Personal mantras say how you are different.

A mantra is a religious prayer or mystical phrase or poem that instills concentration when repeated and is used for meditation and prayer. The key is to focus on the mantra and to block out everything else.

A personal mantra is three to five words that describe how you are different. It must be easy to say and remember while being easily understood. If it is in writing, it should leap off the page with authenticity and integrity.  It should say how you are different instead of how you are the same.

Your personal mantra should be positive. Study after study shows that positive messages sell better than negative messages and so it is with mantras.

You can write your mantra by first writing down a list of your distinctive competencies, which are the unique benefits that only you possess. Try to boil it down to a few words while experimenting with the order of the words. Reduce it to three to five unique words that say how you are different. Alliteration and rhyme can help and shorter is better.

Next, test it with friends, employees, and customers. See if they react positively and if they agree. Change it if necessary. And try it again. When you get the message right, blanket the earth with your mantra. This is one of the most important messages you will ever offer.

By the way, the difference between a tag line and a personal mantra is mostly intention. Tag lines can deliver any type of message while a personal mantra describe how you are different.

John Bradley Jackson
“Helping Others Unconditionally”

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2 Comments
  1. Totally agree! Mine ties with my family motto – Esse Quam Videri – to be rather than to seem.

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