I’m thinking of changing my motto which got me considering – and googling, of course. Mottos are everywhere. Many of them have become part of our everyday background noise, particularly the corporate variety – a mission statement in five words or less. “We try harder”, “Just do it”, “Every little helps”, “Don’t be evil” to mention only a few (Avis, Nike, Tesco and Google, as if you didn’t know).
We have all heard of “Be prepared”, “Who Dares Wins” and “to Protect and to Serve”, (The Scouting Movement, the SAS and LAPD) and many people would know that “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is the motto of Liverpool Football Club (although you might be surprised that “Victory through Harmony” is the motto of Arsenal FC).
Countries (and regions and supra-national entities) have mottos too. Unity, God, Progress and monarchy figure quite frequently. They range from the strident to the peaceful, but I wonder how much they reflect the nation, the population or the reality on the ground. The motto of Gadaffi’s Libya was "Freedom, Socialism and Unity”. The National Transitional Council has adopted “Freedom, Justice, Democracy”.
Compare these two: “One Nation One Culture” and “United in diversity”, Armenia and the EU respectively, but my favourite contrasting mottos are these: the militant “Rather death than dishonour” of Brittany and the gloriously laid back “Wherever the fates carry us” from Bermuda. And whilst we are on the letter B, I enjoyed the motto of the British Virgin Islands – “Be Watchful!” (Oil, lamps, wise, foolish anyone?)
Towns, cities and local authorities all have mottos, inherited from ancient days or carefully negotiated by working parties and committees. Some, like the City of Liverpool have an international feel: “Not For Ourselves, But For The Whole World” whilst on the other coast in Lincolnshire Mablethorpe has a more local feeling: “Amoeniora Litora Nostra” (Our shores are more delightful). Bless.
Dublin affirms, “Obedientia Civium Urbis Felicitas” (The citizens' obedience is the city's happiness). Hmmm … I wonder how many people in Davy Byrne’s or O'Sullivan’s of an evening have this as their guiding maxim.
My personal favourite town motto belongs to Austin Texas – “Keep Austin Weird”. (I believe this was coined by the Austin Independent Business Alliance).
A personal motto is like a new year’s resolution that you can live with beyond the end of January.
Does it help? Does having this aiming mark on your personal horizon actually more likely that you will get where you want to go? Or that your journey will be better? Is a personal motto for life like the little stabilizer wheels on your first fairy cycle?
Probably, yes.
When I was younger – and possibly more consciously ambitious – my guiding motto was “it is not enough”. It was a combination of ‘try harder’ and ‘you can always do better’, I suppose, with a healthy dash of ‘never rest on your laurels’.
At some point it changed, almost without asking. Now I guide myself with “leave it better than you find it”. Not exactly original or world-changing. But as a personal mission statement, it has served me well and I hope I’ve managed to stick to it most of the time.
Just recently, I have felt that it may be a bit too easy. Our wilderness is becoming a garden, every year our buildings and our business improve. Perhaps I need something with more rigour.
My research has turned up some candidates. “Deeds not words” – the motto of the WSPU founded in 1903 by Emmeline, Christabel and Sylvia Pankhurst. Emily Davison exemplified the motto as she threw herself under the King’s horse at the 1913 Derby. I’m not in that league and anyway is it an appropriate motto for a blogger?
“Think different” maybe, but that’s been taken.
“Anything worth doing, is worth doing well”. Too vague.
“It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees”. Too aggressive.
And there is so much out there that is truly wet – “The most important thing you wear is the smile on your face”. Please.
Well for now, I’m going to keep on leaving it better than I found it until I find something better.
Let's Talk.
I've had various personal mottos over the years. Most were suggested by others ... for example my mother always averred "do your best and b****r the rest!" That helped when I was going through my 'I'll never be any good at anything phase'.
ReplyDeleteOther pearls of wisdom were "what cannot be cured must be endured" this helped me come to terms with my 'total inadequacy at resolving problems phase'.
Some mottos were self discovered through experience ... for example 'everywhere You Go You Always Take The Weather With You' ... with a little help from Crowded House! lol
Eventually I realised that mottos are self-fulfilling prophecies therefore if you don't get a good weatherproof one then someone else's motto will take precedence and yours will be downgraded. There's a hierarchy in this motto business ... lol
As you grow older previously held beliefs undergo a subtle change. For example 'Tell the truth and shame the Devil' works very well up to 70 years of age ... until then you never have to remember what you said if you always tell the truth!
Unfortunately as time goes by you can't remember what you said full stop ... so that little mantra becomes redundant!
Sigh ... such is life ...