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Making a living is not the same as making a life: Some people seem to know just the right words to say. I have had immense respect for Maya Angelou for her thoughts and ideas about humanity, people and self and today’s quote very much exemplifies that.

Making a Living Vs Making A life – Quite an old debate isn’t it? And the answer is pretty simple, we must all focus on living a life and making a life. If we look at the meanings of the two.

Making a living is not the same thing as making a life Meaning

The phrase “Making a living is not the same thing as making a life” means that there is a distinction between earning an income to survive (making a living) and living a meaningful, fulfilling life (making a life). This makes sense in the context of us working jobs to provide us a source of income and livelihood. It naturally impacts the quality of our life. However, do jobs define our purpose and existence in life? There’s a school of thought which says that we should love our job. How many people out there actually love their job?

Life has to be something richer than just a job alone. It can evoke loads of emotions about connectedness, helping other individuals, having a fulfilled family and relationship etc. We cover a bit of this in the personal vision for life that talks about the many things that impact us, our values and our personality. The quote emphasizes the importance of going beyond financial pursuits and focusing on personal growth, relationships, passions, and overall well-being.

While making a living is essential for meeting basic needs, making a life involves pursuing one’s aspirations, values, and experiences that bring joy, purpose, and a sense of fulfillment. It encourages individuals to prioritize what truly matters and to create a life that aligns with their authentic selves, rather than solely focusing on financial success.

Maya Angelou Quotes

Other inspiring quotes from Maya Angelou – Maya Angelou’s words inspire and empower people around the world, encouraging resilience, self-empowerment, and compassion.

1. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
2. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
3. “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.”
4. “I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
5. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
6. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
7. “You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.”
8. “A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.”
9. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
10. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

Maya Angelou’s words inspire and empower people around the world, encouraging resilience, self-empowerment, and compassion.

Making a living Meaning

It simply means that you are earning your means. You are making enough money to sustain your family and your own aspirations. In the parlance of management – these are base needs, physiological needs which everyone needs as a base necessity. It is something everyone does as second nature cos your physical needs demand so. Quite simple and straight forward isn’t it?

Making a Life Meaning

Now this is where things get a little interesting. We all are pretty smart and know what making a life means. We don’t need Maya Angelou to tell us that making a life is important. I mean we are well aware of it. We all have a call from within and we all have heard that – so we really know what Maya Angelou is talking about.

But what do we do about this inner call? We know that this is much superior compared to the physiological need or the physical need of living our everyday life – our food, shelter and clothing. And to be very honest, I personally believe that you cannot aspire for the next level when your very existence is threatened and you need to worry where your next meal is coming from.

A luxury problem?

In other words, you can coin making a life as a luxury problem. Having said that, we have all heard of people who have done incredible things in the world despite their many challenges and failures.These are the people who have become the so called ‘Overnight successes’ and these are the people who have tested their limits only to tell you and me that things are as possible as we think we are.

Perhaps it really makes sense to listen to that inner voice. Give it some respect and hear what it is saying before shunning it off or calling it stupid. It is your thought and deserves to be treated with absolute respect. You cannot allow yourself to make fun of it, let alone anyone else doing that!

It does sound romantic. But is that all there is ?

Truly, it feels very romantic to say that life is beyond all these struggles. If we keep the romanticism away, life is still about making it count, living it for a reason more unique than getting our everyday paycheck. There is a lot more to life than that. You don’t need me or anyone telling you that. Sometimes all we need to do is ask a little question and ask what really matters and why

I do understand that it feels like a luxury question, but then come on,it is about you, you deserve every bit of luxury there is in the world. As the company oneplusone says – ‘Never settle’ :D :) .

That was our quote of today, Maya Angelou for your thoughts. Do stay tuned for more.

“I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life”

– Maya Angelou