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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Mottoes

CHARGE!!
I am a person of mottoes and sayings. Proverbs, prose, and poetry. I love words. I love how they sound, how they feel rolling off my tongue, listening to foreign languages, dissecting writing styles... It's all good. :) But this particular post is about my personal mottoes that I've packed with me through the years...

As I think back, the one that has stuck with me the longest would have to be, "Where there's a will, there's a way!" I will admit here that I am a stubborn person. When I grab hold of an idea, opinion, or dream, I hold fast to it. Like a Pit Bull, once I have a hold, I don't let go. I suppose that can be considered a fault, but that motto has helped me stubbornly stick to a task that others thought impossible. It's helped me think outside the box of normal thinking, and I've learned to work smarter, not harder. It's helped me remember that, if I put my mind to something, I can accomplish it; even when the majority of those around me say I will fail. Where there's a will, there's a way.

While the above may be the motto that I've kept the longest, it doesn't hold the honor of being my favorite. Oh no... That title goes to the following:
"I am only one,
But I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But I can do something.
What I can do,
I ought to do.
And what I ought to do,
By the grace of God, I will do!"

That one, is my favorite. So often I get bogged down with the thought of, "I can't do anything. I'm just one, insignificant person. I'm a nobody..." And then I remember that saying. I am only one, but I am one.
 Sure, I can't save the world, but I can save what is close to me. Who in my community needs help? What are my talents that can benefit others? I cannot do everything, but I can do something. There's no need to rush around, madly trying to save this, help that, raise funds for them, send letters to those folks over there, and otherwise turn into a whirling dervish. I can do something. I just baked some bread, why not share it with some needy folks? My rabbits just had litters of bunnies, who in the area would benefit from having some stock of their own? I have yarn, why not make some baby booties, or a hat for someone who is expecting or just had a baby? 
What I can do, I ought to do. If I can do it, then DO IT!! Simple mathematics there, that I'm always forgetting! ;)

"Go for the gold, and never say die." Again, I'm a stubborn soul. I'll give the credit for that to my German/Irish ancestry. LOL. When things get tough, I just grit my teeth and remind myself to "never say die". I may not be able to run a marathon, or lift a huge amount of weight, but I know the key to endurance, and I'm a pretty steady worker. Once I get a pace and rhythm set, I'm good to go. I also dream big. Really big. I ask myself what is something I would love to do in life, but seems impossible? Once that's figured out, I set my goals, and work towards accomplishing the seemingly impossible. Which is why I now have goals such as going to Polyface Farms, becoming a licensed veterinary technician, having a herd of Nationally recognized goats, and becoming a licensed ADGA (American Dairy Goat Assoc.) judge. Yeah, I'm gonna' be busy! ;)

And lastly, I remember when I was younger, a cousin-like friend would always tell me that there was only one thing to do when things got hard and you wanted to give in: "CHAAAAAARGE!!!"
LOL. I still keep that bit of wisdom. :)

What are some of your mottoes? 

1 comment:

Autumn said...

The motto that has stuck with me for the longest is "Fake it 'til you make it." I like the Grace of God one, I've never heard it before!