There are millions of self-help books and personal development blogs out there. Many regurgitate the same sort of tired clichs we see on shows like Oprah, while a few like this one delve a bit deeper into the grand mystery that is life. When I first started reading Steven Aitchison’s blog, I was instantly reminded of the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, considered one of the greatest modernist writers of our time. Although he mostly wrote poems, he was also a prolific letter writer. Letters to a Young Poet, a collection of his correspondence with a younger artist whom he was mentoring, is a jaw-droppingly beautiful book that goes beyond discussions of art. The following are some of my favorite Rilke quotes, and how you can apply them to your own life.
1. “Believe that with your feelings and your work you are taking part in the greatest; the more strongly you cultivate this belief, the more will reality and the world go forth from it.”
Whatever job you have whether it’s your day job or the work that you consider your calling will only bring you satisfaction if you put every ounce of your being into it. If there’s a sense of urgency in what you are committing your time to, if you believe that your work is important, then it actually becomes so. In other words, purpose fuels motivation. Your thoughts and feelings mold your reality.
2. “Most people have (with the help of conventions) turned their solutions toward what is easy and toward the easiest side of the easy; but it is clear that we must trust in what is difficult; everything alive trusts in it, everything in Nature grows and defends itself any way it can and is spontaneously itself, tries to be itself at all costs and against all opposition that something is difficult must be one more reason for us to do it.”
Many of us try to avoid anything that requires lots of effort, especially at the beginning of any task we wish to accomplish. I was certainly one who tended to quake in the face of difficulty. If it’s hard, I would tell myself, then it will be unpleasant, and I’d much rather experience what is pleasant than what is unpleasant. But, using this line of thinking, there was one thing that I did not take into account accomplishing something difficult is one thousand times more satisfying than skating by, doing only what is easy. Now, whenever I’m faced with a task that I know is going to be difficult, that may be a little beyond what I believe to be my ability, I set to work doing it. If it is difficult, I trust that it will be worthwhile.
3. “It is a tremendous act of violence to begin anything. I am not able to begin. I simply skip what should be the beginning.”
As mentioned in a recent post, we spend so much time in the waiting lounge. We think a lot about starting a project or fulfilling a dream without actually doing anything about it. Here, Rilke has an interesting way of dealing with this dilemma. He’s suggesting we just dive right in, without even thinking that we are beginning something. I suspect many people avoid their dreams precisely because of this fear of being a beginner. Erase beginner from your vocabulary; skip the beginning and get to work.
4. “Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.”
Here, Rilke suggests that questions must necessarily be lived out in order to resolve them. Ask yourself what you want from life, do something about it, and don’t panic if you don’t find the answers immediately. Answers only come after a long process of trial-and-error, after living actively and confronting unknowns.
To those for whom these gems have resonated, I highly suggest reading “Letters to a Young Poet” in its entirety. It’s a wonderful meditation on the “big” questions, and I can say without hesitation that it changed my life. You can find some of Rilke’s full-length letters online here.
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Hi Kitty.
First of all, welcome to the CYT authors club.
Secondly, what a wonderful post you have written here. I have never heard of Rainer Maria Rilke before now. I checked out the link you gave us and I was inspired by the letters he has written; true wisdom. To think that they were written over 100 years ago amazes me.
thank you for a unique post and thanks again Kitty, it’s a real pleasure having you here.
Hi Steve,
As an ardent follower of your blog, it’s truly a privilege getting an article published. I’m glad you enjoyed it…I, too, am astounded that an author writing a century ago has so much wisdom that we can actually apply to our lives now. Again, many thanks for posting my article!
Kitty
Great Post Kitty, I can identify with much of it.
Gordon Smith recently posted..The Nature of Faith
Hello Kitty,
This is a beautiful post. I’ve been studying Rilke for years. I’ve been carrying around a copy of his poetry for over 10 years. He really grabs onto your spirit! Thanks for all these great quotes. Rilke knew alot about self-improvement. He was constantly seeking to be a better version of himself and his writing shows his mastery. Thanks so much for writing this post!
Dandy
Dandy recently posted..Do you get lost in a relationship
This is a great post, I never knew of Rilke before, but will certainly do a google search.
Robert Nelson recently posted..Star wars galatic heroes toddler bedding
Hi Kitty,
Like you, I really appreciate blogs like Stevens that “delve a bit deeper into the grand mystery that is life” and don’t settle for regurgitated cliches. I like deep thinking. As such, I thoroughly enjoyed this immersion into Rilke’s profound words. I especially appreciated the first quotation = to really believe you are taking part in the greatest of work. Thanks for this precious treat.
