WHEN A child is brought into this world, a mother must accept an amazing life responsibility as role model and teacher of this child. The depth of my mother's wisdom amazes me everyday. Fortunately for us all, she loves to talk. Some of the greatest lessons she has ever impressed upon me were at the kitchen table during the late night heart to hearts that only a mother and her son could have.
I'm going to share one of those lessons with you now: Have a motto and make it a central part of your life. Matter of fact, have more than just one motto. Mottoes are road signs on the highway of life, so it will definitely help to have more than just one.
A motto can be long-winded and complex, encouraging the believer to reach higher than the stars with poetic verses that touch the soul. Or it can be simple, coarse and right to the point. A true motto is more than a mere saying. It becomes a belief. If you honestly believe in what you quote, it will be a bottomless pool of strength. It is impossible to understand how a simple phrase can generate such power during the times when life's decisions leave us vulnerable. A motto does that.
Mottoes reinforce key aspects of our personalities and characters that might be otherwise overlooked or easily avoided. A motto can justify the actions we take and help us remain consistent. They easily are called to mind when a little encouragement is all we seek.
A man with a motto is predictable - in a good way. People with simple beliefs are rocks that others will rely on. Their actions are grounded in simple reasoning that, at its core, is universally understood. That makes a man with a motto trustworthy. If he can remain faithful to himself, he will remain faithful to his neighbor.
Some of the most engaging mottoes are found in the chorus of a song or the slogan of a television advertisement. They're also found in the memorable words of a respected friend or a feared instructor. Either way, a motto can generate strength and conviction. When you find a motto, hold onto it. These are mine.
Just do it. The countless years I walked around with such a simple phrase sewn into my sneaker were wasted years of sub-par performance. Years wasted procrastinating and living with the anxiety that this delay generated. The longer one waits to accomplish something, the harder it becomes. Just do it and just get it over with.
A history paper always will require one to spend a beautiful spring afternoon in the basement of a library. Just do it. I want to ask that special girl out to dinner but don't know what she'll say. Just do it. An adult shouldn't whine, complain, argue or bemoan. Sometimes we need to take a chance and just make an attempt. Just do it.
Moving on, the techies at a computer company created my favorite motto. It grabs the mind and invigorates the heart: Ask why? If every question began with "why" there would be a lot of interesting answers and a lot of well-educated people.
We don't ask "why" enough. Many times, society asks the wrong questions or just accepts something at face value. How, what, who, when and where are questions posed after an issue is accepted. To question "why" questions authority. "Why" is an act of defiance and a sign of intelligence.
Great minds are filled with questions - usually about problems that most people cannot understand. The ability to realize what you do not know and to have the passion to pursue that knowledge is called intelligence. Asking "why" is a symbol of intelligence. It is a symbol of power and resolve. History changes every day because a brave few ask "why" and passionately disagree with the answer that's given. There is no limit to where asking "why" can take you.
Thirdly, the motto of the Special Olympics is Inspire greatness. Although the athletes who compete in these games are mentally and physically disabled, the strength of their hearts is immense. These athletes inspire the people who watch these games to reach higher by overcoming immense obstacles and using endless courage to run faster, jump higher and throw farther than a person with no disability. An individual who, through personal example, strives to inspire that same sense of greatness in themselves and others cannot fail. To inspire greatness is to inspire those around you to achieve all they can. Eventually, they will. Inspire greatness.
The Jesuit priests of Gonzaga College High School ground this last - and most important - motto into my head and personality years ago. At Gonzaga we were called to be men for others - it was the motto of the school.
At the University we are also called to be students for others. We are called to serve our community and to make life a little better for those around us. You and I have accepted the honor of being a University student and we have the responsibility to be honorable role models and teachers, to inspire greatness by asking "why" and to be the person with mottoes that others can rely on.
Just do it.
(Luke Ryan's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily.)
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