What's Your Motto?

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers. 

I've been contemplating my motto. What is my motto? What words do I live by everyday? I discovered a new-to-me blogger, Carrie Wisehart. She writes the blog, Live Upside Down. On her about me page, she mentions mottos. On her about me page it says, "She loves to surprise attack her students with stamps that have her mottos written on them: Choose Joy & Best Day Ever!"

I stopped and thought about it. "Do I have a motto? What is my motto? What words guide my life and my choices?"

I reached out to friends on social media and asked others what their mottos were. Here are some mottos...

"A grateful heart is a happy heart."

"Live your life!"

"Tomorrow is a new day, and we start fresh!"

"Everything happens for a reason."

"No matter how slow you are going, you are faster than everyone sitting on the couch."

"Live each day as if it were your last."

"Just making memories!"

"Believe."

"Improvise, adapt, and overcome."

"Be intentional."

"Be kind."

"Be a warrior, not a worrier."

"Show. Up."

"Don't let life get in the way of living."

"Be authentic."

Some of my students even answered. These mottos are some of my favorites...

"Be kind. Some people in the world are jerks and that's why this world needs more people to be kind...to balance it out."

"Life is way too short not to be yourself and share your ideas."

"Never be afraid to have your own ideas and you don't always need to like what everyone else likes. Be original and special. Make people notice you in a good way."

"Be true to you."

"Sparkle."

I think about mottos for those I love. I think if my dad were around for me to ask, I think he would say, "Be positive." My grandmother's motto would be about family! "Family is everything." Also, "Laughter cures all, and if laughter doesn't epsom salts does." Grammy Haseltine's motto would be "Never give up."

What's my motto? After thinking about this and writing about it, I think mottos can change with your life circumstances and some stick with you. When I was in college, friends teased me about my positive attitude by saying, "If Michelle was kept captive in a prison, the first thing she'd say when she was released was, 'I had the BEST TIME!' " I like to think that I make the best out of life, so that's one I'm claiming...

I love quotes. I think my love of quotes may connect with this idea of a motto. I'm looking for words that will guide my life. Brainstorming helped me remember some oldies and think of some new ones. Here's my notebook page with mottos...

What's my motto? I can't live with just one. What's yours?