express deep, profound concepts using just a few words. These are several that have stuck with me, impacted my beliefs, and become my mottos.
My Philosophies
"If you shoot for the stars it's easy to reach the moon"
More than a motto...a mantra. I coined this phrase at a young age in response to people whose excuse for poor behavior was "Nobody's perfect". OK, sure, but if you tried, couldn't you at least be better? You may never reach the stars but the moon is pretty awesome.
I recently read a different way to say this. "We may never be perfect, but if we chase perfection, we may achieve excellence."
"You can't control your emotions, but you can control your behavior"
It's natural to have emotions. But what sets humans apart in nature is the capacity to think and act beyond our basal, primal instincts and reflexes. I've seen too many instances where reactions to temporary emotions leave permanent damage. If we are to pursue perfection, we must start by processing our emotions in healthy ways.
"Don't sacrifice practicality for principle"
I believe practicality is the convergence of principles. We often get so focused to force compliance with "the principle of the matter" without considering other principles at play and the practical impacts of adherence to just one. A great example is the story of the teacher who tells her class to remain seated while she leaves the classroom, and also leaves a fish on the floor to die. The class stayed seated to follow the principle of obedience to the teacher...until one student disobeyed for the practicality of saving the fish.
"With something good comes something evil"
While this is a bible verse, it is a belief shared by many religions and has been described many ways. One of the clearest representations I know is the yin-yang. Whether you believe in God, Nirvana, Karma, or Science, there is a shared understanding that the universe and the forces that govern it will always create balance. We must accept the bad with the good. And when faced with life's challenges, we can choose which we see and which we'll be.
"Opinions are neither right nor wrong because right and wrong are matters of opinion"
The difference between facts and opinions is that facts can be proven or disproven, opinions can only be debated. And to every opinion, there is a debate. What one story calls a hero, another will call the villain. Part of acknowledging our imperfection is remembering that our opinions are not "right", and that disagreement is the universe's way of creating balance.
"You never get a second chance at right now"
This moment you're spending reading is now gone, etched in history and unchangeable. Life is short, even when it lasts as long as possible. And life will throw opportunities at you without notice, when you least expect it, and when you feel unprepared. But whether it's asking someone out, taking a job, taking a trip, do it. You won't get another chance. And we tend to regret the things we didn't do more than the things we did.
"You may not get over it, but you'll get through it"
Bad things happen to us all. This motto reminds me that some things we shake off and some things change us, but either way, there comes another day. I may never "get over it", but the bad doesn't last forever, and though it may take time, there comes another chance at joy. I don't have to let the mountain bury me. I can persist, I can be resilient, and eventually, I can get through it.
"You haven't failed until you've given up"
I used to think that success was a singular coin-flip. You try something, you either succeed or fail, and that was it. Then, I heard this perspective that success is the result of repeated failures that you learn from and improve upon. As long as you haven't quit, you can try again, and again, make adjustments and try yet again. They say Edison tried 1000 times before he got the light bulb to work. Imagine if he got discouraged and quit.