Mantras are short key phrases that you can memorize and chant (out loud or in your mind) repeatedly to attract positivity and dispel negative energy.
The right mantra can give you strength, open your mind and help you to break through limiting beliefs and achieve your true potential.
This article is a collection of 31 short mantras to live by.
Even though they are short, these mantras carry important life lessons. Find the mantras that deeply resonate with you and you can use them as your personal mantras.
Here’s the list of mantras:
1. It’s not what you cannot do, but what you can do.
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden
What you focus on the most decides the course of your life.
A simple change of focus from what you cannot do, to what you can do, can bring a massive difference to your outlook. You begin to attract solutions and get back on track.
So whenever you encounter self defeating thoughts, use this mantra to change your mindset from negative to positive.
2. Forget the day’s troubles, remember the day’s blessings.
Expressing gratitude is a beautiful way to start/end each day. When you express gratitude, you begin to see the hidden grace and beauty in all things. You automatically change your vibration from one of scarcity to one of abundance. And when you think in abundance, you attract abundance into your life.
So whenever you find yourself ruminating about the negatives, remember this mantra to change your thoughts to the positive.
Also Read: 29 Short Morning Mantras For Strength and Positivity
3. Slow down, but don’t stop.
You can reach all your goals as long as you follow this mantra. This is because, life is like a marathon; it’s a long run and not a short sprint.
You need to have a calm and focused mind, keep making small advancements and maintain a steady pace. If you do that, there is nothing that you cannot achieve.
4. Forget the mistake. Remember the lesson.
It’s important to realize that it’s only human to make mistakes. So forgive yourself and let go of regrets as holding on to regrets will prevent you from moving forward in life.
And as you move on, take with you the lessons you learnt from the mistake so you do not repeat it again in the future.
Learning from your mistakes and mistakes of others is the path to self growth.
5. I am enough. I do not need to prove anything to anybody.
When you look for approval and validation from others, you essentially give away your power to them. You let them run your life. But the moment you realize that you are enough as you are, you liberate yourself.
6. My challenges will bring a better me.
If you look back at your life, you will realize that it was the challenges you faced along the way that shaped you into the person you are today.
You gained all this wisdom about life because of those challenges. So whenever you are faced with a challenge, remember this mantra and it will give you the courage to push forward.
7. I will figure it out.
Every problem has a solution. All that is required is the attitude to look for the solution believing that it exists instead of feeling down and diminished thinking about the problem.
This short mantra is all you need to help change your mindset whenever you find yourself in the midst of a seemingly tough situation.
8. I am on my own path.
We live in a society that encourages us to think less for ourselves and instead, simply follow others. It encourages us to be part of the herd and not do or think any different.
But throughout history you will find that it is the people who thought differently who made all the difference.
So do not worry if your path is different from others. Believe in yourself and pursue your path with courage and determination and you are sure to achieve success.
9. Be curious, not judgemental.
Being curious is about trying to understand things from a deeper perspective. It’s about cultivating empathy.
So whenever you find yourself judging someone/something, use this mantra to remind yourself of being a little less judgmental and little more understanding.
10. Good things come to those who wait.
In life, there is a time and place for everything. You cannot simply force things to happen.
Just like you cannot force the night to end and the day to begin. The night will end when it is the right time. The day will begin when it’s the right time. This is why, patience is the the most important virtue you can have.
Use this mantra to remind yourself to always have belief and patience and that everything that you desire will come to you when the time is right.
11. Always challenge the status quo.
This mantra encourages you to question everything and live life by your own standards and not by the status quo. Ask why things are a certain way, see if a better way exists and follow through with it.
Just because a rule exists, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the absolute truth. Just because others are doing things a certain way, doesn’t necessarily mean it is the only way.
If you don’t like it; if you think there is a better way, then by all means, go for it. Set an example for others to follow.
12. There is no time like the present.
There is immense power that lies in the present moment.
We spend a lot of time lost in thoughts about the past or future. Use this mantra to help your mind snap out of these unconscious thoughts and come to the present moment.
The present moment is where the magic happens. What you do right now has the potential to change your life.
13. Always be learning.
“Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn, and you will.”
― Vernon Howard
The moment you assume that you ‘know it all’, is the moment you stop growing. Therefore, it’s important that you always keep an open mind and always be open to learning.
Do not by any means become rigid in your beliefs or ideologies. Be fluid like water and be open to all the wisdom and knowledge that is available out there.
14. Balance in all things.
Balance is the crux of life. Everything in nature is in perfect harmony and balance.
Imagine riding a bicycle. In order to keep riding, you need to maintain balance. If you tilt too much one way or the other, you will fall down. The same principle applies to life as well.
If you become imbalanced in any aspect of your life, you will have to face the consequences. As a simplified example, if you are constantly eating an unbalanced diet then you will fall ill.
Use this mantra to remind yourself to maintain balance and moderation in all things. Balance is the secret to living a happy and peaceful life.
