Mottos to live by

Last year, on top of my normal New Year's Resolution, you may remember I decided I'd invent something (see here) - well guess what? I didn't, still on the Torschlusspanik list but no hurry, I'll get there.

So this year, I'm just hanging onto the resolution to try and be happy. That's enough. However, I'm also amping it up a little.

A friend went to Sweden (a weekend trip from London to visit the Abba museum) and updated her FB status at the end of it: Farewell Sweden. We walked in, we danced out.

I have decided my new motto in life is: Walked In, Danced Out. (So be prepared for a whole lot of sparkly, spangled challenges hitting the Torschlusspanik List next year).

Now I understand some of you may have loftier needs in a motto than me, so here are a few that came back when I put it out to my universe:

Do everything whole heartedly (I, of course, prefer the Ron Swansonism Never half ass two things, whole ass one thing.)
Always be yourself, unless you can be a unicorn, then always be a unicorn.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry
Walk the Line (but the person who said it didn't really know what it meant, just thought it sounded good - it then evolved to Dance the Line)
I am Enough (which I had to ruin with my infantile humour and add 'Enough is okay, but too much is better')
Too much of a good thing is wonderful
Make every minute count
Laugh so hard you scare people
Be a voice, not an echo

While worthy, these are all a little trite nowadays, so probably not motivating enough anymore. I was very taken with something in a movie the other day (no spoilers peeps, don't mention the movie): The art of survival is a story that doesn't end.

There is one that I aspire to, but I have enough self knowledge to understand that for me, and my highly strung wiring, it will always be unattainable. I asked a friend who'd just been through a stressful business venture how he was, and he replied merrily "I'm good. You know me, I'm always good. Even when they're firing bullets at me, I'm still smiling". I'd LOVE that to be my motto, but I think realistically, I'll have to settle for the dancing.


Lastly I want to leave you with the best bit of parenting advice I received this year - it came from the very wonderful Ed at The Tunnel "We can't tell our children how to live their lives but we can hopefully tell them not to live them like Liberace." Wise, wise words indeed!

I've added a few more that I've learnt since writing this -

Even the smallest axe can fell a large tree if it is sharp enough.

The flower doesn't concern itself with the flower next to it, it just blooms.


So what do you think? Want to claim any of them? What would your 2014 motto be? OR life motto if you are that committed?


Walked In, Danced Out!


Linking up with the Lounge over at Guest host sofa Five Degrees of Chaos.