I just want to be healthy and stay alive and keep my family going

In the heartfelt and enduring words of Yoko Ono, artist, visionary, and messenger of peace, there flows a truth both humble and profound: “I just want to be healthy and stay alive and keep my family going and everything and keep my friends going and try to do something so that this world will be peaceful. That is the most ambitious and the most difficult thing, but I'm there trying to do it.” These words are not lofty rhetoric, but the song of a soul that has endured both love and loss, fame and tragedy. In them, Ono reminds us that the truest ambition is not the pursuit of power or glory, but the quiet and steadfast labor of preserving life, nurturing connection, and sowing the seeds of peace.

This quote was born from the heart of a woman who had seen the cost of fame and the fragility of existence. Yoko Ono, once vilified for her love and misunderstood for her art, emerged from the shadow of loss — the violent death of John Lennon, her beloved — with a message not of bitterness, but of perseverance. She speaks as one who has learned that to stay alive — not only in body, but in spirit — is an act of courage. For in a world driven by conflict and division, to continue believing in peace, to continue loving and creating, is among the most difficult and noble struggles of all.

To be healthy, in Ono’s words, is not merely a condition of the flesh. It is the harmony of the whole being — body, mind, and heart — aligned with the rhythm of compassion. It is to breathe deeply in a world that so often suffocates, to choose calm when surrounded by chaos, and to nurture others even while healing oneself. Her desire “to keep my family going and my friends going” speaks to the ancient wisdom that well-being is never solitary. As the philosophers of old declared, no man — or woman — thrives alone. The vitality of one nourishes the strength of many. In this way, Ono echoes the eternal law of interdependence: that our health, our hope, and our peace are bound together in the invisible web of shared humanity.

The ancients understood this truth in their own way. The Stoics, like Marcus Aurelius, taught that the greatest good was to live in accordance with nature — to rise each morning and do one’s duty to self and to others. The Buddha taught that peace begins not in the heavens, but within the heart of each person. Yoko Ono, standing in the lineage of such wisdom, speaks the same truth for the modern age: that the path to peace in the world begins with peace in the home, and that the journey toward global harmony begins in the mind and heart of the individual. To wish for peace, then, is not enough — one must live it daily, in patience, compassion, and endurance.

Consider the story of Mahatma Gandhi, who, much like Ono, understood that peace is not weakness, but strength in its purest form. Gandhi’s frail body belied his immense power. Through fasting, forgiveness, and faith, he turned the tide of history. His commitment to nonviolence — to healing rather than harming — taught the world that the greatest revolutions are born not from the sword, but from the steadfast will to love. In him, we see Ono’s truth realized: that health, family, friendship, and peace are not separate pursuits, but parts of one sacred whole.

Yet Ono’s words also bear a tone of humility. “That is the most ambitious and the most difficult thing,” she admits. To live peacefully, to nurture others, to keep faith in humanity — these are not easy tasks. They demand more than courage; they demand constancy. To try each day, even in the face of despair, is the quiet heroism of the soul. In this striving, Ono finds meaning, for it is not perfection that brings peace, but persistence. As she says, “I’m there trying to do it.” In those words, we hear not triumph, but the soft power of endurance — the same resilience that keeps the world turning after every storm.

The lesson, then, is this: to live well is to live with care. Tend to your health, for your body is the instrument of your purpose. Cherish your family and friends, for they are the pillars of your joy. And above all, never cease working for peace — not as an ideal, but as a practice. Speak gently when anger rises. Listen when others cry. Do not let cynicism harden your heart, for even the smallest act of kindness ripples outward, shaping a more compassionate world.

So remember the wisdom of Yoko Ono: “To be healthy, to stay alive, to keep my family and friends going, and to do something for peace — it is the most ambitious and difficult thing, but I am trying.” Let these words be your guide. For the world does not need more conquerors; it needs caretakers. It does not need more noise; it needs presence. Be the one who keeps life going — within yourself and within others. For in that quiet and courageous effort, you will find the essence of peace, and the greatest fulfillment a human heart can know.