I discovered a little book called ‘What is Worthwhile?’ by Anna Robertson Brown. I thought wow, this is exactly what I want to know! This little book is just that, 32 pages of Anna’s insight, bound in a hard cover. Online you can buy a used copy for $200 and I think I also saw it for just over 299 Pounds in the UK. You can only get it used as it was printed in 1893 but remained in print for over 70 years!

As you can imagine, I could not get a copy right away and so I did a bit more research. It seems that two people have used the content on the web; Shelby G Floyd, who is a pastor of the Church of Christ (he used the contents in a sermon) and an Australian lady by the name of Meghjanmi who is also a bloggist under the name of bhaavapatrika. I am indebted to both these people as their insight has been powerful.

Back to the book, Anna opens with the following lines:

‘Only one life to live! We all want to make the most of it. How can we accomplish the most with the energies and powers at our command? What is worthwhile?We cannot possibly grasp the whole of life. What is vital? What may we profitably let go? We may let go all things which we cannot carry into eternal life.’

Only one life to live – precisely why living this life right is so important to me! She carries on to say that we need to drop four things from our lives:

1. ‘Drop pretence’; eternity is not for frauds.
2. ‘Drop worry’; worry is a fumbling way of looking at little things and magnifying their value.
3. ‘Let go of discontent’; make a heroic life of what is set before us.
4. ‘Let go of self seeking’; all things are for all.

What do you think, I think it is rather a pity I am unable to read the full text of her book. Anyway, Anna goes on to expound eight values to enhance our lives. Take a look, and I apologise if I have not correctly attributed the right quotes to Anna:

1. ‘Be wise in the use of time.’ the question in life is not how much time we have, but the question is what shall we do with it?
2. ‘Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask yourself, is the work vital, strengthening my own character or inspiring others or helping the world’
3. ‘Seek happiness each day. If you are not happy today, you will never be happy. Strive to be patient, unselfish, purposeful, strong, eager and work mightily. If you do these things with a grateful heart, you will be happy, at least as happy as it is given man to be on earth.’
4. ‘Cherish love. True love never nags, it trusts. Love does not have to be tethered either in time or eternity.’
5. ‘Keep ambition in check There is the great danger of substituting intellectual ambition for ordinary human affections. Let us keep it in bounds. Let us seek it that it holds a just proportion in our lives.’
6. ‘Embrace friendship’ Embrace friendship. It takes a great soul to be true friend. One must forgive much, forget much, forebear much.’
7. ‘Do not fear sorrow’ Disappointment in life is inevitable. Pain is the common lot. Sorrow is not given to us alone that we may mourn; it is given us that having felt, suffered, wept, we may be able to understand love and bless.’
8. ‘Cherish faith’ Strong, serene, unquenchable faith in the loving kindness of God will enable us to look fearlessly toward the end of the temporal existence and the beginning of the eternal and will make it possible for us to live our lives effectively, grandly.’

So here is a point of view of a lady in the USA in the late nineteenth century. And it resonates with me 114 years later! Have we discovered the most amazing things in the last hundred years and yet failed to discover ourselves? Are there so few people that are searching for real meaning and significance in life that this stuff is almost hidden from view? I am not sure that I can add anything.........