The Wisdom of Morrie Quotes

“Here’s how Polly Francis expresses her sense of a spiritual connection. A new set of faculties seem to be coming into operation. I seem to be awakening to a larger world of wonderment—to catch little glimpses of the immensity and diversity of creation. More than at any other time in my life, I seem to be aware of the beauties of our spinning planet and the sky above. And now I have the time to enjoy them. I feel that old age sharpens our awareness.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“The mere fact that we’ve made it to later life means that we have done a lot of living. Hence, we are some of the most fascinating people around, with much inner wealth to share with others and the world, if we’ll only let it out.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“How fast and fleeting the past feels! As I approach the end, I want more time—a lot more time. Yet I fear that there may never be enough time.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“Sometimes, I feel ageless in spirit, as if time had not passed and my young self lingers in the hidden crevices of my being. I am vigorous, walk with a spring in my step, and am full of enthusiasm and energy. I’m often taken aback when someone reflects to me that I present myself to them with an old face, gray hair, and an aged body. To convince myself of my chronological age, I have to keep telling myself: Be realistic. Much of your life is gone. It’s almost over. How fast and fleeting the past feels! As I approach the end, I want more time—a lot more time. Yet I fear that there may never be enough time. Then I wonder what I should do with my remaining time.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“After each period of feeling defeated and drained, I return to fight again, to keep on being who I am, who I must be, and to strive for what I might become. Then I become enthusiastic about what I am doing at the moment and what I have yet to do tomorrow, about my current relationships and others that are developing, and about my inner growth and insight.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“it’s quite clear to me that the best age of my life is the age I am living, creating, and experiencing now.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“Discovering the truth is not a simple matter. There are many sides and layers of truth. There are many complexities, mixtures, and contradictions. There may be only partial truths, not exclusive or universal truths. There may be modified or contaminated truths. But within the context, and despite these limitations, I feel the search must continue. Thus, I ask myself these questions: Who am I really? What have I done? What do I do that is truly good and useful? What do I believe in and why? How well do I know myself and others? What kinds of relationships do I geniunely have and what kind do I want? What is important and meaningful to me? Important and meaningful enough to make me want to keep on living? What difference has it made that I've lived? What contributions have I made that I'm proud of? What values do I hold firmly and unequivically and why those? What talents do I really have? What potentials have I not yet realized? Should I still try to achieve them? How can I balance my optimism and pessimism? What do I know and what do I still want to know about human nature and the human condition? What do I understand about the development and survival of the human race? What does it mean to be fully human and where am I on that scale?”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“recognize, with a slight shock, that I really don’t believe how old I am, and when I do believe it I want to forget it.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“I’ve experienced increased insecurity because of my increased vulnerability to illness.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“I’ve experienced waves of hopelessness and despair, alternating with determination and enthusiasm for living.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“believe that trying to become the best person we can be, aging well, and coming to terms with our issues might be the most important and meaningful goals to strive for in later life.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“Later life is a special period of development, with unique limitations and opportunities. And it may be the most important phase of your life. You can change a lot in later life—if you really want to.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

“There is no forced retirement from aging creatively.”
― Morrie Schwartz, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully