Tough love motivational platitudes
 

This could be under relationships or parenting, but ultimately they seem a sort of philosophy.

I am soliciting your examples of sayings you use or have heard from parents, grandparents, drill instructors, friends, coaches, etc. that were intended to give you a needed kick in the ass. Attributions are helpful. (e.g. my aunt Nellie)

A few I've collected to date:

"You can wish into one hand and shit into the other and see which one fills up first." (co workers grandma)

"If you're looking for sympathy, you'll find it in the dictionary between 'shit' and 'syphillis'." (David Sedaris)

"NO." (friend)

"Put it to music and sing it to someone who cares." (trad)

"Losers try and winners fuck the homecoming queen." (Sean Connery to Nick Cage in 'The Rock')

You get the idea. Not sympathy, but a "get a grip" kind of sentiment.

"Life is difficult" -- M. Scott Peck

Does this count?

"Yeah, you're pretty funny--but looks aren't everything."

My orchestra director used to say that one all the time.

"Life sucks, get a helmet." Dennis Leary

"Doing the right thing isn't always fun or painless, but you do it anyway. That's why it's the right thing to do." My grandmother.

"Pain heals, chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever." - The Replacments

"Fight your own battles" -- my parents

"It'll add character" -- my grandmother, speaking about the scar from my baseball injury.

"Go away boy, you bother me" -- Foghorn Leghorn

"There is no shortcut to success" - a book i have called moments


"Better an empty house than a bad tenant" - my great grandmother used to say this and as a rental manager in a busy real estate.. i use it as a "fire me up" every week at least! (but i think great nan used to say it after farting as joke :) )

My 7th grade Social Studies teacher, holding up his hand and rubbing his thumb and forefinger together - "Do you know what this is? This is the world's tiniest violin playing 'My Heart Cries for You' " - in response to another student whining that he hadn't had time to complete his Communism study worksheet. (The guy was one of the kindest, funniest, best teachers I've ever had the pleasure to know, BTW)

baseball- "Rub some dirt on it." I actually caught myself telling my kid to do this when she got hit by a pitch... it still works :)

"Pull up your skirt, Nancy" was an all purpose guy to guy admonition before the advent of PC.

"That's tough." -- my father, to just about anything


"Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!"-- my mother, to me, constantly.

I'm pretty sure it's impossible for one to acutally PULL themselves UP by their own bootstraps, but I keep trying.

"That's too bad, but did you learn anything?" my father, to encourage me to learn from my mistakes.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Tell the truth.

"Eat it fast, eat it slow, after that you ain't gettin no mo." You're responsible for pacing and budgeting your own resources.

"Why are you asking me? You know the right thing to do."

Larry Elder's Personal Pledge 32

Adapt as necessary.

"You won't say that once you've had children" - my Mum whenever I was grossed out by something (she thought I was too fussy).

"Its a lot colder in the garden" - my Dad when we were shivering and hopping around after getting up on cold mornings.

[quote=Sundae Girl"Its a lot colder in the garden" - my Dad when we were shivering and hopping around after getting up on cold mornings.[/QUOTE]

My father is your father? :lol: