My Mantra, My Story
A few years ago, I created something–a set of five statements–I say to myself every morning when I wake up; a personal mantra if you will. I’m not sure what compelled me to do this, but as I journaled early one morning, I started writing words and phrases that would trigger positive thoughts, reminding me to approach each day in a meaningful, authentic, productive way.
It took me a while–months actually–to arrive at just the right number and combination of “reminders,” and after writing, editing, testing, rewriting and more editing, I finally arrived at what felt right for me:
Honor your purpose
Trust your process
Thrive on progress
Enjoy happiness
Strive for satisfaction
Each statement begins with an action; something positive and aspirational. Each action word is followed by an outcome, one I can pursue and achieve both daily and my lifetime. The outcomes are purposefully global rather than task driven. In other words, they don’t say, “Make good decisions,” or “Strive to make $1 million this year,” or “Run a half-marathon in under two hours.” Instead, they offer ongoing, “evergreen” checkpoints I revisit each morning (and sometimes throughout the day) that encourage me to “stay the course.”
I’m not sure if you’ve crafted a personal mantra or checklist, and if you have, I’m guessing it looks much different than mine. But for me, this cadence seems to create a well-rounded variety of what I want to place in my subconscious mind every day, and how I want to live my life.
They came from years of thinking about my own story; where I’ve been, where I am, where I want to go in the years I have left (I hope there are many), and the legacy I want to leave. Twenty or thirty years ago, this list would likely have been much different, and maybe in the future, it will change based on how my personal narrative, and my life, changes and evolves.
What action words and outcomes would you use to build your personal mantra, based on your unique life story? And how do you think it could help you begin each day on a positive note? Try it, and I’d love to hear what you create and how it’s working for you.