15. Perseverance not perfection is key to success.
Perfection is just an illusion; it simply cannot be achieved. This is because, perfection is subjective in nature. What one person finds perfect, another finds flawed. Therefore, it’s never a good idea to strive for perfection.
The real key to success is perseverance or the ability to keep going in spite of the setbacks.
16. Work smarter, not harder.
Working hard is not the secret to success, rather, working smart is. You can get a lot more done with a lot less effort when you work smart. So always ask yourself if there is a better way of getting things done and keep innovating.
17. Be the change you wish to see in the world.
The best way to bring about change is to set an example for others to emulate.
If you want others to be more tolerant, be more tolerant yourself. If you want others to hate less, let go of feelings of hate from within your own self. Once you begin to change, you will start to see the world change around you.
18. Let deeds not words be your adorning.
Use your energy efficiently.
Do not waste your energy talking about the things you want to achieve. Instead, invest that energy in creating and actually achieving those things.
19. Remember, the glass is half full.
Everything is a matter of perspective. When you change your perspective, you see something that was completely oblivious to you before.
For example, if you focus on the night, you see darkness, but if you shift your focus just a little and look above, you see all the stars.
The stars were always there, the only thing that was required to see them was a change in perspective.
Use this mantra to remind yourself that there are many sides to every situation and with a simple change in perspective, you will be able to see them.
20. Every journey starts with a single step.
If you are overwhelmed by a goal or objective, then remind yourself using this mantra that you can achieve the mightiest tasks as long as you get started and take it one step at a time.
As you keep taking baby steps you slowly march toward your objective and before long, those baby steps will turn into large strides.
So do not get overwhelmed by the size of the task but rather bring your focus to what needs to be done today to start moving toward completing the task at hand.
Focus on the process rather than the outcome and you will reach your objectives easily.
21. If you want something different, do something different.
If you are tired of getting the same results over and over again, it is time that you reevaluate your process.
If you follow the same process, you will receive the same results. But just by making some minor tweaks, your results can be drastically different.
22. It’s better to light a candle than to curse the dark.
This mantra is a reminder that focusing on the problem isn’t going to solve it. It will only make you feel bad.
The only way to solve a problem is to focus your energy on the solutions. If there are no solutions in sight, focus your energy on finding a solution knowing that a solution exists. Always remember that you can only achieve what you believe is true.
23. Peace and presence in all circumstances.
When you are not present, you become lost in your mind and your thoughts and emotions get the better of you.
Therefore, make it a habit to bring the energy of presence into everything you do. This will help you take calculated decisions with a clear mind and reduce errors.
24. Create, don’t compete.
When you compete, you are comparing yourself to others. You are focusing on their strengths and abilities and trying to beat that. So in a way, you become a follower.
Instead, when you create, you are focused on your own strengths and abilities. By focusing on your strengths, you are well on your way toward reaching your best version.
25. Dream big and don’t fear to fail.
The fear of failure will prevent you from taking action toward achieving your dreams. By giving into this fear, you start self sabotaging. Therefore, become conscious of your fear of failure and let it go by accepting failure. Dare to dream big and use failures as stepping stones to success.
26. Fewer excuses, bigger results.
Excuses and blame games are not going to help you. In fact, the more excuses you make the less you will make an effort to correct your actions. In order to grow, it is prudent that learn to take complete responsibility for your actions instead of passing on the buck. Let go of the habit of blaming the external and take back your power.
27. Awareness precedes change.
“Self-knowledge is the great power by which we comprehend and control our lives”
― Vernon howard
This mantra is similar to the one we discussed above which is, ‘If you want something different, do something different‘.
In order to bring about change in your life, you need to take time to self reflect by observing your thoughts and emotions. It’s only when you observe that you can start to identify negative/limiting patters (in your subconscious) that prevent you from making positive changes in your life.
Once you bring these patters into awareness, they start to disintegrate and you begin to break free from their influence. This is where change begins.
28. Always keep it simple.
The message of this mantra is to chop away at the inessentials, declutter (both within and outside), stop overthinking, let go of perfectionism, and learning to find joy in the simplest of things.
29. Be your own sunshine.
“Be a friend to thyself, and others will be so too.” – Thomas Fuller
‘Be your own sunshine’ is a mantra of self love and acceptance.
It reminds you that in life, you need to become your own best friend by learning to love, respect and value yourself. And that you do not need to depend on anyone else for acceptance and happiness.
30. Mindset is everything.
Reality is subjective in nature. There is nothing that is the absolute truth. It’s all just a perception in your mind. And because it’s just a perception, it is in your control. It can be changed. As Wanye Dyer said, ‘Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change’.
Use this mantra to remind yourself that there are many things in this world that are beyond your control, but one thing that is always in your control is your mind and therefore your mindset.
31. Be the flame, not the moth.
– Giacomo Casanova
This is a powerful mantra that reminds you to look within yourself and get in touch with your inner power. Instead of following others, start thinking for yourself and follow your own self.
Also Read: 49 Inspirational Quotes To Live By
