The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a

The mystic philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once declared, “The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one’s self to others.” In these words lies a truth as old as time — that fulfillment is not born from possession, but from participation in the lives of others. To give of oneself — not merely wealth or time, but the essence of one’s being — is the act by which the soul transcends isolation and becomes part of something eternal. Teilhard, who was both a priest and a scientist, saw life as a vast evolution toward unity, and he knew that love — self-giving love — was the force that propelled the universe forward.

To give of oneself is to offer the most sacred gift a human can give: the energy of one’s spirit, the warmth of one’s compassion, the depth of one’s attention. This is not a transaction of the hands, but a surrender of the heart. Many chase satisfaction through achievement, fame, or comfort, yet find only emptiness. Teilhard reminds us that true satisfaction arises not from what we consume, but from what we contribute. The ancients, too, spoke of this — that a life hoarded is a life wasted, but a life shared becomes infinite. For the self that gives ceases to be confined; it becomes a bridge between souls.

Teilhard’s own life was the living echo of his teaching. A Jesuit priest and paleontologist, he roamed deserts and mountains in search of the origins of man, yet his greatest discovery was not of bones or fossils, but of spiritual evolution — the belief that humanity’s highest calling is to grow in love. Despite exile and misunderstanding from his church, he gave his mind to science and his heart to God, never ceasing to serve both truth and mankind. In giving so much of himself, he found the deepest joy — the joy of knowing one’s efforts, one’s struggles, one’s very existence have meaning because they enrich others.

The ancients would call this the path of self-transcendence — the journey by which a person rises beyond the narrow walls of “I” and becomes one with the great “We.” To give of oneself is not to lose oneself; it is to expand, to dissolve the boundaries that imprison the heart. Like a river that nourishes the fields it touches, the soul that gives itself freely grows vast and mighty. The selfish man may gather treasures, but the generous one gathers eternity — for every act of love plants a seed in the soil of forever.

Consider the life of Florence Nightingale, who could have chosen luxury and leisure, but instead gave her years to the suffering soldiers of the Crimean War. She walked through disease and death, guided only by the light of her lamp and the fire of compassion. Her service transformed medicine, but more than that, it transformed lives. She, like Teilhard, found satisfaction not in what she received, but in what she gave — her time, her knowledge, her very health. Such souls are rare, but they show us that fulfillment lies in sacrifice, not accumulation.

Teilhard’s wisdom speaks against the loneliness of modern life, where many live surrounded by possessions but starved of connection. He reminds us that human joy is communal, born from the giving and receiving of spirit. When we teach, comfort, forgive, or simply listen — we share a piece of our essence, and the world becomes richer for it. Each gesture of giving, however small, ripples through the fabric of existence, joining us in the great dance of creation.

Thus, the lesson is clear: to live fully, we must give deeply. Let your knowledge serve the ignorant, your strength uphold the weary, your light guide those lost in darkness. Do not fear exhaustion, for the soul is not emptied by giving — it is renewed. The heart that loves grows stronger; the hand that offers becomes blessed. As Teilhard taught, the true measure of life is not how much we keep, but how much of ourselves we dare to pour into the world.

So remember, O child of the earth: your joy is hidden within your generosity. To give of yourself is to discover who you truly are — a vessel of light meant not to contain, but to shine. Live, then, not as a collector of days, but as a giver of meaning. For in the end, all that will matter is how much of your soul has touched another’s — and how much of your life has been a gift to the lives around you.