What are your words to live by?

May 9, 2014

MottoEveryone’s got one–a creed by which they live.  And I’m wondering what yours is, especially if you are a parent. Because I suspect parents might give things like this more thought than those of us without children.  Because they teach their kids standards.

Sometimes I have too many mottos. I believe in speaking truth, I believe in loving people and being kinds. I believe we shouldn’t be pushovers, though.  When I sat down to think about it though, an episode from a job I had came to mind.

Something seriously racist happened in a meeting. I wasn’t there, but afterwards, an affected colleague came by and expressed embarrassment that they did not speak out.

“There were only two people I know who would’ve spoken out in that situation and one of them was you,” that colleague said.

I’ve never forgotten that. So I’d have to say that my motto comes down to this:

SPEAK.

SPEAK.

“Speak.”  Because silence kills. Just look at history.

th-1Your opinion is important. We women have a long history of subjugating our opinions. Don’t. Don’t be afraid to speak up.

speakingout-300x300When you see injustice, speak out. Because when light hits injustice, well, it’s harder to ignore. The only way to drive it out is to shine a bright light on it so everyone sees it.  So much harder to ignore.

thWe’re all in this together. Make sure you make your voice heard.

So that’s my motto. I’d love to know yours. I hope you’ll share it below in the comments. Thank you!

 

28 comments on “What are your words to live by?
  1. Puneet Kumar says:

    I fully agree with you. if something bad, wrong or incorrect is happening voices should raised against it. we have one life and we should give everyone a fair chance to live happily. Happiness can’t come without making others to be happy.

  2. My motto – since I first heard it – “what goes around, comes around.” I live my life with this thought in mind, and it nearly always proves true, both good and bad.

  3. My theme to live by are stolen from the Indigo Girls: The hardest to learn is the least complicated. 🙂

    • admin says:

      Say more…

      • I sit two stories above the street
        it’s awful quiet here since love fell asleep
        there’s life down below me though
        the kids are walking home from school.

        Some long ago when we were taught,
        that for whatever kind of puzzle you got –
        you just stick the right formula in
        a solution for every fool!

        I remember the time when i came so close with you
        sent me skipping my class and running from school
        and i bought you that ring cause i never was cool.

        what makes me think i could start clean slated
        the hardest to learn was the least complicated

        So i just sit up in the house and resist,
        and not be seen until i cease to exist
        a kind of conscientious objection
        a kind of dodging the draft.

        the boy and girl are holding hands on the street
        and i don’t want to but i think you just wait.
        it’s more than just eye to eye
        learn the things i could never apply
        i remember the time when i came so close to you
        i let everything go
        it seemed the only truth
        and i bought you that ring it seemed the thing to do

        what makes me think i could start clean slated
        the hardest to learn was the least complicated
        what makes me think i could start clean slated
        the hardest to learn was the least complicated

        Oh i’m just a mirror of a mirror of myself
        all the things that i do
        And the next time i fall
        i’m gonna have to recall
        it isn’t love it’s only something new.

        I sit two stories above the street
        it’s awful quiet here since love fell asleep
        there’s life down below me though, the kids are walking home from school
        i’m remembering the time when i came so close with you
        skipping my class and running from school
        and i bought you that ring cause i never was cool

        what makes me think i could start clean slated
        the hardest to learn was the least complicated
        what makes me think i could start clean slated
        the hardest to learn was the least complicated least complicated

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOBZ_dkGpJ4

  4. LIFE IS SHORT…LIVE EACH DAY WITH JOY, FORGIVENESS, AND GRATITUDE!

    My students will tell you that I have many versions of this….LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WEAR TEE SHIRTS….LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO DRINK FROM PAPER CUPS…LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO STAY MAD!…
    LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WATCH MOST TV…..LIFE IS SHORT, SO SING OUT LOUD!

    You get my drift!

    • admin says:

      I’m going to write all these down and do a list on my blog one day because already they are fabulously good. I love this one! Oh and yesterday? I layered. Just sayin’.

  5. Karen says:

    I have a couple: Question Authority, the old bumpersticker from the 1970s, has always resonated for me, and I’ve tried to teach my kids that as a principle.

    And a version of “what goes around comes around”: “If you stand on a bridge long enough, you’ll see the body of your enemy float by.” Which, when I think about it, is kind of gruesome…but also true.

  6. Jay Lickus says:

    plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

  7. Pay attention when things take you off track. They may be the track.

  8. Mary Buchan says:

    Ignore donkey’s and other naaaaaaaaaaaaay sayers!

  9. Kimba says:

    “Never complain, never explain.” Borrowed from the great Kate Hepburn.

  10. Karen @BakingInATornado says:

    I think often, when we parent, we come to the point where we have to choose our spots. When I reached this point I really had to assess what was most important to me and it truly came down to honesty. I think my motto is a cliche, but it speaks to me the most: “do unto others. . . “

  11. Lana says:

    “What is important is that my children grow up to be beautiful in the heart”. Guess it applies to me too!

  12. Carol Graham says:

    Basically two come to mind — first and foremost DO IT RIGHT AND DO IT NOW. Actually wrote a book on that subject. This was drilled into me as a kid and I still live by it. Unfortunately, I married the world’s biggest procrastinator! This can get tricky but I have it figured out how to get him to do stuff.

    Secondly — Like you, I will speak out. I will fight for justice, especially when injustice is hurting someone I care about.

    Thank you for this post — I am going to think about it some more as I want to “leave” mottos for my grandkids to live by.

    Carol @ Battered Hope

  13. I think my motto has always been, “Never Give Up Hope.” Ironic since I tend to be a bit of a pessimist.

  14. Mine is as always, “Appreciate the good, laugh at the crazy and deal with the rest.” But I have always told my children to”Be a leader not a follower”.

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