--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Your life's work begins when your great…" description: "\"Your life's work begins when your great joy meets the world's great hunger.\" — Kate Bornstein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdf/kate-bornstein-11426_great-joy_your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great_1089648.jpg" --- # Your life's work begins when your great joy meets the… ![“Your life's work begins when your great joy meets the world's great hunger.” quote by Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdf/kate-bornstein-11426_great-joy_your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great_1089648.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdf/kate-bornstein-11426_great-joy_your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great_1089648.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdf/kate-bornstein-11426_great-joy_your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great_1089648.jpg) > “Your life's work begins when your great joy meets the world's great hunger.” [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When personal passion aligns with societal need, meaningful work begins. **In simple terms:** Joy meets world’s hunger creates purpose. Key Takeaway Seek work that combines love and impact. Themes purpose joy service Mood inspirational hopeful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career counseling - non‑profit work - creative projects - personal development Key Concepts vocational calling social impact Questions to Reflect On - What passions could serve a larger need? - How to identify world’s hunger in your field? A Different Perspective Finding such alignment can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begins Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begins-great-2810124/) [Great Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-hunger-2810123/) [Great joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-joy/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-work/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Genius begins great works; labor alone finishes them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/genius-begins-great-works-labor-alone-finishes-them/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [“What will be lost, and what saved, of our civilization probably lies beyond our powers to decide. No human group has ever figured out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-cahill/what-will-be-lost-and-what-saved-of-our-civilization-probably-lies/) [Thomas Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-cahill/) > [It does take a great hunger to be successful at anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-courier/it-does-take-a-great-hunger-to-be-successful-at-anything/) [Jim Courier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-courier/) > [“There was great hunger and rough dominance, but all of that was mediated by a wellspring of consideration and caring. It was the yin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/there-was-great-hunger-and-rough-dominance-but-all-of-that-was/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“As a hungry man makes haste and takes large morsels on account of his great hunger so your servant feels a great desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-lulle/as-a-hungry-man-makes-haste-and-takes-large-morsels-on-account-of-his/) [Raymond Lulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-lulle/) > [“address the great hunger on the part of high-aiming women for advice that speaks to our discontent—and to our ambition to be purely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-condren/address-the-great-hunger-on-the-part-of-high-aiming-women-for-advice/) [Debra Condren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-condren/) > [People are hungry for something more beautiful, for something greater than people round about can give. There is a great hunger for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/people-are-hungry-for-something-more-beautiful-for-something-greater/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [...it isn't foolish or wicked to enjoy. Wickedness is hurting people on purpose. I love what you are and who you are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-isn-t-foolish-or-wicked-to-enjoy-wickedness-is-hurting-people-on/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [Carving is a source of joy to the artist. . . . To attack the raw material, gradually to extract a shape out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristide-maillol/carving-is-a-source-of-joy-to-the-artist-to-attack-the-raw-material/) [Aristide Maillol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristide-maillol/) > [It is a great joy to believe that Jesus has been tempted in all points just as we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/it-is-a-great-joy-to-believe-that-jesus-has-been-tempted-in-all/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [I decided to host my show 'Kiss and Cry' hoping that people actually want to participate and feel more familiar with figure skating. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna-kim/i-decided-to-host-my-show-kiss-and-cry-hoping-that-people-actually/) [Yuna Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna-kim/) > [The literary scene is filled with young people now, which is a great joy. They seem fully capable of saving the world, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-wanek/the-literary-scene-is-filled-with-young-people-now-which-is-a-great/) [Connie Wanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-wanek/) > [We honor life when we work. The type of work is not important: the fact of work is. All work feeds the soul if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/we-honor-life-when-we-work-the-type-of-work-is-not-important-the-fact/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/work-is-love-made-visible-and-if-you-cannot-work-with-love-but-only/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [So here comes Gabriel again, and what he says is "Good tidings of great joy ... for all people." ... That's why the shepherds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin/so-here-comes-gabriel-again-and-what-he-says-is-good-tidings-of-great/) [Walter Wangerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin/) ## More by Kate Bornstein > [My own take on the word "transgender" is that it's an umbrella term for anyone who breaks any rules, laws, guidelines or protocol of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/my-own-take-on-the-word-transgender-is-that-it-s-an-umbrella-term-for/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [Is it a boy or a girl ?”. There is a great answer to that one going around : “We don’t know ; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl-there-is-a-great-answer-to-that-one-going/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [“It doesn't really matter what a person decides to do, or how radically a person plays with gender. What matters, I think, is how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/it-doesn-t-really-matter-what-a-person-decides-to-do-or-how-radically/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [We grew up creating this whole world view for ourselves because it's not there in the culture. What am I? And I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/we-grew-up-creating-this-whole-world-view-for-ourselves-because-it-s/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [Sex is f-king, everything else is gender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/sex-is-f-king-everything-else-is-gender/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [The transgender movement even divides itself up by gender, as many folks stick with their same trans-genders (female-to-male or male-to-female). Additionally, the movement gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/the-transgender-movement-even-divides-itself-up-by-gender-as-many/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [“When we talk about my gender as though it were a performance, we let the audience - with all their expectations, prejudices, and presumptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/when-we-talk-about-my-gender-as-though-it-were-a-performance-we-let/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [“You can have great autonomy in the things you choose to learn and pursue on your own time. When you're learning things that interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/you-can-have-great-autonomy-in-the-things-you-choose-to-learn-and/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [Gender is used as a control mechanism that's just wrong. Gender is never anything to struggle with; gender is something to play with. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/gender-is-used-as-a-control-mechanism-that-s-just-wrong-gender-is/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [“We are entitled to our anger in response to this oppression: our anger is a message to ourselves that we need to get active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/we-are-entitled-to-our-anger-in-response-to-this-oppression-our-anger/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [I know and know of more than a few MTF's (male-to-female trannies) who've developed strange cancers. Myself, I've got a nice little case of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/i-know-and-know-of-more-than-a-few-mtf-s-male-to-female-trannies-who/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [“There are more and more visibly weird and freaky people in the world these days, and it’s high time we stop carrying forward the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/there-are-more-and-more-visibly-weird-and-freaky-people-in-the-world/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [The current transgender movement is composed of a great number of factions, divided by those old favorites of class, race, age, language, region, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/the-current-transgender-movement-is-composed-of-a-great-number-of/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > […gender is not sane. It's not sane to call a rainbow black and white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/gender-is-not-sane-it-s-not-sane-to-call-a-rainbow-black-and-white/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) > [When you're a Scientologist it's like the movie Goodfellas, where the gangsters hang out with only other gangsters. We only hung out with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/when-you-re-a-scientologist-it-s-like-the-movie-goodfellas-where-the/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) [Explore all 60 Kate Bornstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) ## More Great joy quotes > [...it isn't foolish or wicked to enjoy. Wickedness is hurting people on purpose. I love what you are and who you are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-isn-t-foolish-or-wicked-to-enjoy-wickedness-is-hurting-people-on/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [The literary scene is filled with young people now, which is a great joy. They seem fully capable of saving the world, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-wanek/the-literary-scene-is-filled-with-young-people-now-which-is-a-great/) [Connie Wanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-wanek/) > [I decided to host my show 'Kiss and Cry' hoping that people actually want to participate and feel more familiar with figure skating. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna-kim/i-decided-to-host-my-show-kiss-and-cry-hoping-that-people-actually/) [Yuna Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna-kim/) > [It is a great joy to believe that Jesus has been tempted in all points just as we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/it-is-a-great-joy-to-believe-that-jesus-has-been-tempted-in-all/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Carving is a source of joy to the artist. . . . To attack the raw material, gradually to extract a shape out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristide-maillol/carving-is-a-source-of-joy-to-the-artist-to-attack-the-raw-material/) [Aristide Maillol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristide-maillol/) > [So here comes Gabriel again, and what he says is "Good tidings of great joy ... for all people." ... That's why the shepherds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wangerin/so-here-comes-gabriel-again-and-what-he-says-is-good-tidings-of-great/) [Walter Wangerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wangerin/) > [Of course, it's a great joy to be able to perform. And that love affair with an audience, where you give love and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-crocker/of-course-it-s-a-great-joy-to-be-able-to-perform-and-that-love-affair/) [Barry Crocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-crocker/) > [Joy is the zest that you get out of using your talents, your understanding, the totality of your being, for great aims...That's the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-zest-that-you-get-out-of-using-your-talents-your/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [I'm not very comfortable with watching my performances. I don't particularly find a great joy in it. Everything is the process of making it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/i-m-not-very-comfortable-with-watching-my-performances-i-don-t/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [That is the great joy: to go to work with people that you love, whether they be people that you are in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-roberts/that-is-the-great-joy-to-go-to-work-with-people-that-you-love-whether/) [Julia Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-roberts/) > [It's always a great joy to give back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-redick/it-s-always-a-great-joy-to-give-back/) [J. J. Redick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-redick/) > [If we can manage to refrain from harming others in our everyday actions and words, we can start to give more serious attention to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-we-can-manage-to-refrain-from-harming-others-in-our-everyday/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Music is one of those things that brings great joy to people, singing is a sort of unifier of people, no matter what political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-viglione/music-is-one-of-those-things-that-brings-great-joy-to-people-singing/) [Brian Viglione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-viglione/) > [Sometimes small things lead to great joys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuel-yosef-agnon/sometimes-small-things-lead-to-great-joys/) [Shmuel Yosef Agnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuel-yosef-agnon/) > [“I’m serious, now let me know every time you see her cry. The thought brings me great joy. Hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-covington/i-m-serious-now-let-me-know-every-time-you-see-her-cry-the-thought/) [Vicki Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-covington/) [Browse all 181 Great joy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-joy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Your life's work begins when your great joy meets the world's great hunger.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kate Bornstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great-joy-meets-the-world-s-great/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great joy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great-joy-meets-the-world-s-great/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdf/kate-bornstein-11426_great-joy_your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great_1089648.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdf/kate-bornstein-11426_great-joy_your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great_1089648.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdf/kate-bornstein-11426_great-joy_your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great_1089648.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Your life's work begins when your great joy meets the world's great hunger.” — Kate Bornstein", "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": "Kate Bornstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Your life's work begins when your...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great-joy-meets-the-world-s-great/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/your-life-s-work-begins-when-your-great-joy-meets-the-world-s-great/#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 } } ] } ```