My MottoSeveral years ago I adopted a motto for myself. It may not be very original and I’m sure others have made this discovery too, but I’ve adopted it as my own. I think everyone should have a catchphrase to keep them on track. The United States Marine Corps uses – "Semper Fidelis" – this is Latin for "Always Faithful". So, if the Marines feel they should have a motto, maybe you should, too. The slogan I adopted years ago is quite simple and straight to the point. I try to use it as a compass to keep myself pointed in the direction I wish to go. My motto – "Life is far too short to be miserable!" Of course, I always say, "Life is far too [DAMNED] short to be miserable!", but some may find that offensive. Either way, feel free to adopt my motto until you can come up with one of your own. It keeps in the forefront of my mind to focus on striving for joy, peace and tranquility in my life. It may help you to do the same. I'm not implying that every day is a cakewalk in anyone's life. I'm merely suggesting that most people's lives have enough sorrow in them for them to deal with. So, we should do what we can to keep ourselves focused on the positive in between the times when we have to cope with the more trying times in our lives. You are in charge of your happiness and don’t ever doubt it for a second. Do not allow others to take your power away – the power to chart your own course in life. Having a motto can help to keep you focused on your goal - being happy! If you're in a truly bad relationship, either fix it through honest effort, or say good-bye. To remain in such a situation merely denies you and your partner the chance to find true happiness with someone else. There is no need for animosity or recriminations. None of us is perfect and life isn't the high school social scene. Some people are just not suited to one another and it's just that simple. There is no right or wrong about it, or a good guy and a bad guy, it's just a matter of chemistry . . . and some chemical combinations can be explosive, indeed! I grew up in a neurotic environment filled with violence and screaming matches. I swore to myself when I was a boy wondering whether I would live to see puberty, that I would not tolerate those conditions in my adult life . . . and I won't! I'd rather be alone than to put up with that sort of chaos in my life. "Life is far too [DAMNED] short to be miserable!" Do you see how my motto works for me? A motto such as this can help to keep you focused on determining to bring more happiness into your life by keeping the ultimate goal in mind - being happy! Don't you deserve to have a healthy relationship, too? Now here's a tough one, for more reasons than one. Years ago there was a book entitled, "Never Work for a Jerk", the name of the author eludes me at the moment, but the point I'm trying to make is that truer words were never spoken. We spend a good portion of our lives working. It makes us feel useful and gives us a sense of accomplishment and reward that we are contributing to humanity. It also helps us to pay the bills! It is not, however, carved in stone that we have to be miserable while doing our jobs! If your job makes you miserable – find a new one – fast! We spend a large portion of our lives working. Do you really want to allow others to make such a large chunk of your life abject misery? This, of course, is often easier said than done. You may need more schooling or additional training, but it is certainly not impossible. Make a plan and follow through and you can escape being a "wage slave" that lives a life of frustration merely for a paycheck. Try this little test. Ask yourself this question: "How much money will it take to buy back just one day of your life?" The most valuable possession we have is the "time" we have to live. If we sell that time merely for wages at a job where we are miserable, that's the price you sold one of the days of your life for. We literally, most of us, sell the most precious commodity we possess for nickels and dimes! Oh, and if you haven't gotten the answer to the question on the test – no amount of money can buy back even a single day of your life! Don’t sell it cheaply! I am not advocating a philosophy of greed. I would, however, encourage you to do something you find rewarding with your life that may not be solely geared to financial considerations. Years ago the late Joseph Campbell gave his students, and the rest of us, some priceless advice – "Follow your bliss!" Mr. Campbell was a very wise man! We all know that money can't buy happiness. Accordingly, our jobs should have additional rewards. I believe his exact advice goes something like this: "Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors for you where before there were only walls!" - Timeless advice in my opinion. This was Joseph Campbell's way of encouraging us to have faith in the Universe and ourselves, to follow our own path. We are all unique and have contributions to make that no one else can offer in quite the same way. In order to do so, however, we have to have enough faith in ourselves to at least try. "Follow your bliss!" is not only excellent advice, but is an example of a great motto, too! We tend to shackle ourselves through a common fear – the fear of failure. What many of us fail to see is that the only real failure in life is the failure to give ourselves the opportunity to try. That is the only real failure in life. We are an odd species. We tend to learn more from our failures than our successes. So, give yourself a chance to follow your heart to see where it leads. You may be surprised . . . it might lead you to the happiness you seek. Life is too short to be lived in misery. Life is tough enough for most people. There is no need to make it harder on yourself than it is. Don't be afraid to bring some joy into your life. Pursue your dreams! On a final note, we are becoming more health conscious these days. With this in mind it may be prudent to be aware that one factor has been connected to just about every illness afflicting humanity. That factor is stress! If you're unhappy it can, and often does, influence your health - just something for you to keep in mind. My motto – "Life is far too [DAMNED] short to be miserable!" What’s yours? Another motto to consider is |