The 5 Mantras of Everything

man·tra, noun

1. Hinduism; a word or formula, chanted or sung as an incantation or prayer.
2. an often repeated word, formula, or phrase, often a truism: If I hear the “less is more” mantra one more time, I'll scream.

Origin: 1800–10; Sanskrit

I'm not much into mantras, mainly because I'm not Hindu. Even further, I would not wish to participate in any sort of incantation, or anything that appeared as such. Although, prayer is good, depending upon who you are praying to, I suppose. In the definition above, the second option is much more palatable, as it has stripped the  spiritual connotation altogether, which is, in fact, the way I have heard it used most often.

OK, so I'm guilty of a catchy title.

I have several mantras, it's true. I've even made up my own mantras - phrases I say often enough that close friends can cite them by rote. However, the most used in my vocabulary is the 'everything mantra'. It really cuts to the bottom line like nothing else.

TIMING is everything.

Alright, so let's start with the biggie, shall we? I use this little quip all the time, because it is all too true. In humor, in conversation, in...well, everything! We have all missed opportunities, arrived a moment too late, or witnessed the joke that falls flat (it's just not funny when you have to explain it) - all a matter of timing. When to take that risk or when to wait. When to apply and when to resign. When to commit and when to flee. When to speak up or hold your tongue. Timing...all of it. In dance, in music, in life. Timing is definitely everything.

TRAINING is everything.

Here's another one that is so true. Training is what molds us into the skilled, informed and needed people we want to be. The quality of training we receive is the catalyst and director of life decisions. Choose a top college in your field of choice and get training that will stand out on your resume. Train your children in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it. Train yourself to let go of all you fear to lose... Training. It shows in social settings and it shows in business settings. It is everything when it comes to lending authority to your voice and your actions. Good, solid training leads to confidence in your step and in yourself. Training is certainly everything.

LOCATION is everything.

Location, location, location...to be in the right location determines the success or failure of a business. A good location determines how fast your house sells, or the quality of goods you can purchase in the local stores. Location determines whether you feel safe, if you will be able to find the services you need or how quickly you will land a good job. Position yourself in a good spot because location is everything.

PERCEPTION is everything.

It's all about perspective, definitely. From our little view of the world, we take things into the theater that plays our childhood, experiences and environmental situations like a movie. As what we see around us swirls through all those backdrops, the information is added to or reduced, and our perspective is formed. We believe what we believe, regardless of how it was intended or how things may change in the future. Our pets can only see from the perspective of a foot or two from the ground. A bird's view is up so high they cannot see the details of what's covered below. Likewise, we can only see things from our perspective, as a man or a woman, a child or teenager...even a manager or the aged in their last days. And, interestingly, our perspective starts out so very limited and narrow as a child. With maturity, our perspective grows and changes, broadens, hopefully, to give us a bit more objectivity. Our little view of the world - yes, perspective is everything.

LOVE is everything.

Really, this one is the bottom line of it all, now isn't it? If you have have ever sat in a church, you will be familiar with the Apostle Paul's exhortation to love each other.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ~1 Corin. 13:2

Love is everything and is the root of everything good. And, if we don't have love, for our G-d, ourselves and for others, Paul says we are nothing. Well, he says he is nothing, but I'm sure he meant us, too. Love is the beginning of families, is the security of children and the foundation for friendships. Without those vital relationships, we would not be able to serve G-d at all. We would be alone and lonely. Forsaken. Forgotten. Desperately lost. It is love alone that feeds the human soul and keeps the spirit alive. Only love. Nothing else. Not knowledge, not wisdom, not power or possessions, not education or even fame. Love is the end all and be all of everything. Period.

Mantras. Interesting to investigate. I guess you could say that we reveal quite a bit about ourselves by the words we choose, especially the ones we repeat frequently.

I have another mantra that gets used quite a bit in my home - I'd bet a lot of other mothers use it, too:

"If you can't find something to do, I will find you something to do."

I'm sure the response is always the same, and it has nothing to do with incantations or prayers.