There are a few phrases that I find pop in my head the most often, for a multitude of reasons. Usually they are things that keep me moving forward, and each time I find one I will add it here with a brief explanation as to why it has wormed it's way into my brain.
At some point I will write my final line of code. I write mostly in C-style languages so there's also a good chance there will be a final semicolon. Driving into a job I hated, I told myself that when I have kids I promise to never tell them that their dad USED to make games, USED to write code. Their dad will always be someone who makes games and writes code.
A reminder to be present. I find myself thinking this thought when I am out on walks and living too far into my own head. Most often with this thought comes a quieting of the mind and the sound of birds tweeting begins to reach my ears.
A dictinction between what I want in the moment and what I want in my core. "My heart" here represents my inner child, my spirit. This is something I tell myself before I make any decision.
The word "men" here is only used because I identify and relate most to being a man, so I only feel comfortable using that word over something more inclusive like, "people". When speaking to other men and doing introspection I find that many of their frustrations come from barriers that exist only in their minds. Social expectations of their success in romantic endeavors, the amount of money they make, how strong they are, and so on. Nobody is immune, and I think it is important to identify the cell bars that I listen to, whether I see them or not. The path to freedom is a completely different story.