The Hive learners prompt is about a personal motto or code you live by. At this exact moment I think it should be "Always save your work" because I have spent the past hour and a half writing what I thought was a great article and then a few keyboard strokes and it was totally erased. Somehow everything got highlighted, I pressed "i" twice from a keyboard slip and everything was gone. Right click "undo" and one of the "i" vanishes. Click on the post button and "load drafts" and Hive autosaved "ii" ... a few seconds ago.
If this article is a lot shorter than usual it's because I'm kind of frustrated and was just going to ignore the prompt altogether after that disappointment. However, I'll forge on and try to hit the 500 words mark with a coherent article.
(Deep breath, vitriol expelled, time to get on with it).
People have an awful lot of motto's that they live by and they find inspiration in all kinds of things. Very understandable because life doesn't have a guidebook. There is no universal bar you can use to say "I've succeeded". Indeed with so many voices telling people what they should and shouldn't be it is easy to feel adrift. Sometimes a motto is a lighthouse to guide you home.
One image that I often think of before I open the door to work is that my happiness is a jewel I should hold onto.
Why that image?
... because the world is a thief that keeps trying to steal that jewel from me. When people say mean things, when people get upset, when I get overloaded and frustrated, when things don't go right it is the world trying to steal my happiness. I must not let that happen. Protect the jewel when my 90 minutes of work vanishes in an instant.
Honestly I think that is a pretty good motto for my life. It isn't the one that is most important to me. That motto protects my peace of mind and keeps me calm whatever happens.
My guidance comes from the Bible and being a Christian.
My motto comes from a cheap dollar store plastic recorder.
That terrible little musical instrument that has been taught to children in elementary school for generations. That instrument that has violated many parents and teachers ears with shrill cacophonous sounds for just as long. Played badly it is arguably awful. Thing is, it is cheap and easy to get a note from, so it gets taught to elementary students so they learn basic notes with little fingers. Then the students progress to "real" instruments later.
Here is the thing though. The recorder is limited in notes, limited in volume, can't do harmonies and will never get you into a rock and roll band but with practice and skill it can make beautiful music. Honest, I'm not kidding. Don't believe me? Check out Mikala Petri a recorder virtuoso at this link here
"Do the best with what you have"
Many people get upset or depressed because life isn't fair. That is absolutely life is not fair and never has been. Using the recorder analogy. Some people get expensive instruments like Piano's, unusual ones like the Theremin, niche ones like the Bagpipe, and yes, limited ones like the recorder. Unfortunately some people get a broken one but that's the topic of a different article.
Guess what? The bagpipe will never excel at an evening lullaby. That's not where it fits. I could also say that the Piano is awfully hard to take with you so you just can't play it in a capsule hotel. Every instrument has its time and its place...and they all sound pretty awful unless people learn to play them properly.
Here is the thing. Every person is wired differently. Not every person can fit the role that they really want to fit into. Not every person can be a fashion model, elite athlete, or business CEO as they weren't given the "gifts" necessary for that path. So... a person can either grumble and complain that they can't become what they really want or they can do their best to take whatever gifts that have and become the best they can be. Sure it takes time, work, and an awful lot of failures but in the end the majority can become more than what they are today.
Every time I look at the recorder I have at the dollar store I think of myself. I was not born rich, athletic, popular, etc. I see the the same value as that dollar store recorder in myself. However, rather than think woe is me... I think "Do the best with what I have" and try to become better.
Another story I read about an orchestra.
There are many people in an orchestra and together they make beautiful music when properly played. You have the people on the winds who play hundreds or thousands of notes in perfect time. You have the person on the piano whose fingers dance over the keys lightning fast. The people on the strings who practice for hours and hours so the notes come out just right. Then you have the guy with the Cymbal. He plays one note at the very end of the performance.
Guess what. Every person gets the same pay. Every person is required for the piece to be complete. Even the guy who plays the cymbal. Also think...even the guy on the cymbal needs to play his part at exactly the right time in exactly the right way. He isn't flashy. He doesn't get the respect. He doesn't even participate for virtually the entire piece! But has one note at exactly the right time.
I see a symphony of people. Every person has a part to play. Some people get respect, some people don't. Some people are just waiting for the right time (and that can be a chore on its own) and other people are right in the thick of a very difficult part.
Which leads me back to my motto. "Do the best with what you have". I don't choose my gifts. I don't choose the family I was born into. I do not choose whether I'm born rich or poor, gifted or dim, athletic or infirm. There are so many things I don't get to choose but I can always choose to do the best I can with what I have. Even if it is just in a very small way.
Overall it has served me very well in my life. I started poor. Indeed I got a recorder in Grade 3 but when Grade 7 and other kids started purchasing instruments for band... There was no money for me to get an instrument and the recorder wasn't allowed in band. I never had a stable place to live and moved from place to place many many times. My parents weren't able to help me afford University. My looks and personality didn't give me any help in finding a date or spouse. However, I always did the best I could with what I had. Now I have a home, I have a wife, I have two capable grown sons and I am able to fund a two month trip to Indonesia without issue. There are many things I would have rather done but I followed my path and I'm pretty happy where it led. Were there tough times before? Absolutely. Were there missed opportunities because I always took the safe path? Absolutely. Did I follow things that I thought were great that turned out awful? Yup.
Still, I'm going to follow that advice going forward. Now I'm getting older. I can't change that. I do have a choice though. I can look at what I've lost or accept what I have. I can either grumble that I'm not as strong or sharp as when I was 20 or I can say "This is what I have now, lets do the best with it". I can try to stay as sharp and bright as possible for as long as possible. Find interesting avenues going forward and keep trying to live with purpose. "Do the best I can with what I have" and not worry about what I don't have or what I've lost.
That's my motto and it works for me. Perhaps it won't work for everyone and if you think its crazy (or if it aligns with you) I'd love to hear in the comments. Either way thank you for reading this far and I always appreciate the eyes on my posts.
