Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.
Howard Thurman (1899–1981) was an American theologian,
mystic, author and educator.
Thurman is recognized as a key spiritual mentor
of the civil rights movement.
“Dr. Howard Thurman is my mentor. I have his picture right here on the wall. He looks over me every day and this quote is a mantra for me. That’s why I do aromatherapy, make greeting cards, and write books about justice. All those things make me come alive. I think when we do what makes us come alive, we don’t burn out because we have energy and are rejuvenated on a daily basis. Burnout is when we are pushing against ourselves and using energy that really is not ours. That is when we are living somebody else’s life, which is a losing battle. I thank God and the angels who were good enough to allow me to meet him while he was still living and had a chance to spend some time with him, which was an amazing gift.”
Catherine Meeks is a theologian, educator, and
nationally recognized leader in the work of
racial healing and justice.
She is the author of Bridging the Rivers of Difference:
A Proclamation of Unity in Resistance
