Work is Not the Purpose of Life

 "Man does not live, therefore, to produce bread. He produces bread to live. The distinction is enormously important and relevant. Obviously man must have food, and so far as our experience goes, he must work to produce It, But work is not the purpose of life. Production is not the purpose of life. Instead, human lives are the entire purpose and the reason for all work and for all production.
- Robert G. Lewis - speaking about the issues of family farms at the annual meeting of the Interorganization Committee on Problems for Rural Youth in 1957

What if Money Was No Object?

What would you do with your life if money was no object?

Watch this great video of Alan Watts' advice on the subject.
Then go read A Story of Money. 

Do more of what inspires you

In response to my daily post Kick Back I received this question...

Can you be busy without being hurried?
Is there a difference between being active and busy?
I thought being too idle isn't good either!
Either way, I love these quotes every single day of my life.

My reply...

The problems I am attempting to shed light upon are...
1. Staying busy with things that don't really matter.
2. Failing to take time to renew yourself.

Do less of what feels "necessary" but meaningless.

Do more of what inspires you.

Ask yourself if this activity is one that you want memorialized on your tombstone.

And always allocate time for renewal, and balance in your life.


Say NO to the demands of the world.
Say YES to the longings of your own heart.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

A "No" uttered from deepest conviction
is better and greater than a "Yes" merely uttered to please,
or what is worse, to avoid trouble.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Happiness walks on busy feet.
- Kitte Turmell

It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants.
The question is: What are we busy about?
- Henry David Thoreau

Take time to sharpen the saw.
- Steven Covey

A time for work, a time for play -
balance in all things.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

The Only Two Rules For Living A Successful Life

Truly, there are only two steps to success.

1. Decide what "success" means to you. The measure of success for you may be money, or prestige, or power, but perhaps being successful just means living a happy life. Think deeply about how you choose to measure your success in life.

2. Focus. You get what you focus on. Visualize your success as already accomplished, and take positive action toward your success each day.

If you don't know what you want, you will probably never get it.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
- Henry David Thoreau

The indispensable first step to getting
the things you want out of life is this:
Decide what you want.
- Ben Stein

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know:
the only ones among you who will be really happy
are those who will have sought and found how to serve.
- Albert Schweitzer

A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night,
and in between he does what he wants to do.
- Bob Dylan

Money has never made man happy, nor will it,
there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness.
The more of it one has the more one wants.
- Benjamin Franklin

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

Visualize your end result as having already been accomplished.
Let the image of your success play on the giant screen in full color
with surround sound - so real you can smell and taste it.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Success is not the key to happiness.
Happiness is the key to success.
If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
- Albert Schweitzer
Note that this Schweitzer quote only makes sense when using the traditional measure of success: money/prestige/power. I would be more inclined to say,
"If you love what you are doing, you ARE a success. -jlh"

Always be a first-rate version of yourself,
instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
- Judy Garland

Find a time and place of solitude.
Look into the distance, and into the future.
Visualize the tomorrow you are going to build -
and begin to build that tomorrow, today.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Be resolute in your goals,
but flexible in your tactics.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: How to Choose Your Life Purpose

How to Motivate Yourself

s How to be Successful in Business

Success Quotes

Life Purpose Quotes

s Happiness Quotes

Values Quotes

Life Purpose - another look

Question: You have mentioned several times about people having a purpose. And talk about it as if most do. I have talked to many friends in the last week and asked them if they knew their purpose. None of them did, but thought it would be helpful if they did.

When you talk about this and setting goals as if it were a simple task., it makes me feel like the ultimate loser. I have tried multiple times but have never succeeded.

My Reply:

Thank you for asking.

I have certainly never intended to suggest either that most people have discovered their purpose, nor that finding one's purpose is easy.

Searching for your purpose, but not yet having found it, in no way makes you a "loser." Rather, it makes you someone who cares enough to value having a purpose and to pay attention to the discovery process.

Each of us has a purpose that differs in the details, but I will take the bold step of suggesting that each of us has a purpose that is in some way related to being of service to others.

Remember that a life purpose doesn't have to be something lofty. "Being a great father" is no less worthy as a life purpose than "ending world hunger."

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know:
the only ones among you who will be really happy
are those who will have sought and found how to serve.
- Albert Schweitzer

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
- Mother Teresa

If you haven't already, I recommend you read How to Choose Your Life Purpose and try the Tombstone Exercise?

May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie