Who really said it
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)
Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?
For presentations
Unconfirmed quote & credit
“Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't” — Attributed to Richard Bach, Illusions (1977); wording transcribed by Wikiquote, original edition page not inspected.
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Still under copyright. A short, credited quote is generally fine for talks, teaching, and internal decks; for commercial, published, or large-scale reuse, get permission.
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In context
Evoking the world of Richard Bach — born 1936. Theme: "Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Minimalist
Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
Here is a test to find whether your mission o Short excerpt
How we verified this
Only a short excerpt is reproduced; identification and commentary do not grant permission to reuse the complete work.
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Context
In Illusions, the narrator’s encounter with Donald Shimoda becomes a vehicle for thinking about purpose and possibility. This aphorism treats continued life as an invitation to continue learning and acting. It belongs to Bach’s literary teaching narrative, rather than a documented statement by a historical spiritual teacher.
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More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
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Transcribes each saying under Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977); no specific page supplied.
Describes the barnstorming narrator and Donald Shimoda, and identifies later paperback and ebook editions; catalog context, not sentence-level proof.
Identifies Bach’s body of work including Illusions and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Documents his birth year, aviation writing and the 1977 publication of Illusions; biographical reference only.
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The author
For writers & researchers
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. 1977.
Quotle.info. Who really said 'Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't'? Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/here-is-a-test-to-find-whether-your-mission-on-earth-is/