Create Personal Mantras to Guide Your Life

Published on April 22, 2012 by admin   ·   No Comments

Care2

Do you ever wonder why so many politicians, celebrities, professional athletes, and others in the spotlight engage in such foolish, hurtful, and sometimes corrupt activities? Is it that people who want to be celebrities are somehow wired differently from everyone else — that the special something in their DNA that draws them to the limelight also causes them to act badly? Or, is it that many of us act badly but we don’t have cameras following us around? It would be easy to point fingers and claim superiority, but I don’t think that fits reality.

The successful executive who commands attention and respect from his employees and industry, but whose kids and spouse ignore and ridicule him. The pastor who is addicted to porn. The super mom who seems to manage it all but is addicted to Vicodin. We are surrounded by people who purport to be one thing, while at the same time doing something completely different during their other 8 hours. They are on your TV, in the movies, and elected to office. They are also in your church, in your neighborhood . . . and in your house.

In fact, you may well be one of those people yourself. Sure, you might not be addicted to drugs or having an affair, but I’m sure there are things you are doing in your life that you are not proud of — we all do. But to avoid embarrassment (at the least) and other nasty things from happening by living with multiple personalities, you can create personal mantras that will help guide your decisions, your actions, and ultimately, your life.

A mantra is a short statement that defines your view about something. For example, you might have the nutrition mantra of “nothing fried and nothing sweet.” This simple statement defines what is acceptable and what isn’t quite succinctly. In the heat of the moment when the waiter asks, “What can I get you?” you can fall back on this mantra to help you answer that question. It doesn’t require a great deal of thought, a fancyiPhonenutrition app, or a special dietary formula.

I’m a big fan of creating mantras across many areas of my life — health, family, money, relationships, etc. Some of mine include:

• Family – To be there and engaged.
• Friends – Support them in times of need.
• Personal Development – To advance and grow each day.
• Spiritual – A little bit closer each day.

Each mantra is a lens through which I can then quickly and easily make decisions.