“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”~ Winston Churchill.
If we want a fulfilling and happy life we cannot be soley focused on ourselves. In any society or culture the need to make a living is there….in certain cultures it is as a hunter/gatherer, in other cultures it’s by tending a farm, in my country and culture it’s by going out to work to earn the money to provide the things we need and want.
It’s how to make a life that is the important question.
I can’t remember the exact quote but I read somewhere that someone’s mother used to say ‘when you’re feeling down go and do something for someone else-you’ll forget about yourself and your problems.’
We need to widen our outlook to trully make a fulfulling life- to not only be aware of those outside our own immediate family and friends but the wider world as well. As I mentioned in a previous post it’s not enough to just be aware, we need to take action as well.
Worth a try don’t you think?
2 Comments
November 6, 2009 at 5:22 pm
We certainly live in an “I” and “me” generation, though I’ve come to know that when my thoughts are so consumed with personal problems and desires, I miss out on opportunities to built better relationships with people I love, or even building new relationships. It’s occurred to me that being the best or having the best isn’t important, but that sharing who you are and what you have with other people is the most beneficial.
M.
November 10, 2009 at 12:47 am
Very true! This is how we touch other people’s lives.It’s so easy to be consumed with me but life is so much better and happier when we are not so narrow in our outlook.