Reflections on Paths of Purpose and Meaning
by Jim Holbrook
Here are some of my favorite quotes about finding and following paths that lead to purpose and meaning:
Hugh Black, CAPTAIN HUGH BLACK PAPERS:
The very first condition of lasting happiness is that a life should be full of purpose, aiming at something outside self.
Carlos Castenada, THE TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN: A YAQUI WAY OF KNOWLEDGE 106 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968):
[A]ny path is only a path. . . . All paths are the same: they [all] lead nowhere. The only important question you must ask is: ‘Does this path have a heart?’ If it has a heart for you, then dare to follow it.
John Stone, M.D., Gaudeamus Igitur (“Let Us Rejoice”), JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (April 1, 1983):
For the heart will lead
And the head will explain
but the final common pathway is the heart
whatever kingdom may come
Mitch Albom, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE 127 (New York: Doubleday, 1997) [quoting Morrie Schwartz]:
Remember what I said about finding a meaningful life? I wrote it down, but now I can recite it: Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.
Craig Lambert, MIND OVER WATER: LESSONS ON LIFE FROM THE ART OF ROWING 87 (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998):
The essential point is that we cannot work it through theoretically. Enjoyable work satisfies the emotions, the social instincts, the body, and the spirit as well as the intellect. To find our calling we must listen to all of these inner voices, which speak from, and to, the soul.
Dan Zadra, HAPPILY GRATEFUL (Seattle: Compendium, 2010):
All the really great things in life
are expressed in the simplest words:
friends and family, purpose and meaning;
love and work; caring and community;
appreciation and gratitude.
Shantideva A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA’S WAY OF LIFE 120, translated by Stephen Batchelor (Dharamasala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1979):
May I be a protector to those without protection,
A leader for those who journey,
And a boat, a bridge, a passage
For those desiring the further shore.
My favorite quote is the one that was taken from the book “Tuesday’s with Morrie”. This book holds a special place in my heart, so when I found this quote it stood out from the rest. I think it’s very significant how Morrie is saying how before he had written down the meaning of life but now he doesn’t need that, he has memorized it. It shows significance on how he himself has found the meaning of life and doesn’t need to write it down to remember it.
I noticed that I haven’t heard a lot of these quotes and this one I especially liked. ” All paths are the same: they [all] lead nowhere. The only important question you must ask is: ‘Does this path have a heart?’ If it has a heart for you, then dare to follow it.” It is funny that we have so much knowledge about what will make up happy but so many of us choose to walk a different path that is not true to who we are. It seems that we spend so much of our lives fixing the problems that were created when we were kids.
I loved the final quote “May I be a protector to those without protection,
A leader for those who journey, And a boat, a bridge, a passage For those desiring the further shore.” I think that it is so important to focus on what can we do to make things better, not only for us but also for those around us. I truly believe that we can either be a blessing or a curse. Who can we bless today?
I really enjoyed the Tuesdays with Morrie quote about devoting yourself to others, and creating something. I really liked the concept of that, to know that if I devote myself to others and service, I can live a fulfilling life as well.
These quotes are a great explanation on our journeys through this life. I love the quote “For the heart will lead And the head will explain but the final common pathway is the heart whatever kingdom may come” I feel the heart is the most significant, most meaningful source we can absorb advice from.
Very interesting quotes. Dan Zadra has a really interesting point with how he states the really good things in life are expressed with: friends and family, purpose and meaning; love and work; caring and community; appreciation and gratitude. It keeps everything in perspective and selfless. Those are really good things in our lives, and it’s something that we rely heavily on in our lives.