"The idea of purpose is the idea that what we do matters to people other than ourselves.” Angela Duckworth"There has to be more to life than this,” was the parrot-cry of my life, despite the fact that I was young, single, had a good job, a comfortable apartment and was able to live within my means. I kept busy doing fun things with friends on weekends. My mother used to say, “You’re doing too much, save something for when you’re older.” I just ignored this comment; I was having too much fun. I figured I haven't been blessed with a husband and children so it wasn't really being selfish to focus all my time and effort on myself. In fact, there were those who envied my life. On Monday afternoons the same two married-with-children women would wander by my desk to ask what I did over the weekend. I’d share my bike ride around Angel Island or walking across the Gold Gate Bridge or the Shakespeare play I’d seen or the mystery dinner party I’d attended or rock climbing in Yosemite or going to the coast for the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society. They would happily live vicariously through my escapades. Yet, after a while I think I was getting more pleasure out of wow'ing these women and less pleasure out of my ramblings. Why, if they thought my life was so interesting and adventurous, was I not more satisfied.
desire to leave a legacy of some kind? Do you know what your gifts, talents and aptitudes are? What will your first step be toward making a difference? Lord, thank You for helping me see my self-centered lifestyle for what it was. Help me constantly renew my focus as my own selfishness tries to pry me away from being useful to others. Amen Note: Angela Lee Duckworth (1970- ), an American academic, psychologist and popular science author, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her first book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, when reviewed by the New York Times she was said to be “the psychologist who has made ‘grit’ the reigning buzzword in education-policy circles.”
Note: Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942), a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning in 1908 with Anne of Green Gables; she became famous in her lifetime and gained an international following.
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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