What is your purpose in life? That’s a challenging question to ponder. As you reflect on your life purpose, you may appreciate reading quotes from famous people. Here are a few of my favorites on the purpose and meaning of life. Some of them are quite profound. See if there’s one that really resonates with you. It can help give you perspective and possibly clarify your own beliefs.
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” – William Jennings Bryan
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life and don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs
“I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is, after all, to matter; to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.” – Leo C. Rosten
“This is the true joy in life – being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one.” – George Bernard Shaw
“Having a vision for your life allows you to live out of hope, rather than out of your fears.” – Stedman Graham
“I’ve come to believe that each of us has a unique calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service.” – Oprah Winfrey
“When you are living on purpose, giving of yourself in a blissful way, your personality will reflect that bliss.” – Wayne Dyer
“Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.” – Barbara Geraci
“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely. – Leo Buscaglia
“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end in life.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
What is your favorite quote on life purpose? Please share with other readers.
Valentine’s Day is all about love. Women are the greatest lovers, because they’re so selfless. We’re constantly giving of ourselves to others. As women, we are socialized as caregivers and nurturers. We focus much of our time and energy on taking care of others – our husbands, children, and aging parents – that we don’t take good care of ourselves. We put ourselves last! We attend to the needs of others at our own expense. Therefore, we don’t take good care of ourselves, especially when it comes to getting enough rest or exercise.
This Valentine’s Day, how about focusing on loving and nurturing yourself? After all, we need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others. Here are six ways to care for and nurture yourself.
1) Get plenty of rest. Getting enough sleep is essential to good health. When you’re sleep deprived, you can’t function effectively. So get to bed on time. And even treat yourself to sleeping in this Saturday morning!
2) Exercise regularly. Exercise does your body good. You’ll feel better and have more energy. Find a form of exercise you enjoy and stick with it. Try out a yoga, Pilates or Zumba class. Who knows? You may really enjoy it!
3) Pursue a hobby or leisure activity that you enjoy. What do you most enjoy? Gardening, scrap-booking, reading a good novel? Maybe you’ve neglected this activity because you’re so busy. Take the time out to do something just for you.
4) Eat a healthy diet. Many busy working women end up eating on the run. Existing on donuts, hamburgers, and candy bars won’t do us any good. Our bodies need fuel for energy to get us through a busy work day. Make healthy choices, including plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken. Bring fruit and cut-up veggies as a snack to eat when you’re on the go.
5) Spend time with a favorite girlfriend. We need ‘girl time’ – that time to connect with another woman who understands us. Enjoy good company and good conversation. Share your trials and triumphs with someone who will listen and support you.
6) Pamper yourself. Do something relaxing – take a bubble bath or Jacuzzi. Treat yourself to a massage, a manicure or pedicure. Enjoy the feeling of relaxation washing over you!
What do you do to love and nurture yourself?
On the seventh day, even God rested. But for workaholics, the day of rest never comes. There’s always one more email to read or one more phone call to take that can’t wait until the next day. The workaholic feels compelled to always do more.
How do you tell if you’re just unusually diligent or a workaholic? Preoccupation with work is at the core of workaholism. Work takes priority over everything else to the exclusion of family, marriage, and other activities. Here are 20 questions to help you determine whether or not you’re a workaholic. These are published by Workaholics Anonymous, a national support group.
1. Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else?
2. Are there times when you can charge through your work and other times when you can’t get anything done?
3. Do you take work with you to bed? On weekends? On vacation?
4. Is work the activity you like to do best and talk about most?
5. Do you work more than 40 hours a week?
6. Do you turn your hobbies into moneymaking ventures?
7. Do you take complete responsibility for the outcome of your work efforts?
8. Has your family or friends given up expecting you on time?
9. Do you take on extra work because you are concerned that it won’t otherwise get done?
10. Do you underestimate how long a project will take and then rush to complete it?
11. Do you believe that it is okay to work long hours if you love what you are doing?
12. Do you get impatient with people who have other priorities besides work?
13. Are you afraid that if you don’t work hard you will lose your job or be a failure?
14. Is the future a constant worry for you even when things are going very well?
15. Do you do things energetically and competitively including play?
16. Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop doing your work in order to do something else?
17. Have your long hours hurt your family or other relationships?
18. Do you think about your work while driving, falling asleep, or when others are talking?
19. Do you work or read during meals?
20. Do you believe that more money will solve the other problems in your life?
Positive answers to three or more questions may indicate a problem with workaholism. Awareness of the problem is the first step. If not addressed, workaholism can have significant health consequences, including work-related stress and job burnout, anger, depression, anxiety, and psychosomatic symptoms such as stomach ache and headaches.
Did you know that when parents are involved in their children’s education, their children do better in school? Yes, that’s right! In fact, research has shown that when parents are involved, students have higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates. Also, they have better school attendance, are better behaved, and have more positive attitudes toward school. Ultimately, your children grow up to be more successful in life.
As a working mother, how can you become more involved in your child’s school? Here are several tips.
- Attend back-to-school nights, student exhibits, and other school events. Get to know the teachers. Listen to their plans and what they hope to accomplish with their students.
- Attend Parent/Teacher association meetings. Voice your hopes and concerns for your child and for the school. Help organize meetings around your interests and those of other parents.
- Offer to tutor students. If you’re comfortable with technology, volunteer to be a computer tutor for students and teachers.
- Offer to help in the office or the cafeteria or to chaperone field trips and other outside events.
- Agree to serve on parent advisory groups to your school. They may involve everything from school policies and programs to classroom curriculum.
- If you’re unable to volunteer in the school due to your work schedule, look for ways to help from home. Call other parents to tell them about school-related activities, edit the school newsletter, or make educational materials for teachers.
Your efforts to be involved in your child’s school will not only help your child, but also help to make better schools!