The Ultimate Gift

“A journey may be long or short, but it must start at the very spot one finds oneself.”

Ted Hamilton understands that people always undertake big tasks or quests under incomplete conditions: They’re thus never quite ready to do what they need to accomplish. The journey itself provides them with the knowledge they need to finish the task. This changes the journeyer in unexpected ways; the struggle is the training ground, and the result is sometimes surprisingly different, often in a good way.

“In the end, a person is only known by the impact he or she has on others.”

The author presents his central belief: that what matters in life is how people contribute to others. A life well-lived is one that seeks to give rather than take. It doesn’t matter how rich people become: If they’re selfish or hostile, their influence tends to be negative. Richness is in giving richness to others.

“He who loves his work never labors.”

The novel suggests that a job is an opportunity; to take it as such transforms it into a gift, especially if it fulfills the worker. Jason learns early on that work can be its own reward: A hard job done well is a source of pride. Work is not laborious, in the novel’s view, if it fills one with energy.