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of the old Peanuts comic strip in

which Lucy asks Charlie Brown,

“Why do you think we’re put

here on earth?” Charlie Brown

says, “To make others happy.”

Lucy then asks, “What are the

others put here for?”

—Mike Adamkosky columbus, ohio

Empowering Others

Growing up with a disability, I was subject

to discrimination and what is now called

bullying. All I wanted was the equal

correct answer, I believe—only an-

swers that are right for you at any

given time.

Great thinkers have given the ques-

tion thought, so you can look to the

words attributed to them for inspi-

ration. Plato, the Greek philosopher

who lived more than 2,300 years

ago, concluded that only “love can

light that beacon which a man must

steer by when he sets out to live

the better life.” Russian author Leo

Tolstoy wrote, “The sole meaning

Martin Luther King Jr. framed the

sentiment as a question: “Life’s most

persistent and urgent question is,

‘What are you doing for others?’” And

the Dalai Lama added, “If we find we

cannot help others, the least we can

do is desist from harming them.”

Others came to the same conclu-

sion, in their own words. For in-

stance, Scottish rugby legend Nelson

Henderson put the notion poetically

when he said, “The true meaning

of life is to plant trees under whose

shade you do not expect to sit.” And

actor Whoopi Goldberg’s meaning-

of-life metaphor was to “throw little

opportunity to pursue my dreams. Em-

powering others to pursue theirs through

teaching, advocacy, and the practice of

law is what brings meaning to my life.

—Cindy Simon wayne, new jersey

Playing as a Team

My husband coaches high school tennis.

In a preseason conditioning run, the lone

freshman, new to the team, was falling

behind. One of the older boys left his spot

with the pack to go back and run with the

new boy, encouraging him not to give up.

To me, the meaning of life includes exactly

this: eyes that see those falling behind and

hearts motivated to do something about it.

—Jenna Filbrun goshen, indiana

Reader’s Digest How to Maintain Your Purpose in Life

28 dec 2018 )jan 2019 | rd.com