This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

George Bernard Shaw

This is a powerful quote from G B Shaw’s play Man and Superman. Werner Erhard uses this quote often in his talks and why not? In less than 150 words, Shaw manages to highlight the petty mindset of humanity and at the same time calls for finding true joy in making the maximum contribution one can before one dies.

George Bernard Shaw often remarked that he hated Shakespeare and so it is interesting possibility that the remark that life is no “brief candle” is a retort to a quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth –

Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions

One lives one’s life only to the extent of one’s understanding of what is life

Isn’t this something you observe around you. It does not matter what one says. It does not matter what lofty ideas one has. Observe the way a person lives his life and you will understand what he thinks about life. Compare what you think life is with the way you live your life and see if there is a difference in understanding and action.

You cannot know the purpose of the journey until you have completed it.

Isn’t it obvious? Say you plan a vacation to Goa with the intention of having a good time but you miss your flight and then have to hitch hike your way, wouldn’t you get new experiences on the way? When you actually complete your trip, you will realize what that trip taught you. But if you are cursing yourself for missing the flight and are complaining of all the trouble you went through, maybe you will not learn anything new. Similarly in life. Welcome everything what happens in your life.

If you PAY attention, you can BUY enlightenment.

There is no free lunch in this world. So with enlightenment. It is not free. You can buy it. The price is attention. You have to pay attention every moment to what is happening inside you and around you. If you can pay this price, you can get enlightened.