August 19

  

Today's Quotation:

People have made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when they plant shade trees under which they know full well they will never sit.

Elton Trueblood

Today's Meditation:

Sometimes I get almost overwhelmed when I think of the fact that I most probably won't be here fifty years from now.  After all, it's difficult for me to imagine the world without me in it!  That's the only way I've known it.  But the truth of the matter is that one day I will die, and I'm either going to leave behind something, or not.

Elton's words make us think of something very important:  are we going to spend our lives fulfilling our own needs and desires and leave nothing for posterity, or are we going to look towards the future, and the people who will be on this planet long after we're gone?  We don't have to leave trees, for not all of us have property on which to do so.  But our lives are definitely able to touch those of other people, and it's possible for us to contribute to the peace and compassion of the coming years by helping others to realize their hopes and dreams and goals, and to help their self-esteem through teaching and encouraging.

We can add to the clean air of our world by walking more instead of driving, or just driving less.  We can use less water, or we can use less electricity, without worrying about how "miniscule" or unnoticeable our particular contribution is.  It's not important whether we make a huge difference or not, but it is important whether we do something or not.

We can contribute, and the scale doesn't matter.  Our lives are full of the potential to give and to help, and just because one may be planning on living in a town for only another year or two doesn't mean that one can't plant a rosebush today that will grow to maturity years from now.  The beautiful rosebush will give moments of joy to many people, and it's not important if we know the results, or if we don't.  When we learn this fully, we do begin to discover the meaning of human life.

Questions to ponder:

1.  What kinds of things can you do now that might help others in the future?

2.  Do our contributions have to be worldwide in scale in order to make a difference?

3.  What kinds of things have you given to the world that will last?

For further thought:

Many people do not know that they can strengthen or diminish the life around them. The way we live day to day simply may not reflect back to us our power to influence life or the web of relationships that connects us. Life responds to us anyway. We all have the power to affect others. We may affect those we know and those we do not even know at all.  Without our knowing, we may influence the lives of others in very simple ways.

Rachel Naomi Remen

more thoughts and ideas on giving

  

   

quotations - contents - welcome page - obstacles
our current e-zine - the people behind the words - articles and excerpts
Daily Meditations, Year One - Year Two - Year Three - Year Four
     

Sign up for your free daily spiritual or general quotation
~ ~ Sign up for your free daily meditation

    

   

tm

All contents © Living Life Fully, all rights reserved.

 

 

We have some inspiring and motivational books that may interest you.  Our main way of supporting this site is through the sale of books, either physical copies or digital copies for your Amazon Kindle (including the online reader).  All of the money that we earn through them comes back to the site in one way or another.  Just click on the picture to the left to visit our page of books, both fiction and non-fiction!