Death is staring too long into the burning sun and the relief of entering a cool, dark room.
Elisabeth Kubler-RossRead
According to my parents, I was supposed to have been a nice, churchgoing Swiss housewife. Instead I ended up an opinionated psychiatrist, author and lecturer in the American Southwest, who communicates with spirits from a world that I believe is far more loving and glorious than our own.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the journey of self-discovery and the divergence from societal expectations.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross expresses a strong contrast between the role she was expected to fulfill according to her upbringing and the unique path she ultimately chose as a psychiatrist and author. Her journey illustrates the importance of following one's own beliefs and passions, emphasizing that personal fulfillment and understanding can lead to profound connections with the world beyond our immediate reality.
Themes
Self-DiscoveryExpectationsSpiritualityIdentityFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about personal growth, you could use this quote to illustrate the importance of following one's true calling.
More from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
All quotes →The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not "get over" the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.
Elisabeth Kubler-RossRead
The simple life on the farm was everything to me. Nothing was more relaxing after a long plane flight than to reach the winding driveway that led up to my house. The quiet of the night was more soothing than a sleeping pill.
Elisabeth Kubler-RossRead
The ultimate lesson all of us have to learn is unconditional love, which includes not only others but ourselves as well.
Elisabeth Kubler-RossRead
There is no joy without hardship. If not for death, would we appreciate life? If not for hate, would we know the ultimate goal is love? At these moments you can either hold on to negativity and look for blame, or you can choose to heal and keep on loving.
Elisabeth Kubler-RossRead
We're put here on Earth to learn our own lessons. No one can tell you what your lessons are; it is part of your personal journey to discover them. On these journeys we may be given a lot, or just a little bit, of the things we must grapple with, but never more than we can handle.
Elisabeth Kubler-RossRead
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So our human life but dies down to its root, and still puts forth its green blade to eternity.
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