Now that I have a desk job, I am convinced that people cannot live their whole lives like this--sitting in front of a computer, not doing much at all (at least some of my days feel like that). I want to do something socially useful with my life, something that promotes human rights, justice, equality...even just on a small scale. I found this quote from Barbara Kingsolver (a favorite author of mine) while completing a final project for the previously mentioned Shindel, and liked it:
"People's dreams are made out of what they do all day. The same way a dog that runs after rabbits will dream of rabbits. It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around."
The part that I find most applicable to my life is the last sentence. I have to do something meaningful with my time, or my soul (figuratively) will not be something of which I am proud. If someone spends their day...as a villain, for lack of a better general term, their dreams, and their soul will become evil. That's an extreme example, but it conveys the right idea. For example, sometimes I worry about actors, though I have at times wanted to be one. They spend all their time pretending to be someone else, which can't be good for their sense of self. At the same time, if they come home and feel that they have done a good day's work, what they did all day will reflect positively on their dreams, ambitions, and "soul."
"meaningful" is subjective
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