--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are sent into the world to live to the…" description: "\"We are sent into the world to live to the full everything that awakens within us and everything that comes toward us.\" — John O'Donohue" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f4/john-o-donohue-1919_inspirational_we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-th_1963847.jpg" --- # We are sent into the world to live to the full everything… ![“We are sent into the world to live to the full everything that awakens within us and everything that comes toward us.” quote by John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f4/john-o-donohue-1919_inspirational_we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-th_1963847.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f4/john-o-donohue-1919_inspirational_we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-th_1963847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f4/john-o-donohue-1919_inspirational_we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-th_1963847.jpg) > “We are sent into the world to live to the full everything that awakens within us and everything that comes toward us.” [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life invites us to embrace all inner awakenings and external arrivals fully. **In simple terms:** Embrace all experiences. Key Takeaway Live fully. Themes growth acceptance spirituality Mood hopeful contemplative Type poetic motivational When to use this quote - new opportunities - relationships - personal growth - creative projects Key Concepts poetry humanism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay present with new experiences? - What boundaries support healthy immersion? A Different Perspective Full immersion can lead to overwhelm if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awakens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awakens/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/a-friend-is-a-loved-one-who-awakens-your-life-in-order-to-free-the/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [The infinite is a light sleeper. The moment the self awakens, the force of the infinite begins to stir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/the-infinite-is-a-light-sleeper-the-moment-the-self-awakens-the-force/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Beauty does not linger; it only visits. Yet beauty's visitation affects us and invites us into its rhythm; it calls us to feel, think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/beauty-does-not-linger-it-only-visits-yet-beauty-s-visitation-affects/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [When love awakens in your life, in the night of your heart, it is like the dawn breaking within you. Where before there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/when-love-awakens-in-your-life-in-the-night-of-your-heart-it-is-like/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Man was sent into the world to be a growing and exhaustless force. The world was spread out around him to be seized and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/man-was-sent-into-the-world-to-be-a-growing-and-exhaustless-force-the/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [We seldom realize fully that we are sent to fulfill God-given tasks. We act as if we were simply dropped down in creation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/we-seldom-realize-fully-that-we-are-sent-to-fulfill-god-given-tasks/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [You are not here in the world for yourself. You have been sent here for others. The world is waiting for you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/you-are-not-here-in-the-world-for-yourself-you-have-been-sent-here/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [Everything changes radically from the moment you know yourself as being sent into this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/everything-changes-radically-from-the-moment-you-know-yourself-as/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [“We are not sent into the world to air our moral prejudices.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/we-are-not-sent-into-the-world-to-air-our-moral-prejudices/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [what are we all sent into the world for, but to be of use to each other?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-eden/what-are-we-all-sent-into-the-world-for-but-to-be-of-use-to-each-other/) [Emily Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-eden/) > [We were not sent into this world to do anything into which we cannot put our hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/we-were-not-sent-into-this-world-to-do-anything-into-which-we-cannot/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Man is sent into the world to perform his duty even at the cost of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/man-is-sent-into-the-world-to-perform-his-duty-even-at-the-cost-of/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The Self awakens only as he contacts the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-rudhyar/the-self-awakens-only-as-he-contacts-the-earth/) [Dane Rudhyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-rudhyar/) > [“Walking awakens the total senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/walking-awakens-the-total-senses/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [True poetry is a function of awakening. It awakens us, but it must retain the memory of previous dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/true-poetry-is-a-function-of-awakening-it-awakens-us-but-it-must/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) ## More by John O'Donohue > [I always was kind of on the edge of the church when I was fully in it , cos I was always asking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/i-always-was-kind-of-on-the-edge-of-the-church-when-i-was-fully-in-it/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Real friendship or love is not manufactured or achieved by an act of will or intention. Friendship is always an act of recognition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/real-friendship-or-love-is-not-manufactured-or-achieved-by-an-act-of/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [It is lovely to meet an old person whose face is deeply lined, a face that has been deeply inhabited, to look in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/it-is-lovely-to-meet-an-old-person-whose-face-is-deeply-lined-a-face/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [“For Someone Awakening To The Trauma of His or Her Past: For everything under the sun there is a time. This is the season…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/for-someone-awakening-to-the-trauma-of-his-or-her-past-for-everything/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [It is a strange and wonderful fact to be here, walking around in a body, to have a whole world within you and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/it-is-a-strange-and-wonderful-fact-to-be-here-walking-around-in-a/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [“If we could be mindful of how short our time is, we might learn how precious each day is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/if-we-could-be-mindful-of-how-short-our-time-is-we-might-learn-how/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [If you try to avoid or remove the awkward quality, it will pursue you. The only effective way to still its unease