I began to have an idea of my life, not as the slow shaping of achievement to fit my preconceived purposes, but as the gradual discovery and growth of a purpose which I did not know.
–Joanna Field
A Mindful Life / Kathryn Harper
express : discover : renew : create
That’s one that makes you go … hmmmm …
It has a nice sound and sentiment, but really thinking about it begins to chafe after a while. It seems to say that we do not control our own lives or destiny, but simply follow a script prepared for us and revealed to us one line at a time. That goes counter to my usual philosophy. But then there are days when I swear I have no control over anything, including myself… 🙂
Interesting! My interpretation of it didn’t even consider a pre-destined script. I don’t believe in that myself. What really appealed about this quote was the nature of discovery and adventure, how important it is to balance one’s goals/beliefs while also remaining curious/open to possibility.
Very interesting. I read it as a restatement of the line from John Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy”:
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”