Motto: Adage, aphorism, maxim, rallying cry.
Famous people are famous for their mottos. They spew them out when they’re in front of a microphone and their fans.
Here’s a few: (Photo credits to Pixabay)
Question for TKZers this morning.
What are the words you live by no matter the circumstance that might arise in your world?
Here’s mine: This is all temporary.
(Click to view on Amazon)
- Let’s hear yours. That thing you think when all is sunshine and roses–or, when the bottom drops out of your life.
- How does your motto show up in your writing? Do you choose to read stories that illustrate your motto?
You’ve posed a very interesting question I’ll have to give some thought to. Right now I’m stuck on the Bruce Lee quote you mention: “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
I swear he must’ve said that for me because that’s a trap I fall into WAAAAAY to easily. Especially when it comes to creative projects like writing.
Hi Brenda! Thanks for chiming in today…
That quote hit me right in the keyboard. I’ve been “thinking” about my next story for about a year–have two chapters written, plus a whole file of ideas. Thunk! And that’s where it still is this morning. It’s like a pit I have to climb out of. But, I don’t have a ladder. 🙁
Have a great weekend!
The closing line of my only 3-act play, “Midnight in the Temple of Isis” is my life motto:
PHOTERON
“Life is both a question and its own answer. We live to experience a life of free will, a necessary blessing and a curse. Thus we often find ourselves in tears and darkness…”
(SATURNINUS has emerged from the shadows stage right,. He goes to PAULINA, draws her to her feet, and puts his arm around her. They walk out of the temple together as the lights slowly dim.)
PHOTERON
(smiling, watching them leave)
“…But then, at last, out of darkness shine the stars.”
End
Good morning, J.
“…out of darkness shine the stars.” Really love that one. And, it only takes one.
Have a great day!
Ten two-letter words rearrange my tail feathers, encouraging me to achieve my heart’s desire. “If it is to be, it is up to me.”
…rearrange my tail feathers…
Love it, Grant! And the rallying cry is perfect for writers, yes indeed…
Thanks for dropping in this morning, and have a good one.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff.
Hi Terry!
I’ve heard the first part of that, of course, but not the second part. I like it! 🙂
Have a great day, my friend.
Knowledge is power.
And Eleanor Roosevelt: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
Good morning, Janet…
Both are excellent! I love the ER quote–always have. In fact, I think I remember my mother using that quote when I was a teenager. I had lofty goals, but often felt incapable of making them happen.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day…
Mine are from flight school:
There are old pilots and bold pilots. There are no old, bold pilots.
Some pilots have 200 hours. Some have one hour 200 times.
I have written here a few times about my classmates Eric and Carol Fiore. Eric was an F15 pilot and then a test pilot. He was killed on a test flight. Carol wrote about their life and his eventual death. Each chapter started with what she called Ericisms, sayings he used. The first one: “Shit happens, and it doesn’t mean it’s somebody’s fault.”
Good morning, Alan!
“Shit happens, and it doesn’t mean it’s somebody’s fault.” Truth!
Playing the blame game when something goes wrong backfires every time. No lesson learned, no progress made, plus it makes me look like a real whiner.
Thanks for stopping by this morning…I like your pilot stories! 🙂
Mine is Dig Deeper. One of the things that makes me DNF a book is the feeling that the author “phoned it in,” met a deadline, and moved on. I’ve heard authors brag about how fast they can write a book. Even a few weeks. I want to write books that dig deep, excavate down to the emotional blood and guts. For me, that takes time. My brand is Strong Women, Powerful Stories. That means going beyond the perfunctory to what resonates with the human heart. I’m still not the writer who can reach that goal, but I strive for it.
Hi Kelly!
…but I strive for it. That’s what I picked up on. It’s the key, I think. And I really like “Dig Deeper”…isn’t that where the treasures always are?
Thanks for adding to our Rallying Cries today. Have a good one.
When life is going badly, This too shall pass. Unfortunately it also applies when life is going well.
Hi Debbie!
I can’t count the times my mother spoke those words over my bad attitude and teenage angst. Her voice still speaks them to me.
Thanks for dropping by, and hope you have a great day!
I have more than one, but I’ll go with this today: “We’re all in this life together.”
Community and being connected to a community, such as the wonderful community of writers or the community of family, friends and neighbors, matter a great deal. Community is vital in cozy mysteries.
Good morning, Dale!
You are so right…community is the blood & sinews of our existence on planet Earth. Time and time again we are faced with the dire consequences of allowing community to be relegated to the junk drawer. No less in this last few days.
Thanks for the reminder to stay connected. 👍
Let’s hear yours. That thing you think when all is sunshine and roses–or, when the bottom drops out of your life.
I rely on so many verses of wisdom when things are particularly good or bad that there’s no way I could come up with just one. So I’ll break the rules and offer two:
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118
And paraphrasing Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning: It isn’t your job to ask why certain things have happened to you. It’s your job to answer when life questions you.
I’ve got a few.
Personally:
“How’s that whining working for you?”
“Never try to make a happy baby happier.” (Works equally well for puppies and carefully-stacked items.)
“When in doubt, believe the warning signs.”
Professionally:
“Write the damn story.”