"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can"
About this Quote
Then the sentence rhythm shifts from contemplation to mobilization: “I am not going to waste it… I am going to use… I am going to.” The repetition is almost liturgical, but it functions like marching orders. This is where the subtext lives: compassion isn’t presented as a personality trait, it’s a discipline, a kind of training regimen. Even “expand my heart” lands less as sentiment than as deliberate stretching, like muscle work.
The political context is inseparable. As an exiled leader whose people have endured dispossession and propaganda, he offers a strategy that refuses the easy fuel of grievance. “I am not going to get angry” isn’t naive; it’s a refusal to let outrage become an identity that can be manipulated. The final clause - “benefit others as much as I can” - is also a quiet rebuke to modern self-optimization. Self-development is allowed, even required, but only as infrastructure for service. Enlightenment here isn’t escape; it’s a commitment to stay usable to the world.
Quote Details
| Topic | Kindness |
|---|---|
| Source | Attributed to the Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) — commonly cited as a morning reflection (often quoted: “Every day, think as you wake up...”); listed on the Dalai Lama Wikiquote entry (primary printed source not specified on page). |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lama, Dalai. (2026, January 15). Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/every-day-think-as-you-wake-up-today-i-am-172830/
Chicago Style
Lama, Dalai. "Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/every-day-think-as-you-wake-up-today-i-am-172830/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/every-day-think-as-you-wake-up-today-i-am-172830/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
