Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others.
Rick WarrenRead
The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Finding life's purpose requires looking beyond oneself rather than focusing solely on personal desires and ambitions.
This quote by Rick Warren highlights the common human tendency to start the quest for purpose with a self-centered perspective, asking what we want or what our goals might be. However, it suggests that true fulfillment and understanding of life's purpose come from looking outside of ourselves and considering the greater context of life and our connections with others.
Themes
PurposeLifeSelflessnessMeaningGoals
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational talk about finding one's direction in life.
More from Rick Warren
All quotes →Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent. While your offender has probably forgotten the offense and gone on with life, you continue to stew in your pain, perpetuating the past. Listen: those who hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment. Your past is past! Nothing will change it. You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness. For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.
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Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.
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It’s not just what you eat that matters, it’s what eats you. You can have all the right macrobiotics and organic food, but if your body is filled with resentment, worry, fear, lust, guilt, anger, bitterness, or any other emotional disease, it’s going to shorten your life.
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Being successful and fulfilling your lifes purpose are not at all the same thing; You can reach all your personal goals, become a raving success by the worlds standard and still miss your purpose in this life.
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Leadership starts with understanding responsibility, not ability. Leadership is a Stewardship, not a show.
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