Making a Quote Your Mantra - Tips in Career StoryTelling

I was having a terrible day. My car broke down. It was snowing, and I was on my way to work as a cable splicer working outdoor in Harlem, NY. It was one of those days where everything that could go wrong ended up that way. Cold, tired, and wet, I was on a crowded city subway train heading to Penn Station. The day had beaten me.

I looked up from my subway seat, and I was staring at the ad opposite me. It was an ad for a college I had never heard of before. It was a black/white ad with a George Eliot quote,” It is never too late to become what you might have been.” I stared at that sign for the rest of the ride. The movement hit me like I was struck with a sledgehammer. The quote made me think about what I was doing with my life. What do I want to do? Where do I want to be? What things do I want to do that I have been putting off? This quote would become my mantra.

I taped that quote to my bathroom mirror and looked at it every morning. It is one thing to look at it, and another thing to do something with it. That week, I signed up to go to school at night and continued to go to college for the next decade. I received three degrees. Please do not ask me how, but a kid from Hell’s Kitchen graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, but it happened. I was promoted multiple times, started new companies, and learned something new with every position along the way. I had a plaque in my office with that Making a quote, and I also posted it at the bottom of all my emails.

My mantra always has a way of convincing me to try something new. At the age of forty-eight, I ran my first marathon. At 57, I started playing the guitar. I cannot sing well, but I can carry a tune. Now that I am in my sixties, it’s on to painting.

My mantra does not have to be your mantra. Find a quote that means something to you. Think about it often. Let it help motivate you on those tough days, and appreciate it on those easy days. If you think about my favorite quote, indeed, it is never too late for you to change, to do something new.

My favorite mantra is one that has helped me through some tough times and motivated me on days when I felt like giving up and is one of several tactics I utilize to motivate me and help me tell my best careerstory. If this mantra resonates with you, feel free to adopt it as your own, but remember that it doesn’t have to be your motto if it doesn’t speak to you. Find a quote or phrase that means something special to you and think about it often. Let the words help motivate you on difficult days and appreciate them even more on easy days. If you want to learn more about how to tell your best career story, head over to our website for tips and tricks from the experts at Career Storytellers. We can’t wait to hear your success story!