Sandra Lee recently posted..One Powerful Word- A Simple Approach to New Year’s Resolutions
Hi Kitty
Today’s your special day .. . i remember when I first wrote for Steven, there was a 60+ day waiting list! arghhhhh… but now here you are, congrats.
2nd, it’s true. first step towards getting somewhere is asking questions — well the right ones. do that we’ll eliminate potential problems that may lay ahead.
alright im gonna go back to sleep now
ciao
Parker Lee recently posted..Why Do We Care What Others Think Our Addiction to The Opinions of Others Explained- and Solved
Wonderful perspective, Kitty. I love the idea of eliminating “beginner” from our vocabulary. Many people avoid taking on a new epoch because it will take too long or they will be too old by the time they get there. i.e. “It will take me five years to establish a new business… I will be 50 by then.” I ask, “how old will you be in five years if you DON’T start this new epoch.”
rob white recently posted..You’re Not a Victim of Circumstances
Hi Kitty,
I appreciate this article. You make a great point about personal development spreading cliches and not really providing a deeper examination at the real mysteries of life.
Your first point is also a big one. In the business I work with we see many people who are not engaged in their work. We collect surveys and find that a common denominator is the lack of importance they feel in the work they do.
Not only are people happier when they feel the work they are doing is important, they also are more likely to be committed to the job and do quality work.
Bryce Christiansen recently posted..3 Questions Everyone Should Ask Themselves
Hi Bryce,
Thanks for your comment; I completely agree that there’s nothing more motivating and empowering than having the knowledge that your work has importance. Even if your day job isn’t giving you that sort of personal fulfillment, one can always take up writing, volunteering, or some other hobby that fills that void. Once I started focusing on these activities, my day job took on new meaning–it was important because it enabled me financially to pursue things that were important to me, which, in turn, inspired me to give it my all in every task I did, both within and beyond the context of my job.
Nice post! It’s a thought provoking read and appreciate you turning us on to Rilke. Well done!
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Hey Kitty, really great quotes and responses! I’m not that familiar with modernist philosophy, so this was a really educational post for me.
“Answers only come after a long process of trial-and-error, after living actively and confronting unknowns.”
This is key for me. I like to think of life as one big laboratory, and I am this nutty scientist constantly experimenting on new things, mixing chemicals together, and seeing what happens. Occasionally things explode in my face, but it’s all a part of the learning process.
Steven | The Emotion Machine recently posted..Interview- Reclaim Your Dreams with Jonathan Mead
Never heard of this dude, but i need to read up on him. Seems like a individual who bare a lot of knowledge and ideologies of self realization.
jonathanfigaro recently posted..What Is the Meaning of Honesty
These thoughts really resonated with me even though I´m not living completely in line with them. So there is some work to do
I think we have all we need inside of us but we need some stimulation to get it out. This post stimulated both thoughts and feelings inside of me. Thank you Kitty!
Tom Sörhannus recently posted..It´s Not Just About The Food- It´s Also About The Eating
Hi Tom,
I’m glad Rilke’s words resonated with you as deeply as they did with me and many others. And even though I draw inspiration from them, I, too, am far from living in accordance with what Rilke suggests…but there’s much to be said for trying. Change doesn’t happen overnight, and that’s one thing that Rilke certainly knew from experience, considering he struggled with life-long bouts of depression, inactivity, and self-doubt.
Kitty
Hello Kitty. This is my first time hearing of Rilke before, but I’m so glad you’ve brought his work to my attention.
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Dear Steve,
I’ve been so busy with my other jobs I’ve been rather out of the loop. I came to wish you a happy holiday and was delighted to see one of my favorites: Rilke! Great quotes and good advice. Thanks for the link.
I love his poem The Dragon Princess. If you haven’t read it I have the feeling you’ll enjoy it.
Now, back to the original intent: I hope you and your family have a lovely holiday.
Best wishes,
Lauren
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Questions I believe are the ultimate motivator in life.
Just think a bit: anything we tell ourselves is an answer to a question.
The way we live now is the answer to the questions we put ourselves before.
And the answer isn’t a subjective one, it’s just our opinion!
So the meaning we give to things will determine our further actions,
Once you realize it it becomes a very powerfull for success!
Hi Kitty, I run a website on quotes but to be frank, Rilke is new and fresh to me, so do the quotes. Yes they are much deeper and make me think longer, i like the third one
Thanks for sharing such an interesting post~