--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life’s work is to wake up, to let the…" description: "\"“Life’s work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into the circle wake you up rather than put you to sleep. The only way to do this is to open, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/pema-ch-dr-n-327_life_life-s-work-is-to-wake-up-to-let-the-thi_1415889.jpg" --- # Life’s work is to wake up, to let the things that enter… ![“Life’s work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into the circle wake you up rather than put you to sleep. The only way to do this is to open, be curious, and develop some sense of sympathy for everything that comes along, to get to know its nature and let it teach you what it will. It’s…” quote by Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/pema-ch-dr-n-327_life_life-s-work-is-to-wake-up-to-let-the-thi_1415889.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/pema-ch-dr-n-327_life_life-s-work-is-to-wake-up-to-let-the-thi_1415889.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/pema-ch-dr-n-327_life_life-s-work-is-to-wake-up-to-let-the-thi_1415889.jpg) > ““Life’s work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into the circle wake you up rather than put you to sleep. The only way to do this is to open, be curious, and develop some sense of sympathy for everything that comes along, to get to know its nature and let it teach you what it will. It’s going to stick around until you learn your lesson, at any rate.”” [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being awake to experience requires openness, curiosity, and compassion, allowing each encounter to teach us its lesson. **In simple terms:** Stay open and learn from everything. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity and compassion. Themes mindfulness learning compassion Mood reflective calm inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily interactions - conflict resolution - personal setbacks - new relationships Key Concepts Buddhist practice psychology growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance openness with self‑care? - What lessons have you missed by staying closed? A Different Perspective Openness can lead to overwhelm if boundaries aren't set. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-work/) ## Related quotes > [“LIFE’S work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into your life wake you up rather than put you to sleep.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/life-s-work-is-to-wake-up-to-let-the-things-that-enter-into-your-life/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Life's work is to wake up, to let the things that enter your life wake you up rather than put you to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/life-s-work-is-to-wake-up-to-let-the-things-that-enter-your-life-wake/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Everything in our lives can wake us up or put us to sleep, and basically it's up to us to let it wake us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/everything-in-our-lives-can-wake-us-up-or-put-us-to-sleep-and/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [There are those who wake up each morning to conquer the day, and then there are those of us who wake up only because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinaw-mengestu/there-are-those-who-wake-up-each-morning-to-conquer-the-day-and-then/) [Dinaw Mengestu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinaw-mengestu/) > [“It's always possible to wake someone from sleep, but no amount of noise will wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-s-always-possible-to-wake-someone-from-sleep-but-no-amount-of/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Life is a dream, no need to weep, God's gonna wake us up from sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one-2/life-is-a-dream-no-need-to-weep-god-s-gonna-wake-us-up-from-sleep/) [Krs One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one-2/) > [I was in my bed trying to figure out why sometimes you can wake up and go back to sleep and other times you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-was-in-my-bed-trying-to-figure-out-why-sometimes-you-can-wake-up/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [When I wake you're never there, but when I sleep you're everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-branch/when-i-wake-you-re-never-there-but-when-i-sleep-you-re-everywhere/) [Michelle Branch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-branch/) > [Everything in our lives has the potential to wake us up or put us to sleep. 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Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“They didn't know being dead is only being asleep, and you're bound to wake up somewhere or other, either where you go to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-nesbit/they-didn-t-know-being-dead-is-only-being-asleep-and-you-re-bound-to/) [E. Nesbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-nesbit/) > [“Wake up from sleep. Be conscious about your thoughts, emotions, actions. Do every action with awareness. Let your whole life become full of awareness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srinivart/wake-up-from-sleep-be-conscious-about-your-thoughts-emotions-actions/) [Srinivart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srinivart/) ## More by Pema Chödrön > [“LIFE’S work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into your life wake you up rather than put you to sleep.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/life-s-work-is-to-wake-up-to-let-the-things-that-enter-into-your-life/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Since death is certain and the time of death is uncertain, what is the most important thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/since-death-is-certain-and-the-time-of-death-is-uncertain-what-is-the/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [The essence of generosity is letting go. 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It would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/if-someone-comes-along-and-shoots-an-arrow-into-your-heart-it-s/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) [Explore all 664 Pema Chödrön quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. 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