Can mantras replace mission statements?

There's been an unusual amount of talk about mantras. A blog I read pretty often talks about mantras and I thought I'd try to find mine. Having just read a number of mantras, all that's coming to mind is a concoction of those that I read.

Can a mantra replace a mission statement? All through undergrad and grad school I was taught the importance of a mission statement and a vision - personally, I think it's important. It keeps an organization in line and helps it not to stray from its decided path- but in the world of constant innovation today, a mission statement may put constraints on an organization and its creativity. If a mantra provides more vision and direction than a mission statement and vision, it should be what defines the organization.

According to Wikipedia, Buddhists in Tibet carve mantras in stone as a form of devotion. The cool thing about mantras is that they apply to more than just organizations- they are a strategy for life. Since I haven't put mine to words yet, I'll use Roger von Oech's mantra as an example- "Look for the second right answer" - it's a great mantra for organizations as well as a great personal mantra - it makes you look beyond that one good idea, and hopefully gets you to that second or third great idea.

I know one of my mantras is to never stifle creativity, at work, and at home. That's probably not my final mantra, but who says I can have just one?

What's your mantra?