I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all. —Leo Rosten
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.”

Leo Rosten Writer, teacher

Making A Difference
Pass It On®
Pass It On®

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Your Comments
Robert Bennie from Brooksville, Fl. JULY 9, 2018
Dr. Felice Leonardo Buscaglia (Leo) quoted this in several of his lectures I heard in the seventies. I never had thought of this as a purpose before then. Now, it is a way of life and the size of the 'contribution' matters little.
Lani from Seattle, WA MAY 25, 2016
What a great quote to live by!

Here are some other inspiring quotes you might like.
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. #<Author:0x00007ff7069919c0>
APPRECIATING NATURE
Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light. #<Author:0x00007ff7069f5858>
HELPING OTHERS
Love is a friendship set to music. #<Author:0x00007ff7069dcab0>
LOVE
Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. #<Author:0x00007ff706a3d518>
COMMITMENT
Never let a problem to be solved become more important than the person to be loved. #<Author:0x00007ff706a24b30>
LOVE
Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so. #<Author:0x00007ff706a7f2d8>
OPTIMISM
The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. #<Author:0x00007ff706a665d0>
LIVE LIFE
Infinitely more important than sharing one's material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves—our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and, above all, our love. #<Author:0x00007ff706a4d5f8>
GENEROSITY
We always kept in our hearts the most noble, beautiful feeling that sets human beings apart: hope. #<Author:0x00007ff706a9f510>
HOPE
This above all-to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as night follows day, thou canst not then be false to any man. #<Author:0x00007ff706a85fe8>
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. #<Author:0x00007ff706add9c8>
EXPLORING
The miracle is this: the more we share the more we have. #<Author:0x00007ff706ac55f8>
GIVING BACK
And then there is the most dangerous risk of all...the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later. #<Author:0x00007ff706b1cd30>
SPREAD YOUR WINGS
We don't need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful. #<Author:0x00007ff706b05388>
RESPECT
Courage doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you. #<Author:0x00007ff706b65378>
COURAGE
It's faith that will take you through, and determination that will drive you. #<Author:0x00007ff706b47f30>
DRIVE
All Pass It On® Quotes

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