Words to live by.

[Uncle Jellyfish]

As the title suggests, I would like to know what mantra you (the reader) live your life by. A simple sentence of words, in any language, that act as guidelines for your entire way of life. I would like to hear examples, too, and all ideas are open to discussion.

As for myself, my mantra is "Better Safe Than Sorry." I myself do not believe in a Heaven, Hell, God, Devil, Afterlife, reincarnation, or anything of the sort, and yet, I find myself living a somewhat virtuous in the event that I may be wrong. Likewise, I do not believe in Karma, but I help people in need, donate to charity, give when I am able, just in case. There are plenty of other examples, I'm sure, but these are just a few of the "Better Safe Than Sorry" things that I do.

As I implied before, I'm curious to know what other mantras people live their lives by. Perhaps there is another out there that will open my own eyes, as well as someone else's, to another way of life that was never considered. Or perhaps no one will respond because I'm one of a strict few that actually do this. Who knows?

[Chromatophore]

I don't really have a mantra but Gandhi's "be the change you want to see in the world" is a good one that is pretty in-line with how i try to live.  I wish i was a bit more of a "seize the day" person but, alas, i find myself gravitating more towards "live and let live" (which isn't so bad).  I guess what i'm saying is, if i do have a mantra, it probably changes from day to day.

[Bloodshadow]

I'm not sure about my mantra, but it would probably be this:

"The meaning of life is to find the meaning of life."

Interpret it in any way you want.

[OldTrees]

"Ought implies Can" (An impossible moral imperative is useless)
"Ought Not implies Can" (An unavoidable moral imperative is an assurance not an imperative)
This is the foundation I attempt to build my ethics from.

n->inf "[I believe]_n I know not."
The reason for such an incomplete basis above.

Edit:
I forgot an original of mine
"It is common sense to heed the wisdom of the wise. The wise are marked by their eagerness to heed the wisdom of the fool."

[Uncle Jellyfish]

I would also like to add another line of mine. Though I do not live my life by it, I embrace it with restraint: "To Each His Own." What I mean by "with restraint" is that I'll accept people for who they are and what they believe, as long as they do the same, or at least do not encroach on others' beliefs or person.

[Camoninja]

I live by "Hakuna Matata" and "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

Suppose you perform. People can tell if you're nervous and uptight, and on the other side if you enjoy what you do the happiness will spread.

Suppose you're in an argument. If you get too far into it, it's because you're worried nobody sees your opinion and they aren't listening, or you're worried you might be wrong and look like an idiot.

[Essence]

"Credendo Vides" -- Believing is Seeing.  People see what they want to believe, regardless of external circumstances.  Alternately, if you have faith, you will come to see those things you have faith in.  It's both a cynical dismissal of all of those other people who believe things I don't, and a comprehensive way to internally validate my own belief structure.  How can you go wrong?

[Rutarete]

I've got 2 lines; the first is from Break, by 3 Days Grace:
"If you can't stand the way this place is, take yourself to higher places"
Meaning, in a much simplified way, if you don't like something, change it.

The second is one i came up with:
The purpose of life is the choice to live.
Meaning to me that everything is a choice.

[Astrocyte]

Something that one of my mom's elderly patients (she's a nurse) told her once:
"Nobody ever put on their tombstone 'I wish I'd eaten more salad.' "
Yeah, it's better for your health to eat salad instead of cheeseburgers, but life's no fun if you never eat a cheeseburger.
As far as we know, we only get one life. It's too short to spend all of it being practical and worrying about what you ought to do.

And:
"The best things in life aren't things."
The things you own can break or burn or be taken away from you. Money comes and goes too.
But your memories and your experiences always stay with you. The relationships you share with friends and family stay with you. Those are the important things.

[EvaRia]

"It doesn't have to work like that."
I go through my life like this. Inconsistencies, loopholes, failures in logic, my mind pushes everything to the breaking point and I spot them right away.
I'm contrary by nature and this line pretty much defines the way my mind works and the way I approach problems.

On my more philosophical side,

"It's only if you decide it is."
Perspective means everything. Everything sees things differently, and view the world differently. To you, the world only works the way it does because that's what you've decided.

However, others may not agree with you.

[Thalas]

"We fulfil our needs and dreams, be it mental or physical, to live.
  We live to fulfil our needs or dreams"

[Neopergoss]

"Evil is its own punishment, righteousness its own reward."

Btw, I like the Gandhi one above. Gandhi rules.

edit: #500!!!