Hakuna Matata

Lion King fan or not, everyone knows the phrase hakuna matata: it means no worries for the rest of your days. Now that I’ve properly got the song stuck in your head (which FYI was written in 1994- who knew it was written that long ago?!), I want to ask you a question. Do you have a life motto?  

What exactly is a motto though? It’s a word we throw around, but do we actually know what it means? My favourite definition is: a short sentence or phrase chosen as encapsulating the beliefs or ideals of an individual, family or institution. Mottos help bring us back to reality and remind us of what’s really important in life. 

Here are 5 Top Reasons you should establish a motto: 

1.     It can replace destructive thinking with healthy self-talk 

2.     A motto can help you change a bad habit 

3.     It can remind you of who you are and what you stand for 

4.     A motto can calm your mind and increase your productivity 

5.     It adds some pleasure, fun and humour to life

I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to you to find out that very few people actually have a motto. Most people will have values, morals, and abide to social conduct. Followers of a religion will obey basic ethical principles: thou shalt not kill, love thy neighbour. Workers in the healthcare field will comply with the 4 pillars of medical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. People who work in a position of trust must maintain confidentiality with clients. 

Everyone’s life is underpinned by principles and standards, and yet, very few of us have a personal motto to guide us on a day-to-day basis. But why not? Shouldn’t we have a mantra or motto to help get us up when life knocks us down? It’s the start of 2020- what better time to establish a personal motto than now?

These are some famous mottos you’ll know:

“Hakuna Matata” – Swahili language phrase 
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Ghandi 
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one” – Mother Teresa 
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” – Audrey Hepburn 

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible!'"

Suffice to say, my life motto is obviously not “hakuna matata”. Nevertheless, I do think “no worries for the rest of your days” it’s a great phrase to live by, especially in a world where people are stressed about work, finance, relationships, self-growth, family and the list goes on.

We want happiness, good health, a successful career, relationships etc. We always want, but we never feel satisfied with what we already have, and we can’t see the good in front of our eyes. Having no worries means that we stop worrying about materialistic things and situations we can’t control. Instead, we live a life full of spontaneity and realise that there’s no point in worrying about futile things.

My life motto is one I established over the Summer of 2019. I’ve never been a particularly dependent person, so I prefer not to ask strangers, or even people I know, for favours or help. Nevertheless, throughout my life I’ve realised that in order to succeed, you need to be willing to ask people for help, advice or assistance if you want to get anywhere.

During my school days, I would very infrequently ask for help from other people to complete a task. It was only in my last couple of years during sixth form that I properly took control of my learning and started asking teachers for help with my work if I was struggling. This fear of asking people for help has made me become more independent, but I know that in order to develop as a person I needed to take myself out of my comfort zone and start asking!

Whilst I was travelling last Summer I was forced to ask people for tips on where to visit (when talking with one of the women in the hostel we were advised to visit the Amalfi Coast and subsequently had an amazing experience there), I had to ask about the best way to swim in the River Aare in Bern (it was a brilliant experience and I would highly recommend if you get the chance!), and one day when I went ziplining in Brussels, I met a boy at the top who took a photo of us as I’d left my phone at the bottom (I then had to chase after him in the middle of a military procession and attempted to communicate with French with him to send me the photo!).

Looking back, I realised that I would have missed out on half of these experiences and I wouldn’t have created amazing memories if I hadn’t asked for advice, photos and tips. It made me establish my life motto which I stand by today: 

"If you don't ask, you don't get. And if you don't get, you will regret."

 After I established this motto, I noticed how more opportunities began to arise because I wasn’t afraid to ask for things such as work experience, advice and help. I no longer see the point in being scared to ask because even if it makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable, I know that I’ll be missing out on something by not asking.

One of my aims this year is to take myself out of my comfort zone and try out more new things. I feel as though my motto perfectly encapsulates that wish and it reminds me on a daily basis to ask more! 

So hopefully by now I’ve managed to persuade you of the reasons and benefits for establishing a personal motto. So now I want to give you a few tips for how to create your own motto:

1.     Make it short and easy to remember 

It can be one word: Calm. Empathy. Communication

2.     Make it emotionally intelligent 

It should be applicable to your life and align with your values 

3.     Increase your motto’s power with a rhyme or alliteration 

My motto coincidentally rhymes, so it helps the message stick in my mind more easily

Try out a motto or two today. Repeat them at intervals and see if they have their intended effect and stick in your mind. If not, that’s totally fine- you can try again with another one. Mottos are a brilliant way to underpin your life, and what better time to create one than in January at the start of a fresh, new year? It’s the start of decade, so let’s establish a new foundation for the next 10 years.

Happy motto making and I hope you have a fab new year! 

Do you have a personal motto or know a motto you love? Please share it in the comments below.