#20: What are the mottos of your life?

I've had a few mottos over the years. Here I'll present some of my favorites with a brief explanation about it.

Don't let the bastards win. 
-This was my granddad Cannon's motto. I painted it on a plague of sorts and it is hung just opposite of my bed so when I'm sitting up in bed writing or doing homework, I can look up and see my granddad's words.

Walk tall, kick ass...love music, and never forget you come from a long line of truth seekers, lovers, and warriors.
-I recently posted this saying on here. It's by Hunter S. Thompson. I'm going to be making another plague with this quote on it because it is so important to me.

Be so good at what you do that they can't ignore you. 
-This is a line from a documentary I saw at Sundance back in January. It was called Miss Representation, which was about how the media portrays women. The line was spoken by a female CEO to a younger woman during a mentorship meeting. This is written on a post-it note and stuck right in front of my desk in my room. It's one of the driving forces in my writing.

If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission. 
-This was stenciled graffiti art that I cam across one day. It's one of the most true statements I've ever heard.

Friends are one of life's greatest blessings. Never give them up without a fight. 
-I think this came from the movie Harriet the Spy, which was a dumb little movie by Nickelodeon. But regardless of its origins, it's very true for me. Friendship is really important to me and loyalty from those friends & to those friends is even more important to me. I'll never give up my friends (or give up on my friends, for that matter) without a fight.

If you don't stick to your values when they're being tested, they're not values--they're hobbies.
-This comes from my main man, Jon Stewart. And it's one of the most true statements I know. Anyone can claim certain values but when push comes to shove, if you don't actively stand up for your values, then they're really not values.

There's more to life than underwear. 
-I'm pretty sure this came from a Joe Boxer commercial. What it means to me is that underwear is a very trivial thing in life. Yet a lot of people really spend a lot of time wondering what kind of underwear to wear. I mean, for me, I have a lot of underwear (this is because I love buying cute underwear and I love the feeling of wearing brand new underwear) but deciding which pair to wear during the day should be one of the simplest decisions of my day because, more often than not, no one is going to see them (of course there may be exceptions & yes, then I take the time to pick the right pair). Essentially, what this phrase means to me is stop worrying about the little things in life. It's a waste of energy.

Have your adventures, make your mistakes, and choose your friends poorly--all these make for great stories. 
-This is a quote from Chuck Palahniuk. It's currently a sticker on the back windshield of my car. What it means to me is that a lot of weird, painful, uncomfortable, or crazy things are going to happen in life. And that's exactly what should happen in your life. And, hey, at least you'll come out with some great stories.

Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.
-This is from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, one of the few chick-flicks I actually like a lot. And I think it's pretty self-explanatory. 

The duty of youth is to challenge corruption.

-This is attributed to Kurt Cobian. Every time I hear this phrase, I think of the student protests in England and I think of the recent Egypt protests. As the younger generation, it is our duty, our obligation not to sit around and complain about the way things are, but to get off our lazy asses and actively try to create change. If we won't, who will?

But you should never be embarrassed by your trouble with living. Cause it's the ones with the sorest throats, Laura, who have done the most singing.

-This is a line from the song "Laura" by Bright Eyes. I find it pretty comforting because I've had my own "trouble with living." But I'm not embarrassed about it anymore.

I do not regret the things I have done but those I did not do.

-A self-explanatory piece of advice from Lucas in Empire Records. 

Dr. Jules Hilbert: Hell, Harold, you could just eat nothing but pancakes if you wanted. 

Harold Crick: What is wrong with you? Hey, I don't want to each nothing but pancakes, I want to live! I mean, who in their right mind in a choice between pancakes and living chooses pancakes?

Dr. Jules Hilbert: Harold, if you pause to think, you'd realize that the answer is inextricably contingent upon the type of life being led...and, of course, the quality of the pancakes. 

-So I know this isn't a motto per se, but I think it carries the same kind of wisdom found in a motto. (p.s. it's from the movie Stranger Than Fiction)

There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit at a typewriter and bleed.

-I've heard this is attributed to Ernest Hemingway but I may be wrong. But wherever it comes from, it's very true. Just ask any writer. 

We read to know we're not alone. 

-C.S. Lewis said this. And it's incredibly true. 

Life is not meant to be ordinary. 

-This comes from yours truly. It was a decision I made back in January 2010 and I've tried to stick with it ever since. 

If you're good at something, never do it for free. 

-If the Joker from The Dark Knight has taught us anything, it is this little kernel of truth. 

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. 

-Basically, that whole movie is a motto (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, for the slower ones in the audience)

There's only one rule that I know of, babies--'Goddamnit, you've got to be kind."

-This is from the book God Bless You , Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut. And I think that is one of the only real, true rules of this planet. We have got to be kind to one another. 

I think that's enough for now. I could go on but I've got a doctor's appointment to get to. 

Love you.

Mean it.