--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a reason and a passion to live. I…" description: "\"“I had a reason and a passion to live. I had learned grace, found a new dignity—a real one, not based on what I owned—and a new identity, one that I lo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/richard-lemieux-26541_books_i-had-a-reason-and-a-passion-to-live-i-h_2115801.jpg" --- # I had a reason and a passion to live. I had learned grace… ![“I had a reason and a passion to live. I had learned grace, found a new dignity—a real one, not based on what I owned—and a new identity, one that I loved. I was going to write a book.” quote by Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/richard-lemieux-26541_books_i-had-a-reason-and-a-passion-to-live-i-h_2115801.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/richard-lemieux-26541_books_i-had-a-reason-and-a-passion-to-live-i-h_2115801.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/richard-lemieux-26541_books_i-had-a-reason-and-a-passion-to-live-i-h_2115801.jpg) > ““I had a reason and a passion to live. I had learned grace, found a new dignity—a real one, not based on what I owned—and a new identity, one that I loved. I was going to write a book.”” [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Finding purpose, grace, and a new identity fuels the drive to create and share one’s story. **In simple terms:** Purpose and dignity inspire creative work. Key Takeaway Seek purpose and self‑respect to fuel creativity. Themes purpose identity self‑discovery Mood reflective hopeful Type authorial motivational When to use this quote - career change - writing projects - personal healing Key Concepts creative writing personal transformation life purpose Questions to Reflect On - What new identity do you wish to embody? - How does purpose shape your creative output? A Different Perspective Self‑doubt may block the pursuit of new identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) ## Related quotes > [Nowhere does one become more convinced of the strong hold which Freemasonry takes upon the minds and lives of those aging workers in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/nowhere-does-one-become-more-convinced-of-the-strong-hold-which/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“done everything backward. She’d done everything, forever, by the book. The right way. Until then, I’d only learned this about grace: sometimes, like in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/done-everything-backward-she-d-done-everything-forever-by-the-book/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“God gives a new grace for every new quest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/god-gives-a-new-grace-for-every-new-quest/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The love of the LORD God is the grace of new life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-love-of-the-lord-god-is-the-grace-of-new-life/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“I am heartened to find so much wit in you, that you'd give thought to consequences and choose your way with reason, not passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-j-lightfoot/i-am-heartened-to-find-so-much-wit-in-you-that-you-d-give-thought-to/) Deborah J. Lightfoot > [Le raison avant la passion - Reason over passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/le-raison-avant-la-passion-reason-over-passion/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [“Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul. If either your sails or your rudder be broken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/your-reason-and-your-passion-are-the-rudder-and-the-sails-of-your-2/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [What is reason now was passion heretofore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/what-is-reason-now-was-passion-heretofore/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [The soul of man is divided into three parts, intelligence, reason, and passion. Intelligence and passion are possessed by other animals, but reason by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/the-soul-of-man-is-divided-into-three-parts-intelligence-reason-and/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [If I have a reason to do something, and I have enough passion, I generally succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leander-paes/if-i-have-a-reason-to-do-something-and-i-have-enough-passion-i/) [Leander Paes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leander-paes/) > [And let it direct your passion with reason, that your passion may livethrough its own daily resurrection, and like the phoenix rise above its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/and-let-it-direct-your-passion-with-reason-that-your-passion-may/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [“And the priestess spoke again and said: “Speak to us of Reason and Passion“ And he answered saying: Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gibran-khalil-gibran/and-the-priestess-spoke-again-and-said-speak-to-us-of-reason-and/) [Gibran Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gibran-khalil-gibran/) > ['You're reason and your passion are the rudder.. and the sails of your seafaring soul. If either be broken, you can but toss and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-reason-and-your-passion-are-the-rudder-and-the-sails-of-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahil-gibran/your-reason-and-your-passion-are-the-rudder-and-the-sails-of-your/) [Kahil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahil-gibran/) > [Reason is a passion; an instinct, a drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-howland/reason-is-a-passion-an-instinct-a-drive/) Bette Howland ## More by Richard LeMieux > [“I was no different from millions of others—from the millions of teenagers on the street to the millions of aging heroes stored away like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/i-was-no-different-from-millions-of-others-from-the-millions-of/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“The homeless were my new family. They embraced me. They waved and smiled and treated me with dignity and respect. We may be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/the-homeless-were-my-new-family-they-embraced-me-they-waved-and/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“In my seemingly endless months of sleeping on the streets, I knew of only one other person who had slept in a church by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/in-my-seemingly-endless-months-of-sleeping-on-the-streets-i-knew-of/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“And you know, unless people have been there—lost, alone, rejected, feeling worthless and unwanted—they just can’t know that numb feeling that drags you down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/and-you-know-unless-people-have-been-there-lost-alone-rejected/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“Many Wednesdays had come and gone in my sixty years. I don’t believe I particularly remembered any of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/many-wednesdays-had-come-and-gone-in-my-sixty-years-i-don-t-believe-i/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“All of our wars were carried on the backs of the poor and the sons of the poor. The poor were the first to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/all-of-our-wars-were-carried-on-the-backs-of-the-poor-and-the-sons-of/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“As we left the death watch, it occurred to me that we were all homeless in some way. It seemed that we were all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/as-we-left-the-death-watch-it-occurred-to-me-that-we-were-all/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“The poor died first and last in World War I, World War II, and Korea, and fifty-eight thousand Americans died in Vietnam, many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/the-poor-died-first-and-last-in-world-war-i-world-war-ii-and-korea/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“C had spread a roadmap before me with many paths to choose from. I could go on a bitter journey to a place of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/c-had-spread-a-roadmap-before-me-with-many-paths-to-choose-from-i/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans conservatively estimates that one out of every three homeless men is a veteran.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/the-national-coalition-for-homeless-veterans-conservatively-estimates/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“There were no parades or parties or dancing in the streets like after World War II. No breast-beating pride or songs of victory. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/there-were-no-parades-or-parties-or-dancing-in-the-streets-like-after/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“Let us be dissatisfied as long as we have a wealth of creeds and poverty of deeds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/let-us-be-dissatisfied-as-long-as-we-have-a-wealth-of-creeds-and/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“You know, the big thing that sets the homeless apart is that they usually only commit crimes out of desperation,” C continued. “Those with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/you-know-the-big-thing-that-sets-the-homeless-apart-is-that-they/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“I couldn’t explain to my son what was happening to me—he had no frame of reference for my depression. I hardly understood it myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/i-couldn-t-explain-to-my-son-what-was-happening-to-me-he-had-no-frame/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [“According to the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients, veterans make up twenty-three percent of America’s homeless population.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/according-to-the-national-survey-of-homeless-assistance-providers-and/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) [Explore all 21 Richard LeMieux quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I had a reason and a passion to live. I had learned grace, found a new dignity—a real one, not based on what I owned—and a new identity, one that I loved. 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