The Dalai Lama encourages us to be determined in following our endeavour to become a better person, to keep our faith in progress, no matter how long it takes.

The quest for happiness is not one to complete in a week, years or even a lifetime. It may take aeons! But this does not matter. Since what is the meaning of life? Nothing, but what we give it.

"As long as sentient beings suffer and remain, I will remain and serve." This is how any hour, any day or year, any century or millennium, even aeons become meaningful.

Life has no meaning but what we give it. If one wastes one's life with meaningless activities, even one day of life is too long. With meaning, time has no meaning.

Be brave, have trust, just be good!

Source: Lecture on the Four Noble Truth given in London 1997, organized by the Network of Buddhist Organizations (U.K.) in association with the Office of Tibet (London) (less info)