Doesn’t have to be a life motto. Any motto, for any application.

Mine is: “Fear is shorter than regret.”

  • Anomaly
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    239 months ago

    Remember you will die. Not as a fear but simply as a reminder.

  • @grue@lemmy.world
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    219 months ago

    “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” — George Bernard Shaw

    • If you can’t do something about a problem, worrying just gives you another problem. If you can do something about it, don’t waste energy worrying about it, just do the thing

    • @Hadriscus@lemm.ee
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      19 months ago

      This is great, I’ve been applying it in the kast few years. Lifted many a burden off my back

  • @Dabundis@lemmy.world
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    169 months ago

    “Anything that isn’t nothing”

    Helps me push through when executive dysfunction hits. Getting outside for even just a little bit is a whole lot better than staying inside while telling myself I’m going to run 3 miles, for example

    • @Reyali@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      That’s a good one. A few others that help with my executive dysfunction are:

      • “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” (It’s better to do something than to obsess over trying for the impossible goal of ‘perfection’.)
      • “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.” (This one helps especially with art and things I enjoy but struggle to do if I’m not instantly great at them.)
      • “Laziness does not exist.” (This was inspired by a Medium article I read years ago which explained there is always an underlying cause of procrastination. Mental or physical ill health issues, uncertainty about the task, fear of failure, etc. When I am struggling to move forward, I now look for that reason and can begin to remove the barrier.)
    • @Mog_fanatic@lemmy.world
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      19 months ago

      I love this. I always tell people trying to get into fitness and struggling something along these lines. Anything is better than nothing. Even just going to the gym and walking around the place and walking right out… Still better than doing nothing at all. Terry crews has an awesome quote kinda along these lines:

      I tell people this a lot - go to the gym, and just sit there, and read a magazine, and then go home. And do this every day. Go to the gym, don’t even work out. Just GO. Because the habit of going to the gym is more important than the work out. Because it doesn’t matter what you do. You can have fun — but as long as you’re having fun, you continue to do it.

    • CrispyCactus
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      19 months ago

      “Some is better than none.” -My motto throughout college.

      Usually I was stressed by the number of chapters I had to read, or pages I had to write. Instead of shutting down and not doing anything, I would tell myself to just read a single page or write a paragraph because any amount of work done is better than nothing.

      Now I apply it to work and chores.

  • Krafting
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    139 months ago

    “In doubt, reboot”

    People should really learn this one

  • @EarthShipTechIntern@lemm.ee
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    9 months ago

    Brings to mind the bene gesserit litany against fear:

    I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

    I often pair with:

    It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

    Which is a nice allegory for most any chemical stimulant (coffee).


    Everything is true, nothing is permitted.

    Nothing is true, everything is permitted.

  • Bleeping Lobster
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    89 months ago

    “Don’t say things about someone behind their back, if you wouldn’t be prepared to say it to their face”

  • Mister Neon
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    79 months ago

    “Too much force will break it.” The only thing worthwhile my mother taught me.

  • @Eiri@lemmy.world
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    79 months ago

    Be morally better than average. If you justify being bad by saying everyone else is doing it, you’re not helping the downward spiral. Because bad people and people with no choice make things worse on average.