QuoteProject
Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.
Anne Lamott
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the importance of living authentically and fully rather than seeking superficial validation.

Anne Lamott's quote reflects the fundamental choices we face in life: to either pursue a facade of control and power over our surroundings or to embrace the genuine experience of life. It urges us to prioritize self-discovery and enjoyment, highlighting that the true essence of life lies in understanding ourselves and savoring our unique journey, rather than succumbing to the pressures of external expectations.

Themes

LifeAuthenticitySelf-DiscoveryEnjoymentExperience

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be shared during a motivational speech to encourage people to live authentically.

More from Anne Lamott

Life with most teenagers was like having a low-grade bladder infection. It hurts, but you had to tough it out.
Anne LamottRead
Or you might shout at the top of your lungs or whisper into your sleeve, "I hate you, God." That is a prayer too, because it is real, it is truth, and maybe it is the first sincere thought you've had in months.
Anne LamottRead
It is hard to remember that you are a cherished spiritual being when you're burping up apple fritters and Cheetos.
Anne LamottRead
Gorgeous, amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandnieces, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, "Well, that's pretty much what I thought I'd see," you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself why you are even here. [...] Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.
Anne LamottRead
...because when people have seen you at their worst, you don't have to put on the mask as much.
Anne LamottRead
As a Christian and a feminist, the most important message I can carry and fight for is the sacredness of each human life, and reproductive rights for all women are a crucial part of that. It is a moral necessity that we not be forced to bring children into the world for whom we cannot be responsible and adoring and present. We must not inflict life on children who will be resented; we must not inflict unwanted children on society.
Anne LamottRead

Similar quotes

A short retirement urges a sweet return.
John MiltonRead
I focus on very few things in life - my work, my family, my friends. Those things are important to me and I pay good attention to them, and everything else just comes and goes.
Masai UjiriRead
I take so little interest in my daily life, that I hardly remember to eat and drink.
Emily BronteRead
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
Mary OliverRead
Life is filled with detours and dead ends, trials and challenges of every kind. Each of us has likely had times when distress, anguish, and despair almost consumed us.
Russell M. NelsonRead
Since people are going to be living longer and getting older, they'll just have to learn how to be babies longer.
Andy WarholRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.