About this quote

Endless introspection can trap a person in a hall of mirrors, while turning outward — pouring attention into someone else's need — quietly answers the very questions that staring inward never could. It's in being genuinely useful to others that people tend to discover what they're actually made of.

When to use it

• A restless graduate unsure of her path volunteers at a shelter and finds her calling in the work itself.
• A retiree adrift after leaving his job rediscovers purpose mentoring apprentices at a community workshop.
• Someone stuck in self-doubt spends a weekend helping neighbors rebuild after a flood and comes home clearer about who they are.