Henri Nouwen Quotes

The value of life is not in its duration, but in its donation.

He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies.

One cannot be honest even at the end of one's life, for no one is wholly alone. We are bound to those we love, or to those who love us, and to those who need us to be brave, or content, or even happy enough to allow them not to worry about us. So we must refrain from giving pain, as our last gift to our fellows.

My life is a contribution.

What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of it.

Every now and then I think about my own death, and I think about my own funeral. [...] Every now and then I ask myself, 'What is it that I would want said?' I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.

Men of action, above all those whose actions are guided by love, live forever.

The measure of life is not its duration, but its donation.

Life is fleeting, and permanence in this world is something we all strive for. The best way to achieve permanence is through philanthropy.

Lest when I am gone you may be at a loss for an epitaph for me, let me give you one - He Fed Fevers.

Giving is good, but taking is bad and brings death.

Life is not accumulation, it is about contribution.

What a man does for others, not what they do for him, gives him immortality.

My parents have left a legacy in our family of service to others.

When all is said and done, I want to die exhausted and empty because I gave everything that was in me. I believe that's why we're all here: to give of ourselves to one another to help create a better world, because you can't take it with you.

I am not here forever, so I wanted to do the best for the coming generation.

public work brings a vicarious but assured sense of immortality. We may be poor, weak, timid, in debt to our landlady, bullied by our nieces, stiff in the joints, shortsighted and distressed; we shall perish, but the cause endures; the cause is great.

We are visitors on this planet. We are here for one hundred years at the very most. During that period we must try to do something good, something useful, with our lives. if you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the true meaning of life.

People will say it's sad that she leaves a lesser scar, that fewer remember her, that she was loved deeply but not widely. But it's not sad, Van Houten. It's triumphant. It's heroic. Isn't that the real heroism? Like the doctors say: First, do no harm.

Real kindness seeks no return.

Real love is when you become selfless and you are more concerned about your mate's or children's egos than your own. You're now a giver instead of a taker.

No man need fear death, he need fear only that he may die without having known his greatest power: the power of his free will to give his life for others

Is there any real purpose in being alive if all we are going to do is get up every day and live only for ourselves? Live your life to help others. Give & live selflessly.