"I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deeply and suck all the marrow out of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
- Henry David Thoreau
The above is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite authors. Thoreau, Whitman, Emerson and others provide us with plenty of material expounding the virtue of LIVING our lives. This quote says it particularly beautifully. "I wanted to put to rout all that was not life." What an amazing thought! I was wondering about this after I read it. Wondering how much of my own life is spent in merely existing and how much is spent in LIVING! Granted, most of us (including me) have to work for a living. We have jobs and families and responsibilities and we can't just run out and take treks into the Himalayas every time we so choose. But we can make decisions every day that "suck the marrow out of life." We can enrich our lives with new thoughts and ideas, we can reach out to friends, we can try new things, we can do something everyday that scares us just a little.
Food for Thought: What does it mean to you to "suck the marrow out of life?"
Proactive Inspiration Challenge: This week, make a memory that you will remember. Do something that will guard against arriving at your death only to discover that you have not lived.
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Inspirational quotes, songs, challenges, and questions to inspire you for living every day.
2 comments:
I'm so glad I found you. I just put your site in the blogroll of my grief support site, Loving Farewells. Your sentiments are a perfect resource for grievers who want to feel better sooner and live fully again.
Thank you for your comment. I am happy that you found the blog and that you enjoyed it. I visited your site and you are doing such good work. Thank you for making a difference. I have linked to your site.
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