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Mantras, Scriptures & Quotes

I have recently been thinking about and using various quotes that I have adopted at different times in my life. Often, I will cite a good quote in passing, in a conversation, or writting of sorts, and want to explain the logic and power of relying on some of these in the short and casual way, but also down the more challenging winding roads of life. Quotes to me, are the lay man's equivalent to a runner's mantra or a Christians' scripture. 

Mantras, as defined by wikipedia are "a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation." In Eastern religions they can be used to focus the mind back to the spiritual. One group of individuals who also use mantras, for less so spiritual reasons but more so for motivation, is that of runners. Runners, need all the self motivation they can get, and hence it's very common within the running culture to have a running mantra to get yourself through a period of time (of training) or a particular race or season.  "Dory" from the Pixar film, Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming" is a perfect example of a short attitudinal phrase that frames one's actions. Some examples of running mantras include:

"one more step"

"finish strong"

"she's going the distance"

"Screw it; run through it"

"Pain is weakness leaving the body"

I make my point. The reason for these mantras for runners is, (I think) the process and challenges that arise include (depending on the distance & training) but they vary from being tired, hungry, and in pain and discomfort. When all of these things come together, and  you hit mile 18 out of 26.2 it's a little harder to be optimistic, or have a fresh perspective, the mind becomes cluttered and the only way to create distance from all of the physical challenges is to focus on the goal and reverting to the powerful words of the mantra, which are so hard wired into your system so that it replaces every other thought trying to determine the final outcome of that race (/run).  So, the reason this isn't on my running blog is because, I have no permanent mantra yet, they are often dependent on circumstances around life, which is also okay, but I want to find a more permanent one that I will have as the years go by. (I also feel this self motivation is too personal to be just copied). 

Only speaking for myself, Scriptures have always been a useful tool that I was equiped with but didn't notice while it was happening. Growing up in the Methodist church, kids learn the teachings of the bible, but not with too large of an emphasis on memorizing scripture. It wasn't until high school church camp (Forest Home) where I spent some time memorizing scripture (and not necessarily for the right reasons, but rather for a camp wide competition of knowing the chosen 10 (or so) bible verses.) For 5 summers, I learned the small verses and really drilled them into the short term compartment, but somewhere along the way they were ingrained in the long term compartment, and have found myself recalling appropriate scripture at some of the most challenging times in my life, and in my journey in faith. I have found it surprising and empowering to have a certain scripture come to mind that addresses something I'm facing whether that is a fear, a temptation, or even a moment of joy, anger or even plain emptiness. Just recalling such scriptures has continuously strengthened my faith beyond belief. Not unlike the runner who is almost ready to quit and then recalls his mantra, scripture strengthens the soul when it too is down and almost out. 

One of my favorite things since the 5th grade have been quotes. I use them a lot but really only have a handful that have come to be very indicative of who I am or ideas I find to be pretty concrete enough to rely on.  Some have to do with goal setting, others with political beliefs (about the people as they relate to their governments). Often quotes only make sense in their original context but a good quote always makes sense.

One of my favorite quotes is Socrates' with a hint of Uribe. "Know thyself - and you will never be disappointed." 

We can at times run the risk of underestimating or overestimating ourselves (qualities, skills as well as weaknesses) but if we know ourselves, our character,spirit and goals, there is no reason to ever be disappointed.  Below are some of my favorites:

• "Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds." -Einstein
  
• "The greater danger for most of us is not that out aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." -Michealangelo
  
• "Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something"- Plato
  
• "the more insecure we are about our beliefs, the louder we become in order to drown out our doubts."
  
• "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free ... it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson 
  

Quotes, Mantras and Scripture make for a good tool to aid as a compass for the days when the mundane and the standard logic is spun out of control due to circumstance (good or bad), and we lose the ability to think objectively and respond accordingly. If we have the foresight to adopt sturdy, continous meaningful phrases that encompass our attitueds and beliefs, then we have something to fall back onto when running a "system check" as I call it. (A system check to me- in running- is checking how I am doing, my mind, my body, my heart rate etc, -in life- it is checking how I am doing, my priorities, motivation, faith, commitment etc) I can only know how it all functions, in relation to whatever compass I am relying on.

I am one who is curious and will often focus on the quotes posted on a site, or cited in an article because I expect them to be encompassing of larger life views, since I equate quotes to the lay man's "running mantra or Scriptures".