Henri Nouwen Quotes

At some moment I did answer "Yes" to someone or something. And from that hour on I was certain that existence is meaningful.

I have never written a book that was not born out of a question I needed to answer for myself.

The ego is as you think of yourself. You in relation to all the commitments of your life, as you understand them. The self is the whole range of possibilities that you've never even thought of. And you're stuck with you're past when you're stuck with the ego. Because if all you know about yourself is what you found out about yourself, well, that already happened. The self is a whole field of potentialities to come through.

It is our commitment to wholeness that matters, the willingness to unfold in every deep aspect of our being.

Don’t let a day go by without asking who you are…each time you let a new ingredient to enter your awareness.

The passions and commitments that ignited my activity as a student are the same passions and commitments that I have today.

Commit yourself to do whatever it is you can contribute in order to create a healthy and sustainable future - the world needs you desperately. Find that in yourself and make a commitment - that is what will change the world.

You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks.

Nobody can discover the world for somebody else. Only when we discover it for ourselves does it become common ground and a common bond and we cease to be alone.

There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.

You must learn one thing. The world was made to be free in. Give up all the other worlds Except the one in which you belong.

... I have read in your face, as plain as if it was a book, that but for some trouble and sorrow we should never know half the good there is about us.

You have to be able to make a real creative life for Yourself, before you can expect anyone Else to provide one ready-made for you.

Do you pay regular visits to yourself? Don't argue or answer rationally. Let us die, and dying, reply.

Who you are is a mystery no one can answer, not even you.

Whatever you do, you should do it with feeling.

You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers.

Success in the affairs of life often serves to hide one's abilities, whereas adversity frequently gives one an opportunity to discover them.

Books are only made so that they may point the way to a higher life; but no good results unless the path is trodden with unflinching steps!

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

I grew to see my affliction as my gift. When I sang, I soared. I could soar higher than all those hurts aimed at my heart. All I needed was the courage to be me.

You have to care. You can't do good work if you don't care. That's not necessarily a strength, but it gives you strength.

To anyone out there especially young people feeling like they don't fit in and will never be accepted, please know this, great things can happen when you have the courage to be yourself.

If you care about what you do and work hard at it, there isn't anything you can't do if you want to.

I always find it kind of more interesting when people ask questions like, "What were you like as a kid?" Or just kind of personal history stuff, like, "What was the lowest point of your life?" Because that would be like, "Huh, well, I'd have to think about that one." And then give an honest answer. I think a lot of people don't want to give honest answers, or they just are in business showbiz mode when they're talking about stuff, so that's probably why a lot of that kind of thing doesn't get asked.