Creating your own family motto

A few family members and friends have asked for help creating their own family motto, so these are the steps I would suggest:

1. Decide what is most important to you. Every family is different, and that is good, so don't try to be someone you are not. For instance, if you have a boisterous house maybe "embrace stillness" shouldn't be part of your motto.

2. Make a list as a family or as a couple of what you've decided. Personally, I'm glad we waited until our kids were a little older to decide what was most important. It's nice to know your little ones as older ones before you decide the direction you need to take your family and the things you should emphasize, but don't wait to too long! Some new parents or even just couples already know. Narrow things down by noticing what items you say often, what your family seems to need help in or what really rings true when you say it. Star things that are musts.

3. Pray about it. I know the Lord inspires us as we lead our families.

4. Take some time to think about things and wait to see if something else becomes more important. The line "Live with Gratitude" hit me much later than the rest of the motto, but I found it just as important.

5. Use as few words as possible to convey the message. A few carefully chosen words are infinitely more powerful than an entire paragraph. Your family may only want one line or maybe 20...do what is best for your group.

6. Keep the motto as parallel as possible. This makes it easy to say and remember.

7. Talk about it, say it, display it, live it.

Here are some motto options to use or mull over:

do their best, never give up, try again, work hard, forgive easily, live with joy, laugh daily, give thanks, never quit, think globally, serve with a smile, forge friendships, put family first, seek knowledge, continually learn, learn from mistakes, explore the world, look to the Savior, use kind words, watch their tongue, reverence the sacred, listen attentively, speak honestly, focus on eternity, stay active, change lives, love the earth, celebrate difference, live virtuous lives, trust in inspiration, help their neighbors, live authentically, look for beauty, make music, love unconditionally, find the good, see the best, recognize all beauty, move to music, live for knowledge, say thank you, hope during hardship, believe in eternity mind their manners, pursue their passion, follow the prophet, pray earnestly, live with hope, believe in love, share our abundance, change the world, take risks, trust in God, remember the moments, sing loudly, support eachother, play hard, read for fun, share their light, use time wisely, value education, kiss hello, sacrifice for education, take risks, embrace stillness, create with confidence, help the weak, speak their mind, stand for right,use their imagination, eat healthily, stop and listen, try new things, dare to dream, practice hard, live our dreams, find our talents, lift others up

I loved using Heather from Simply Fresh Designs to design the motto, and this site prints custom size canvases, but it would be so easy and cheap to just print regularly and frame too.

Good luck! If you want help, I'd be happy to try, and if you come up with a good one, I'd love to hear it!!