“And you may ask yourself,
‘Well, how did I get here?’” ~ Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime
Our beliefs, standards, friendships, decisions, education and character all played a part in how we got here. But why are we here?
While there may be no definitive answer to this question, I read a passage from one of my favorite authors that sent me down this path. And as things happen, I started seeing more quotes beginning with the phrase, "We are here to..."
This stimulated my curiosity. Why are we here? I then actively searched other authors, pioneers, and philosophers to learn what they had to say about this topic and I was blown away. I think you will be too.
Why are we here?
"We are here to find meaning. We are here to help other people do the same. Everything else is secondary. We humans want to believe in our own species."
~ Hugh Macleod, Gapingvoid
“We are here of the earth never to end, the past never ceasing,
the future never beginning, the present never ending.” ~ Henry Miller
“We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well
that Death will tremble to take us.” ~ Charles Bukowski
“The only Zen you’ll find on mountain tops
is the Zen you bring up there with you.” ~ Alan Watts
“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future.” ~ John F. Kennedy
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world.
It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” ~ Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
“I believe we are here to do good. It is the responsibility of every human being to aspire to do something worthwhile, to make the world a better place than the one we found.”
~ Albert Einstein
“We are here on earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world
a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.” ~ Rosa Parks
“We are here to learn to endure the beams of love.” ~ William Blake
“Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished:
If you’re alive, it isn’t.”
~ Richard Bach
"[We] are here to experience and cultivate [our] imagination, to access a deeper spiritual reality beyond the physical world, and to ultimately achieve a state of 'higher innocence' through creative expression, which is often seen as a rebellion
against the constraints of society and reason." ~ William Blake
“We are here to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different.”
~ Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake
"We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death
will tremble to take us." ~ Charles Bukowski
"We are here to bring to consciousness the beauty and power
that are around us and to praise the people who are here with us.
We witness our generation and our times.
We watch the weather. Otherwise, creation would be playing to an empty house."
~ Annie Dillard, Pulitzer Prize winner
"You are here to be Loved. I'm talking about knowing that you are Loved by divinity,
that you are Loved by the universe itself, you are made out of Love, and that you will return into Love... You are a GIFT here.
And this world - in return - is an offering of Love to YOU." ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
***
Note: This post is dedicated to a young man named Leon who recently passed away,
and his grieving mother, Debbie Reece.
***
I’m Michael Kennedy, Olympic Valley, CA resident, married to Nicola Kennedy (in photo above). I’m a writer, photographer, lover of nature, and property caretaker. I just want to say thanks for your attention - I appreciate it in such a noisy world. If you enjoyed it, please share with others. It means a lot to me and it helps others see the story.
If you're interested in owning any photos in my gallery, call or text me at 530.608.9150 with inquiries. My email: michael.kennedy999@gmail.com.
Comments