“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English playwright and poet
Not by Shakespeare, but from Finding Your Strength in Difficult Times: A Book of Meditations, a 1993 self-help book by David S. Viscott.
Misattributed
Source: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/06/16/purpose-gift/
“Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.”
Rick Warren (1954) Christian religious leader
Source: The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?
Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author
Variant: Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. If you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away.
“Loneliness, when accepted, becomes a gift that will lead us to find a purpose in life.”
Paulo Coelho (1947) Brazilian lyricist and novelist
“Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life.”
Eric Hoffer book The True Believer
Section 75
The True Believer (1951), Part Three: United Action and Self-Sacrifice
Context: Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life. Thus people haunted by the purposelessness of their lives try to find a new content not only by dedicating themselves to a holy cause but also by nursing a fanatical grievance. A mass movement offers them unlimited opportunities for both.
“Believing in yourself is the greatest gift you can give to your life.”
Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer
From the Aphorisms http://www.prevale.net/aphorisms.html page of the official website of Prevale <br class="br">Original: (it) Credere in te stesso è il regalo più grande che puoi fare alla tua vita.
Ben Carson (1951) 17th and current United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; American neurosurgeon
Source: Take The Risk (2008), p. 133
Warren Farrell (1943) author, spokesperson, expert witness, political candidate
Source: The Boy Crisis (2018), pp. 46
Rick Warren (1954) Christian religious leader
Source: The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?
