Mantras

A mantra is: a statement, word or slogan that is repeated frequently. A personal mantra is a phrase or affirmation that you say to yourself to motivate or encourage yourself. 

I just read an article about the mantras that famous people use. None were born wealthy, they created their own wealth and success, through hard work and dedication, and perhaps a mantra repeating in their head. 

 Oprah leads the list. She uses the mantra that she got from Maya Angelo, "When you know better you do better". Anyone that knows anything about Oprah knows she lives a life of doing better. 

Mark Cuban is a member of the TV show, "Shark Tank", owner of the Dallas Mavericks and is a well-known investor. The mantra that he uses came from his dad, it is, "there are no shortcuts". His Dad always told him, "Do the work, out-work, out-think and out-sell your expectations because there are no shortcuts". 

J.K Rawlings is the author of the Harry Potter books. She was once a single mom on welfare writing in a coffee shop about her famous wizard. She faced many rejections but is now one of the wealthiest women in the world. Her mantra is, "Embrace Failure".

Suze Orman at one time was living in her car and is now known as a very wealthy and famous financial advisor. She stated that with success comes unhelpful criticism, ignore it. A teacher from India told her, "The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking". 

Rick Goings is involved in Tupperware Brands. His mantra is, "Be nice to everyone". He explains that you never know who is watching and listening. By being nice you create a positive energy. 

Richard Branson, a famous billionaire's mantra is, "Never look back in regret, move onto the next thing". He credits his mother for this mantra, she always encouraged him to move on to the next project. He never looks at anything as a bad experience but as a learning curve. 

I used to rely on mantras all the time. I would plant one firmly in my head when I knew it was going to be a difficult day. I would encourage my patients to put a simple one line or one word idea in their head to repeat when they needed it. They would often settle on, "You can do this" or "Everything will be okay". I liked the mantra that my friend used when she was having a difficult biopsy, "You can do anything for 10 minutes" and then once that is over, say it again for another 10 minutes. 

I would say that my most used mantra is: "Everything happens for a reason". I know many of you use this as well. Sometimes the answer is very clear, other times it requires a struggle to figure it out, and very often there is no answer.  

                                         

The last thing I would ever do is to aspire to be rich and famous. But it is meaningful to me when I read articles such as famous people's mantras. At times someone is handed success, such as a well-established family business, but often success is earned. I have always felt that success is about taking an opportunity at the right time. Being in the right place at the right time, along with the right mindset is what I believe is the key. Success is never easy; it comes with sacrifice, failure and perseverance. The bottom line for me is, "Never give up, watch, listen and learn". You may need some patience and time but keep working at it. Although this blog has reference to successful famous rich people, success isn't always measured in wealth. Being successful is to have achieved a desired vision or a goal. Some people are very wealthy because of it, others feel a simple sense of accomplishment. Just remember everyone is successful in something, you may not think it is a big deal, but it sure is.