is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/if-you-try-to-avoid-or-remove-the-awkward-quality-it-will-pursue-you/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/a-friend-is-a-loved-one-who-awakens-your-life-in-order-to-free-the/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [“There is a poetic import to the phrase ‘without a shadow of a doubt’: in all probability, there is no doubt without a shadow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/there-is-a-poetic-import-to-the-phrase-without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt-in/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [If you allow yourself to be the person you are then everything will come into rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/if-you-allow-yourself-to-be-the-person-you-are-then-everything-will/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Much of the stress and emptiness that haunt us can be traced back to our lack of attention to beauty. Internally, the mind becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/much-of-the-stress-and-emptiness-that-haunt-us-can-be-traced-back-to/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Consumerism is the worship of the god of quantity; advertising is its liturgy. Advertising is schooling in false longing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/consumerism-is-the-worship-of-the-god-of-quantity-advertising-is-its/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Inspiration is always a surprising visitor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/inspiration-is-always-a-surprising-visitor/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a bridge, a wall, a window, a ladder or a house. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a-mirror-a-lens-a-bridge-a-wall/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [ We \[humans\] are the only creatures who are in-between. We're of the earth, but don't belong to it, because we strain after the heavens;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/we-humans-are-the-only-creatures-who-are-in-between-we-re-of-the/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) [Explore all 198 John O'Donohue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) ## More Awakens quotes > [A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/a-friend-is-a-loved-one-who-awakens-your-life-in-order-to-free-the/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > [The Self awakens only as he contacts the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-rudhyar/the-self-awakens-only-as-he-contacts-the-earth/) [Dane Rudhyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-rudhyar/) > [“Walking awakens the total senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/walking-awakens-the-total-senses/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [True poetry is a function of awakening. It awakens us, but it must retain the memory of previous dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/true-poetry-is-a-function-of-awakening-it-awakens-us-but-it-must/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [When love awakens in your life, in the night of your heart, it is like the dawn breaking within you. Where before there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/when-love-awakens-in-your-life-in-the-night-of-your-heart-it-is-like/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) > ['The Waking Dark' is about what happens when something awakens a town's darkest impulses and unleashes them on the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-wasserman/the-waking-dark-is-about-what-happens-when-something-awakens-a-town-s/) [Robin Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-wasserman/) > [One awakens, one rises, one dresses, and one goes forth; One returns, one dines, one sups, one retires and one sleeps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-antoine-augustin-de-piis/one-awakens-one-rises-one-dresses-and-one-goes-forth-one-returns-one/) Pierre-Antoine-Augustin de Piis > [I want to be part of the storytelling that educates people and awakens a sense of compassion in other people of the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mccreary/i-want-to-be-part-of-the-storytelling-that-educates-people-and/) [Kelly McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mccreary/) > [“The Awakening You live this sheltered life glass walls around you in a fragile world of other people’s imagination and one day something comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neena-h-brar/the-awakening-you-live-this-sheltered-life-glass-walls-around-you-in/) [Neena H Brar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neena-h-brar/) > [Love awakens and enhances all of your senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-awakens-and-enhances-all-of-your-senses/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone who has ever written will have discovered that writing always awakens something which, though it lay within us, we failed clearly to recognize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/everyone-who-has-ever-written-will-have-discovered-that-writing/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [“Difficulty is the fire that awakens your genius.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reese/difficulty-is-the-fire-that-awakens-your-genius/) [Brian Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reese/) > [“A person needs new experiences. It jars something deep inside, allowing them to grow. Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duke-leto-atreides/a-person-needs-new-experiences-it-jars-something-deep-inside-allowing/) Duke Leto Atreides > [“...the intimacy the mind makes with the place it awakens in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-intimacy-the-mind-makes-with-the-place-it-awakens-in/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“Giving credence to persistent intuitions awakens the dormant heart consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/giving-credence-to-persistent-intuitions-awakens-the-dormant-heart/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) [Browse all 34 Awakens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awakens/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are sent into the world to live to the full everything that awakens within us and everything that comes toward us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John O'Donohue" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-the-full-everything-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awakens" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-the-full-everything-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f4/john-o-donohue-1919_inspirational_we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-th_1963847.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f4/john-o-donohue-1919_inspirational_we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-th_1963847.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f4/john-o-donohue-1919_inspirational_we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-th_1963847.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are sent into the world to live to the full everything that awakens within us and everything that comes…” — John O'Donohue", "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": "John O'Donohue", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are sent into the world...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-the-full-everything-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/we-are-sent-into-the-world-to-live-to-the-full-everything-that/#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 } } ] } ```