Maxims to Live By

You might call this post "Mantras to Live By" instead, as I repeat some of these sayings to myself when I'm facing a hard decision. But that's getting ahead of the story.

One of my grandfathers, whom I'm partly named after, died Tuesday before last. I saw my brother Roy at the funeral. We talked a lot and I told him how one time I was running from a punishment at home and he ran after me and essentially said, "If you run, it only makes it worse." Now this phrase, recycled, has become a mantra of mine, "You can't run from your problems. It only makes them worse." I used to recite it when I felt like chickening out. That saying helped make a man of me, so thank you, Roy. I'll always remember that moment; it changed my life for the better.

There have been other words spoken to me that seemed to have the ring of truth in them, and that I've remembered (or forgotten) in various forms. Here's a list of things I've recited at difficult moments, sayings I heard and liked, and one or two just silly things:

Talent is nice, but it's the ones that stick with it that succeed. - John Jennings, my junior high art teacher. I turned it into, "If I never give up, I'll eventually succeed at art."

You will never regret doing the right thing. (In the long term, at least. On the short term sometimes I'm not so sure.)

In the end, you will be exactly who you choose to be and you will receive exactly what you really wanted.

There's always kinks in the hose. (I came up with this metaphor. It's a euphemism for another common phrase I've heard.)

If aliens invaded right now, wielding only a giant magnet, they would win.

I don't have to wait for someone to ask for my help. I can just go and help.

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. - Ghandi

The way we treat everyone around us is very important. The most important thing, in fact.

No matter what you do, sometimes you will hurt people. (I realized this after dating a girl just to be nice, only to find she thought I wanted to marry her. So I stopped dating her. Seems no matter what I'd have done, I would have ended up hurting her. Which leads to another mantra . . . )

Never, ever date someone just to be nice.

Sometimes, even if it's not your fault or you didn't mean to, you just have to say, "Sorry". - From an Ensign or New Era article

That's like nailing jello to the wall.

If you don't forgive, you can't be happy.

I must exercise.

No matter how complicated or difficult a thing is, if you practice it enough, you can do it. (one of the few useful things I learned playing video games.)

With great power comes great responsibility. - Stan Lee, creator of Spiderman via my stepdad.

Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is good, because at least you are doing your duty. And eventually, your heart may change and then you'll be doing the right things for the right reasons.

We're all brothers and sisters. Every last one of us.

Everyone, everyone, EVERY ONE experiences terrible pain in life. (From my mission after speaking to thousands and thousands of people.)

It's not where you are that matters, but in which direction you're heading. -A youth sunday school lesson. I cannot remember who taught it to me. Far better to be in the pit of despair climbing out than on top of great hieghts falling down.

Well, that's about all I can dig up from the root-filled corners of my mental garden. But I believe all these sayings and live by them. (Watch out for giant magnets!)

-Royal