--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we celebrate life with all its…" description: "\"If we celebrate life with all its contradictions, embrace, experience, and ultimately live with it, a chance exists for a spiritual life filled not onl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/derrick-jensen-2824_celebrate_if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contra_150207.png" --- # If we celebrate life with all its contradictions, embrace… ![“If we celebrate life with all its contradictions, embrace, experience, and ultimately live with it, a chance exists for a spiritual life filled not only with pain and untidiness, but also with joy, community, and creativity.” quote by Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/derrick-jensen-2824_celebrate_if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contra_150207.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/derrick-jensen-2824_celebrate_if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contra_150207.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/derrick-jensen-2824_celebrate_if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contra_150207.png) > “If we celebrate life with all its contradictions, embrace, experience, and ultimately live with it, a chance exists for a spiritual life filled not only with pain and untidiness, but also with joy, community, and creativity.” [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Celebrating life's contradictions invites a spiritual life that balances pain with joy, community, and creativity. **In simple terms:** Embrace contradictions for a fuller spiritual life. Key Takeaway Accept complexity, seek balance. Themes spirituality contradiction joy Mood hopeful inspired Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - daily rituals - artistic expression - community building Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What contradictions do you celebrate? - How can you turn pain into creativity? A Different Perspective May romanticize suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spiritual life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-life/) ## Related quotes > [Really, life is full of contradictions. Life is messy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/really-life-is-full-of-contradictions-life-is-messy/) [Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/) > [“The spiritual world exists as a cosmos in itself. A cosmos containing worlds. And there is synergy and harmony amongst these worlds. What humam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/the-spiritual-world-exists-as-a-cosmos-in-itself-a-cosmos-containing/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [If God exists, then we are spiritual beings, and we have souls, and we are noble inherently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-badgley/if-god-exists-then-we-are-spiritual-beings-and-we-have-souls-and-we/) [Penn Badgley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-badgley/) > [Our success already exists on a spiritual level; it's a matter of pulling it into the physical world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/our-success-already-exists-on-a-spiritual-level-it-s-a-matter-of/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [When we accept all of life's contradictions, when we can comfortably flow between the banks of pleasure and pain, experiencing them both while getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/when-we-accept-all-of-life-s-contradictions-when-we-can-comfortably/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“One of life's contradictions: how human beings were at once entirely resilient and impossibly fragile. One decision could stay with you forever, and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/one-of-life-s-contradictions-how-human-beings-were-at-once-entirely/) [J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/) > [self-possession is the ability to face without fear life in all its contradictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-gornick/self-possession-is-the-ability-to-face-without-fear-life-in-all-its/) [Vivian Gornick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-gornick/) > [“On the 26th of January 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhimrao-ramji-ambedkar/on-the-26th-of-january-1950-we-are-going-to-enter-into-a-life-of/) [Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhimrao-ramji-ambedkar/) > [Life is full of contradictions:- To a pessimist its a real struggle. To pragmatist its just living. To an optimist is full of opportunity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nghi-lam/life-is-full-of-contradictions-to-a-pessimist-its-a-real-struggle-to/) [Nghi Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nghi-lam/) > [You may find many contradictory statements and philosophies within my writings. However, to this I will say such is life, for life is full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/you-may-find-many-contradictory-statements-and-philosophies-within-my/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [I've realized that life is indeed full of contradictions. Sometimes its crazy to be sane.You need to fall to fly. People suffer because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-realized-that-life-is-indeed-full-of-contradictions-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If we are going to make any sense out of all this confusion around us, we have to find a way to organize it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-gibson/if-we-are-going-to-make-any-sense-out-of-all-this-confusion-around-us/) [Rowan Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-gibson/) > [If u were to examine a man's entire life, u would see that it is full of contradictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goodie/if-u-were-to-examine-a-man-s-entire-life-u-would-see-that-it-is-full/) [Goodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goodie/) > [Celebrate Life. Care for others and share whatever you have with those less fortunate than you. Broaden your vision, for the whole world belongs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/celebrate-life-care-for-others-and-share-whatever-you-have-with-those/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Tonight I will celebrate life, cherish those I love and pray for those fallen angels and their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tonight-i-will-celebrate-life-cherish-those-i-love-and-pray-for-those/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Derrick Jensen > [The global industrial economy is the engine for massive environmental degradation and massive human (and nonhuman) impoverishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/the-global-industrial-economy-is-the-engine-for-massive-environmental/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [“In sum, one of the primary things I learned was how to kill time. I learned also to wish away my life. I learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/in-sum-one-of-the-primary-things-i-learned-was-how-to-kill-time-i/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [“I had broken the most basic commandment of our culture: Thou shalt pretend there is nothing wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/i-had-broken-the-most-basic-commandment-of-our-culture-thou-shalt/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [“Someone asked me once at a talk why I so stress the positive with my students yet am such an unstinting critic of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/someone-asked-me-once-at-a-talk-why-i-so-stress-the-positive-with-my/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [If the world is presented as resources to be exploited, then, more