--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maturity starts with the willingness to…" description: "\"Maturity starts with the willingness to give oneself.\" — Elisabeth Elliot" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/elisabeth-elliot-1209_aging_maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to_848703.png" --- # Maturity starts with the willingness to give oneself. ![“Maturity starts with the willingness to give oneself.” quote by Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/elisabeth-elliot-1209_aging_maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to_848703.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/elisabeth-elliot-1209_aging_maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to_848703.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/elisabeth-elliot-1209_aging_maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to_848703.png) > “Maturity starts with the willingness to give oneself.” [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Maturity begins when one is willing to give oneself, indicating self‑sacrifice and generosity as hallmarks of growth. **In simple terms:** Maturity = willingness to give. Key Takeaway Cultivate generosity for personal growth. Themes maturity generosity self‑sacrifice Mood thoughtful inspiring Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - volunteering - mentorship - family caregiving - community service Key Concepts psychology spirituality development Questions to Reflect On - What does giving mean to you? - How can you give sustainably? A Different Perspective Giving may lead to burnout if unbalanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Maturity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maturity/) [Maturity Starts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maturity-starts-725775/) [Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneself/) [Starts Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starts-willingness-251707/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) [Willingness Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness-oneself-725776/) ## Related quotes > [Dialogue starts with the willingness to challenge our own thinking, to recognize that any certainty we have is, at best, a hypothesis about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/dialogue-starts-with-the-willingness-to-challenge-our-own-thinking-to/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [When what has been created in time according to the temporal order has reached maturity, it ceases from natural growth. But when what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximus-the-confessor/when-what-has-been-created-in-time-according-to-the-temporal-order/) [Maximus the Confessor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximus-the-confessor/) > [Leadership is the willingness to put oneself at risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/leadership-is-the-willingness-to-put-oneself-at-risk/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Maturity starts,when drama ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/maturity-starts-when-drama-ends/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“The first step of change starts with the willingness to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-agnihotri/the-first-step-of-change-starts-with-the-willingness-to-change/) [Pooja Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-agnihotri/) > [ The most critical variable \[to becoming a change-maker\] is one's willingness to give oneself permission. To break the mental chains that make us small… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-most-critical-variable-to-becoming-a-change-maker-is-one-s/) [Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/) > [“We have tried everything to get rid of suffering. We have gone everywhere to get rid of suffering. We have bought everything to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gangaji/we-have-tried-everything-to-get-rid-of-suffering-we-have-gone/) [Gangaji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gangaji/) > [“The willingness to become greater than you are is itself becoming greater than you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-willingness-to-become-greater-than-you-are-is-itself-becoming/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [The willingness to be and to have just what God wants us to be and have, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-willingness-to-be-and-to-have-just-what-god-wants-us-to-be-and/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [We were looking at weather and our relationships with weather. It goes to a few other places, and I don't want to spoil anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-rice/we-were-looking-at-weather-and-our-relationships-with-weather-it-goes/) [Travis Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-rice/) > [Honesty, willingness to exert oneself, friendship - all these things shaped me too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/honesty-willingness-to-exert-oneself-friendship-all-these-things/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) > [Anxiety and desire are two, often conflicting, orientations to the unknown. Both are tilted toward the future. Desire implies a willingness, or a need,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-epstein/anxiety-and-desire-are-two-often-conflicting-orientations-to-the/) [Mark Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-epstein/) > [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More by Elisabeth Elliot > [All our problems are theological ones, William Temple said. All of them have to do with our relationship to God and his to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/all-our-problems-are-theological-ones-william-temple-said-all-of-them/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Discipline, for the Christian, begins with the body. We have only one. It is this body that is the primary material given to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/discipline-for-the-christian-begins-with-the-body-we-have-only-one-it/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [It seems disrespectful to me to see ladies in church in very short skirts or skimpy, sleeveless tops. I would imagine that it could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/it-seems-disrespectful-to-me-to-see-ladies-in-church-in-very-short/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [The deepest lessons come out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-deepest-lessons-come-out-of-the-deepest-waters-and-the-hottest/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Everything if given to God can become your gateway to joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/everything-if-given-to-god-can-become-your-gateway-to-joy/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Lead me, Lord, to the Rock that is higher than I. Let me hear your word, give me grace to obey, to build steadily,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/lead-me-lord-to-the-rock-that-is-higher-than-i-let-me-hear-your-word/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Experience had quickly taught her that she could not survive the storms without the anchor of the constraining love of Christ and what she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/experience-had-quickly-taught-her-that-she-could-not-survive-the/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [The pain of loneliness is one way in which he wants to get our attention. We may be earnestly desiring to be obedient and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-pain-of-loneliness-is-one-way-in-which-he-wants-to-get-our/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [“If men and women were surer of their God there would be more genuine manliness, womanliness, and godliness in the world, and a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/if-men-and-women-were-surer-of-their-god-there-would-be-more-genuine/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [I believe with all my heart God's Story has a happy ending. . . But not yet, not necessarily yet. It takes faith to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/i-believe-with-all-my-heart-god-s-story-has-a-happy-ending-but-not/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [“I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/i-do-know-that-waiting-on-god-requires-the-willingness-to-bear/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [“What do women want today? What do men want? I mean, deep down. What do they really want? If ‘times’ have changed, have human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/what-do-women-want-today-what-do-men-want-i-mean-deep-down-what-do/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [God will never disappoint us… If deep in our hearts we suspect that God does not love us and cannot manage our affairs as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/god-will-never-disappoint-us-if-deep-in-our-hearts-we-suspect-that/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Muddled thinking inevitably results in muddled living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/muddled-thinking-inevitably-results-in-muddled-living/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [The world cries for men who are strong--strong in conviction, strong to lead, to stand, to suffer. I pray that you will be that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-world-cries-for-men-who-are-strong-strong-in-conviction-strong-to/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) [Explore all 273 Elisabeth Elliot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) ## More Aging quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“It takes maturity to be able to laugh like a child again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/it-takes-maturity-to-be-able-to-laugh-like-a-child-again/) [Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/) > [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Growing old-it's not nice, but it's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/growing-old-it-s-not-nice-but-it-s-interesting/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Anything is possible in the life of a man if he lives long enough. Even maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/anything-is-possible-in-the-life-of-a-man-if-he-lives-long-enough/) [Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) [Browse all 2,792 Aging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Maturity starts with the willingness to give oneself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elisabeth Elliot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to-give-oneself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to-give-oneself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/elisabeth-elliot-1209_aging_maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to_848703.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/elisabeth-elliot-1209_aging_maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to_848703.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/elisabeth-elliot-1209_aging_maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to_848703.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Maturity starts with the willingness to give oneself.” — Elisabeth Elliot", "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": "Elisabeth Elliot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Maturity starts with the willingness to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to-give-oneself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to-give-oneself/#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 } } ] } ```