My Rules

On the TV show NCIS, Gibbs teaches the agents that work under him rules to live by. Newt Gingrich just authored a book with his daughter about five secrets to a successful life. One of my Dad's mottoes is that "It is not enough to be good, you've got to be good for something." King Arthur's soliloquy in Camelot gives his ideals starting with the word "Resolved."

Most of my rules, secrets, mottoes, or resolutions started out as quotes that I have kept in my heart and tried to live by. Some are quotes that I would like to have make it to motto status because of repeated use. Here are a few off the top of my head.

• There are at least five ways of doing almost everything. (This grew out of Future Problem Solving thinking.)
• Have a passion for learning and thrive on challenge and change. (Carol Dweck)
• What is the real problem? (This grew out of Future Problem Solving thinking too.)
• "Everyone is doing the level best they can." (Sherri Dew)
• "Run boy, run!" (King Arthur said this at the end of Camelot.)
• The past need not hold the future hostage. (Elder Neal A. Maxwell)

The next quote is saying about the same thing as the last rule...

• "...if the Lord...hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep...and my strength slacken because of mine afflictions?" (2 Nephi 4:26)
• Life is good! (from President Gordon B. Hinckley's biography)
• "...one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield!" (Alfred Lord Tension's Ulysses)
• "Now, therefore, give me this mountain." (Joshua 14:12)

What are your mottos?

(The views written in this post are the views of the author and do not necessarily represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)