The Latin Motto That Just Might Change Your Life (It Changed Mine)

As we ring in the new year with a renewed sense of optimism, I can’t help but admire the grit, resilience, and energy of millions of entrepreneurs across the world. At Amway and beyond, the spirit of the world’s entrepreneurs (especially those running small and micro-businesses) is one bright spot of this pandemic, against the stark economic backdrop of millions of jobs lost and countless lives impacted.

What do all these business owners have in common? What drives them to push through tough times to spread their message, connect with the community and support their families? I believe that, whether they have the words for it or not, they all are living with the motto of my middle school in the Himalayan foothills: “Certa Bonum Certamen,”or “Fight the good fight.” 

Four decades ago, when I first heard the phrase as a boy, my English was at best rudimentary so Latin didn’t register much. But the underlying philosophy instantly clicked. While the phrase was most often used as a rallying cheer during inter-school soccer matches, I took it into my personal life, and later, my work, as a reminder to push through challenges. 

Today, I can see this motto in action everywhere I go, especially in the entrepreneurs who are thriving even in these dark times. For those looking for a little extra inspiration moving into 2021, keep these “good fight” principles in mind:

Fighting the good fight can happen anywhere

Growing up in India, at the time quite a poor country in the throes of socialism, one was kind of shielded from the abject poverty by the love of one’s family. But I experienced poverty first-hand during a month-long stay in a small village as a part of Unilever India’s management training program. 

This was an era of almost no electricity, no running water, and no bathrooms. We would go out to the farms early in the morning to (ahem) do our morning routine, bathe at the village well, cycle 15 to 25 miles a day via rural trails to meet villagers and understand their needs. It was a potent mix of poverty, illiteracy and limited opportunities, especially for women and youth. Almost everyone looked up to the state to provide meaningful jobs.

Conditions were quite basic and the learning curve was steep. But we knew there was important work to do … so we did it. To fight for what’s right, to fight for helping people, you don’t need to wait to be in the “right place at the right time.” The right place is here, and the right time is now, whether you’re in a boardroom in Ada, Michigan, or huddled in a shack with villagers. 

Since those days, much has changed in India and across the world. Entrepreneurship is vibrant. Some of my fondest memories involve meeting restaurant owners and team members in cities like Kitwe in Zambia, where they believed anything was possible — a reminder that the good fight can happen anywhere! 

Fighting the good fight is for everyone

A couple of years back, in a Tier IV city in Henan province China, I met a young associate in a KFC and asked about her life’s ambition. She replied, “To stay hungry, and stay foolish.” Yes, a young woman in a small Chinese town had read and embraced Steve Job’s philosophy. It was proof that drive is not limited to Silicon Valley, or the corner office. 

Amway is similarly built on the idea of providing opportunities for everyone. It does not require capital or professional qualifications. Anyone who so desires is welcome to “fight the good fight.” (This flexibility and accessibility is particularly appealing to millennial entrepreneurs. All one needs is the three Ps: a passion, a positive attitude, and a phone.) 

We’re living in tough times, but in a way, the continued economic toll from the pandemic is the incentive we need to keep the fight for success alive. It goads us to help unleash this spirit of entrepreneurship in others — whether they are living in Kyoto, Busan, Taipei, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Bhubaneswar, Korat, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Moscow, Almaty, Barcelona, Vilnius, Miami, Akron, Medellin, S?o Paulo, or Buenos Aires.

In 2021, I know my 15,000 colleagues and I at Amway will wake up every morning with a renewed resolution to ‘fight the good fight’ to support the success of the countless entrepreneurs we’re lucky enough to work with and learn from.  

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