than likely, you're going to exploit the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/if-the-world-is-presented-as-resources-to-be-exploited-then-more-than/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [It's no wonder we don't defend the land where we live. We don't live here. We live in television programs and movies and books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/it-s-no-wonder-we-don-t-defend-the-land-where-we-live-we-don-t-live/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [“ISOLATION DOES STRANGE THINGS to a person’s mind. This is true for any social creature, human or otherwise. Monkeys taken from their mothers at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/isolation-does-strange-things-to-a-person-s-mind-this-is-true-for-any/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [My great-grandmother grew up in a sod house in Nebraska. When she was a tiny girl - in other words, only four human generations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/my-great-grandmother-grew-up-in-a-sod-house-in-nebraska-when-she-was/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [Where will you drive your own picket stake? Where will you choose to make your stand? Give me a threshold, a specific point at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/where-will-you-drive-your-own-picket-stake-where-will-you-choose-to/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [“So often, environmentalists and others working to slow the destruction are capable of plainly describing the problems (Who wouldn’t be? The problems are neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/so-often-environmentalists-and-others-working-to-slow-the-destruction/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [Forests precede us and deserts dog our heels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/forests-precede-us-and-deserts-dog-our-heels/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [“The condition of alienation, of being asleep, of being unconscious, of being out of one’s mind, is the condition of the normal man. Society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/the-condition-of-alienation-of-being-asleep-of-being-unconscious-of/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [So many indigenous people have said to me that the fundamental difference between Western and indigenous ways of being is that even the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/so-many-indigenous-people-have-said-to-me-that-the-fundamental/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [When dams were erected on the Columbia, salmon battered themselves against the concrete, trying to return home. I expect no less from us. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/when-dams-were-erected-on-the-columbia-salmon-battered-themselves/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [People say 'what do you mean' when you talk about 'bringing down civilization.' What I really mean is depriving the rich of the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/people-say-what-do-you-mean-when-you-talk-about-bringing-down/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) [Explore all 149 Derrick Jensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) ## More Celebrate quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/) [Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Trying to find this industry's tendency to celebrate the physical is a waste of time. So I'm happy to play the game. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/trying-to-find-this-industry-s-tendency-to-celebrate-the-physical-is/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [On Valentine's Day, couples in Calgary can celebrate their love for each other with couples' nude yoga - great way to get in shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sagal/on-valentine-s-day-couples-in-calgary-can-celebrate-their-love-for/) [Peter Sagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sagal/) > [A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/a-society-that-presumes-a-norm-of-violence-and-celebrates-aggression/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [No matter what day we celebrate Australia Day, let's celebrate it together and give thanks to the original inhabitants of this vast country. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/no-matter-what-day-we-celebrate-australia-day-let-s-celebrate-it/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [I'm not so much in the future as always in the present. The future always takes care of itself. What I do now with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-mekas/i-m-not-so-much-in-the-future-as-always-in-the-present-the-future/) [Jonas Mekas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-mekas/) > [Birth, life, death is a cycle. And they're all beautiful, you celebrate all of them. Animals do grieve, but they move on. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/birth-life-death-is-a-cycle-and-they-re-all-beautiful-you-celebrate/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I just wanted to jump into the stands and start celebrating with those wonderful fans. (on reaching the Champions League final)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gerrard/i-just-wanted-to-jump-into-the-stands-and-start-celebrating-with/) [Steven Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gerrard/) > [What I have found is, so much of that is like a Chinese finger trap: the more you play to the dark, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/what-i-have-found-is-so-much-of-that-is-like-a-chinese-finger-trap/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/while-we-celebrate-our-diversity-what-surprises-me-time-and-time/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [I feel like the downfall of any person is the second an artist starts celebrating their work themselves, that becomes problematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/questlove/i-feel-like-the-downfall-of-any-person-is-the-second-an-artist-starts/) [Questlove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/questlove/) Browse all 2,313 Celebrate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we celebrate life with all its contradictions, embrace, experience, and ultimately live with it, a chance exists for a spiritual life filled not only with pain and untidiness, but also with joy, community, and creativity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Derrick Jensen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contradictions-embrace-experience/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Celebrate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contradictions-embrace-experience/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/derrick-jensen-2824_celebrate_if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contra_150207.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/derrick-jensen-2824_celebrate_if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contra_150207.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/derrick-jensen-2824_celebrate_if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contra_150207.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we celebrate life with all its contradictions, embrace, experience, and ultimately live with it, a chance…” — Derrick Jensen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Derrick Jensen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we celebrate life with all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contradictions-embrace-experience/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/if-we-celebrate-life-with-all-its-contradictions-embrace-experience/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```