My Personal Mantra

I've been reading several books and blogs lately that talk about the benefits of having a personal mantra. This is what wikipedia has to say about mantra:

"A mantra (Devanāgarī मन्त्र) can be defined as a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation."

A mantra is useful for having something to focus on when meditating or simply doing deep breathing to help alleviate stress. It is also something you can repeat to yourself throughout the day to help remind you of your goals.

When I selected my mantra, it was based on what personal characteristics I wanted to work on. I sometimes lose my temper and get impatient with people around me. I get self-absorbed and forget to think about other people's needs. On occasion, I snap and don't think about how this might hurt other people (until it's too late).

Based on this, I came up with my mantra:

Love, serve and be kind.

I keep it on my post-it on my desktop, so I can see it every day. I repeat it to myself when I am sitting quietly and breathing to help me relax. I remind myself of it when I pick up Rebecka's boots and put them in the closet for the 256th time. I close my eyes and mumble it under my breath when somebody is driving me crazy and I really don't feel like being kind.

I don't always live up to my mantra, but I believe it is slowly but surely getting me closer to my goals of becoming a more caring and loving person.

What's your mantra?