Junior Cassi Quissell competes in Indiana’s State Gymnastics Meet on March 26, 2014. Her favorite motto, “When you’re not preparing for a championship, someone else is,” inspires her everyday. Photo contributed by: Cassi Quissell.
By Emory Smith
Many philosophers including Aristotle say, “We are what we repeatedly do.” People are also what they repeatedly think, read, and say. Common mottos in daily life may influence one’s actions and dictate how one should act.
Businesses, countries, states, celebrities and society have mottos, but so do ordinary people. At Plymouth High School, students have personal mottos. The motto that Junior Cassi Quissell’s lives by is, “When you’re not preparing for a championship, someone else is.” She said, “This is my motto because I have to train everyday for my future goals.” She said her coach, Sandy Sampson, gave her this motto to keep her focused. Quissell said her motto brings the image of “an athlete working hard everyday to make it to the championships” to her mind.
Junior Samantha Grant’s adopted motto is “I was born to make mistakes, not fake perfection.” She said, “Life inspired me to keep this motto because it’s true. We can’t fake perfection. We can only be ourselves, and sometimes we make mistakes.” When she hears her motto, Grant thinks of a “big smile.”
Sophomore Austin Dixon believes “the duty of the youth is to challenge corruption.” To follow through with this, he lives by the mentality of “fight the good fight, take down those who oppose good, and fight the man while we’re young.” Dixon said that his favorite motto was inspired by a “very very wise man,” and Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” “Fists held high,” is the image that comes to his mind when he considers his motto.
Plymouth High School’s Director of Guidance, Mrs. Portteus, said that one of her many mottos is, “Live above your circumstances.” She said, “It’s a culmination of things I’ve read. I think it’s important to accept each day just as it comes. Part of my faith.” Mrs. Portteus says her motto to herself a lot and uses it to comfort others as needed.
English and Yearbook teacher, Mrs. Schmeltz, said that her mom has a motto that she loves. Her mom says, “Do the best you can, it’s all you can do.” Mrs. Schmeltz said, “I love this motto because as long as you are doing the best you can with where you are and what you have, then what else can anyone expect?” Another thing that Mrs. Schmeltz remembers about her childhood is, “She also never says goodbye. Mom always says see you later, and I know that she adopted that motto from her aunt, who also never said goodbye because she was the kind of person who was always looking ahead, never thinking about things ending, but instead focusing on the future – such an optimist!” When Mrs. Schmeltz thinks of these mottos, sunshine comes to her mind. That is why “[Mrs. Schmeltz says] do your best to [her] students every day.”
The common motto, “KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON,” hangs in Mrs. Gifford’s room. Mrs. Gifford says, “No matter what happens, we need to keep calm and carry on.” Photo by: Emory Smith
Though one might have a personal motto, common mottos are quoted more often. Dixon considers common mottos such as “KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON” as “overused, overrated, and nullified.” Quissell said, “I think that they are good, but very over used.” Grant said, “I honestly don’t care for them. They aren’t original.” Dixon said that quoting his motto to people “doesn’t make it any more true in the real world until I take my stand.” Mrs. Portteus said, “I like that one, but I hesitate when mottos become mass mentality. We each need to think things through for ourselves.” Mrs. Schmeltz said, “I have a board on Pinterest that has a scary number of quotes – probably over 900 now. I write them on the white board outside my classroom. Those quotes are wise words, and I hope they strike a chord with students. The right words at the right time can really make a difference.”