Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that…

Howard Thurman

What Makes You Come Alive

Topic: Courage, Integrity, & Purpose

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

Howard Thurman

Howard Thurman, born on November 18, 1899, in Daytona Beach, Florida, emerged as a highly influential figure in American history. As a theologian, philosopher, educator, and civil rights leader, Thurman’s intellectual pursuits underscored the intersection of spirituality and the fight for social justice. Growing up in a segregated society, he became a beacon of enlightenment and understanding, using religion and spirituality as powerful tools to combat racial discrimination and social injustice. His profound impact on American society is evident through his extensive writings and teachings, which continue to inspire.

Thurman’s influence extended notably to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom he mentored. His book, Jesus and the Disinherited, profoundly shaped King’s understanding of nonviolent resistance, which became a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to his role as a mentor, Thurman achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first African-American dean of a predominantly white university, serving as the dean of Marsh Chapel at Boston University. His guidance and teachings helped foster a deeper understanding of the potential role of Christian churches in social justice efforts, which significantly influenced the direction and spirit of the Civil Rights Movement.

Even after King left Boston University, Thurman continued to support him and other civil rights leaders, emphasizing the importance of maintaining spiritual roots amidst their social justice efforts. He urged them to remain vigilant in their spiritual journeys through meditation, prayer, singing, celebration, and worship. Thurman believed that true social change could only come through personal transformation and adherence to spiritual disciplines. Howard Thurman passed away on April 10, 1981, in Daytona Beach, Florida, leaving behind a substantial and impactful legacy that continues to inspire individuals in the fields of civil rights, theology, and education.

(1899-1981) Christianity

Thurman, Howard. “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Violence Unveiled: Humanity at the Crossroads, by Gil Bailie, Crossroad, 1996, p. xv.

Howard Thurman

Theme: Moral Courage

About This Howard Thurman Quotation [Commentary]

Howard Thurman’s counsel—“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that”—urges a shift from external obligation to inner vitality. His words do not ignore the world’s needs; they redirect us to the source from which meaningful action flows. Thurman teaches that true contribution arises from discovering and living what brings us fully to life. This inner awakening is not a luxury, but a necessity: “Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Such clarity calls for moral courage—not just in facing outer resistance, but in remaining faithful to one’s own inner guidance. Thurman’s emphasis on aliveness is not about fleeting excitement, but about grounded conviction. To come alive is to risk departing from social expectations in favor of one’s true path. That choice—to follow what enlivens rather than what conforms—is the heart of moral courage as Thurman presents it.

In Meditations of the Heart, Howard Thurman writes, “I have sought a way of life that could come under the influence of, and be informed by, the fruits of the inner life.” His words point to the importance of inner integrity as a guide for action. When he urges us to “go do that,” he is not promoting self-indulgence, but calling us to act from our own center. This rooted way of living is what allows us to meet the world not with exhaustion or compliance, but with presence, clarity, and truth.

A Couple of Additional Quotations From Howard Thurman

“There is in every person an inward sea—And in that sea, there is an island—And on that island is an altar—And standing guard before that altar is the angel with the flaming sword. Nothing can get by that angel to be placed upon that altar unless it has the mark of your inner authority. Nothing passes the angel with the flaming sword—to be placed upon your altar—unless it be a part of the fluid area of your consent. This is your crucial link with THE ETERNAL.”

—Thurman, Howard. Meditations of the Heart. 16651st ed., Beacon Press, 1999.

“All my life I have been seeking to validate, beyond all ambivalences and frustrations, the integrity of the inner life. I have sensed the urgency to find a way to act and react responsibly out of my own center. I have sought a way of life that could come under the influence of, and be informed by, the fruits of the inner life.”

—Thurman, Howard. The Centering Moment. 1st ed., Friends United Press, 2007.

Verification of the Citation via Quote Investigator

Quote Investigator: In 1995 teacher Gil Bailie published “Violence Unveiled: Humanity at the Crossroads”. Bailie stated that he heard the quotation under examination from Howard Thurman. [1997 (1995 Copyright), Violence Unveiled: Humanity at the Crossroads by Gil Bailie, Section: In Gratitude by Gil Bailie, Date on Section: August 1994, Start Page xv, Quote Page xv, A Crossroad Book: The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York.]

Once, when I was seeking the advice of Howard Thurman and talking to him at some length about what needed to be done in the world, he interrupted me and said: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

The text above appeared in a section titled “In Gratitude” dated August 1994. Bailie indicated that he heard the remark from Thurman twenty years in the past, i.e., around 1974. Howard Thurman died in 1981.

What Makes You Come Alive

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