My dad used to have an expression - 'It is the lucky person who

The words “My dad used to have an expression — ‘It is the lucky person who gets up in the morning, puts both feet on the floor, knows what they are about to do, and thinks it still matters’” were spoken by Joe Biden, a man shaped by both triumph and tragedy, whose life has been guided by the humble wisdom of his father. Beneath this simple phrase lies a truth of immense depth — a vision of what it means to live a meaningful life. It is not a statement about wealth or success, but about purpose, gratitude, and the sacred power of ordinary days. It speaks not to fame or fortune, but to the quiet, enduring joy of waking each morning with direction in one’s heart and conviction in one’s soul.

In his father’s words, the heart of human happiness is revealed. To put both feet on the floor is to awaken, to rise, to feel the weight and wonder of another day. To know what you are about to do is to have purpose — a calling, a task, a reason to act. And to think it still matters is to possess the rarest gift of all: belief. For without belief, even the greatest achievements turn hollow. Biden’s father was reminding him that true fortune lies not in possessions, but in alignment — when one’s work, one’s heart, and one’s conscience all move together in harmony.

This wisdom was not born in comfort. Joe Biden grew up in a working-class family that knew hardship. His father, a man of dignity and perseverance, endured periods of unemployment and disappointment, yet he carried himself with quiet pride. Out of that struggle was born this creed — that the measure of a good life is not how much one gains, but how steadfastly one serves what one loves. To rise each day with purpose and belief is, in truth, to rise in victory, no matter one’s station in life. The ancients would have called this eudaimonia — the fulfillment that comes from living rightly, in accordance with one’s values and duty.

The echo of this teaching can be found in the stories of the great and humble alike. Consider Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, who each morning reminded himself that he would meet the proud, the deceitful, and the ungrateful — yet he resolved to do his duty with calm and compassion, for that was his purpose. Or think of Florence Nightingale, who, amid the misery of war, found her light not in glory, but in service to the wounded. Each of them, in their own way, put both feet on the floor, knowing their path and believing it mattered. Greatness, as Biden’s father knew, does not arise from power, but from constancy — from the heart that chooses meaning over despair, again and again.

In this saying there is also an awareness of gratitude, the sacred recognition that life itself is a gift. To awaken each morning is not a right, but a blessing; to have strength enough to rise, to have a calling that guides you, and a reason that fills your heart — this is fortune beyond gold. The wise know that meaning is not given; it is made, moment by moment, through the choices of the heart. Thus, Biden’s father was teaching not merely his son, but all of us, to cherish the small miracles of purpose: the day’s work, the love of family, the sense that our efforts matter to someone, somewhere.

But there is also a quiet warning in these words — that life without purpose drifts into emptiness. Many rise each day without knowing why they do so; they chase goals not born of conviction, but of comparison. To know what you are about to do, and to believe it matters, is to resist that drift, to stand firm in a world that often forgets what truly counts. It is to choose meaning over motion, to act not for applause, but for truth. In this sense, the quote is a call to alignment — for every human soul to seek work, relationships, and dreams that resonate with the voice of the heart.

The lesson, then, is this: strive to live a life of conscious purpose. Each morning, as you set your feet upon the floor, ask yourself not only what you will do, but why. If your purpose has grown dim, rekindle it; if your heart has forgotten what matters, listen until you remember. For it is not luck that grants meaning — it is the courage to find significance in your own path, to believe that your work, your love, and your efforts, however small, are threads in the vast fabric of goodness that binds the world.

So, children of tomorrow, take this wisdom into your days: rise with gratitude, walk with purpose, and labor with belief. Let your life be guided not by what is easy, but by what is worthy. And when you wake each morning, may you feel what Joe Biden’s father once felt — the quiet joy of knowing who you are, what you are meant to do, and why it still matters. For in that knowing lies not mere luck, but the deepest kind of blessing — the peace of a life lived with meaning, and the light of a soul that never ceases to care.