--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My dad didn't believe that I was going to…" description: "\"My dad didn't believe that I was going to make it through school, and that was the only thing I was determined to do, because he said that I wasn't goi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/al-green-14955_believe_my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-t_232405.png" --- # My dad didn't believe that I was going to make it through… ![“My dad didn't believe that I was going to make it through school, and that was the only thing I was determined to do, because he said that I wasn't going to do it.” quote by Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/al-green-14955_believe_my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-t_232405.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/al-green-14955_believe_my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-t_232405.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/al-green-14955_believe_my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-t_232405.png) > “My dad didn't believe that I was going to make it through school, and that was the only thing I was determined to do, because he said that I wasn't going to do it.” [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Determination can turn doubt into motivation, using others' skepticism as fuel for success. **In simple terms:** Use doubt as motivation. Key Takeaway Turn doubt into drive. Themes motivation resilience family achievement Mood inspirational reflective Type personal motivational When to use this quote - school - career - personal goals - family expectations Key Concepts psychology of self‑efficacy overcoming adversity Questions to Reflect On - What personal doubts have you transformed into goals? - How can we support others facing similar skepticism? A Different Perspective Relying solely on external doubt may cause stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [“You must have been determined, I said. Well, no, no, you don't think of it like that, she said, you just find what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/you-must-have-been-determined-i-said-well-no-no-you-don-t-think-of-it/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [I want to make the school-garden movement work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/i-want-to-make-the-school-garden-movement-work/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [School is just an endless cycle of 'I need to make it through school this week' every week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-hartman/school-is-just-an-endless-cycle-of-i-need-to-make-it-through-school/) [Celeste Hartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-hartman/) > [ Year after year. "Please don't make me go \[to school\]" "You have to go," Kim would say. "It's a new school, make a new… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-peters/year-after-year-please-don-t-make-me-go-to-school-you-have-to-go-kim/) [Julie Anne Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-peters/) > [There aren't a lot of entertainment-based mediums, the visual or recorded mediums, that empower the audience to go off the next day and create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/there-aren-t-a-lot-of-entertainment-based-mediums-the-visual-or/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [If I was a principal of a school I'd make the school uniform onesies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-was-a-principal-of-a-school-i-d-make-the-school-uniform-onesies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was always trying to do things to make school fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-always-trying-to-do-things-to-make-school-fun/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When my first wife & I began the school, we had one main idea: to make the school fit the child - instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-sutherland-neill/when-my-first-wife-i-began-the-school-we-had-one-main-idea-to-make/) [Alexander Sutherland Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-sutherland-neill/) > [“For some of these kids, the fact that they make it to school every day is an accomplishment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajill-hunt/for-some-of-these-kids-the-fact-that-they-make-it-to-school-every-day/) [Lajill Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lajill-hunt/) > [School is one thing. Education is another. The two don’t always overlap. Whether you’re in school or not, it’s always your job to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/school-is-one-thing-education-is-another-the-two-don-t-always-overlap/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [I want to get away from the high school thing and do other types of roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-elizabeth/i-want-to-get-away-from-the-high-school-thing-and-do-other-types-of/) [Shannon Elizabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-elizabeth/) > [People thought we were making it up the whole 'We met at school thing.' That was half the reason people called us a boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-hemmings/people-thought-we-were-making-it-up-the-whole-we-met-at-school-thing/) [Luke Hemmings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-hemmings/) > [I was at a pretty rough school, and the only thing I was good at was art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/i-was-at-a-pretty-rough-school-and-the-only-thing-i-was-good-at-was/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [Music was a way of rebelling against the whole rah-rah high school thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/music-was-a-way-of-rebelling-against-the-whole-rah-rah-high-school/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) > [I was in high school, trying to get out of high school. The only thing slowing me up was grades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levon-helm/i-was-in-high-school-trying-to-get-out-of-high-school-the-only-thing/) [Levon Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levon-helm/) ## More by Al Green > [Teach success before teaching responsibility. Teach them to believe in themselves. Teach them to think, 'I'm not stupid'. No child wants to fail. Everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/teach-success-before-teaching-responsibility-teach-them-to-believe-in/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [This is a ministry that has been given to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/this-is-a-ministry-that-has-been-given-to-me/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [No child wants to fail. Everyone wants to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/no-child-wants-to-fail-everyone-wants-to-succeed/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [I was knocking on people's doors. I knocked on a white couple's door, and I told them, I says, 'Excuse me, but I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/i-was-knocking-on-people-s-doors-i-knocked-on-a-white-couple-s-door/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [Take Me to the River.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/take-me-to-the-river/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [I figured that if we had to choose the woman president, she'd be the first woman president, and if we had the kid from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/i-figured-that-if-we-had-to-choose-the-woman-president-she-d-be-the/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [God told me, 'I gave you the music, Al. Sing the music I gave you - all the music.' So I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/god-told-me-i-gave-you-the-music-al-sing-the-music-i-gave-you-all-the/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [Before I knew it, I was singing, 'I'm so tired of being alone,' and that's Al right there. From then, my attitude was, 'Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/before-i-knew-it-i-was-singing-i-m-so-tired-of-being-alone-and-that-s/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [Theres a lot of churches that hide their dirty laundry under the rug, and I know about that from being in the church 27…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/theres-a-lot-of-churches-that-hide-their-dirty-laundry-under-the-rug/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [Why, why some people break up. Then turn around and make up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/why-why-some-people-break-up-then-turn-around-and-make-up/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [I want to thank Freddie Mac, Hibernia Bank, and Usher's New Look Foundation for their work to rebuild the lives of those who lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/i-want-to-thank-freddie-mac-hibernia-bank-and-usher-s-new-look/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [There's a lot of churches that hide their dirty laundry under the rug, and I know about that from being in the church 27…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/there-s-a-lot-of-churches-that-hide-their-dirty-laundry-under-the-rug/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [I started singing when I was a little kid. I was about nine when we had a group with my four brothers. We sang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/i-started-singing-when-i-was-a-little-kid-i-was-about-nine-when-we/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [I know why I wrote those songs. I was a fornicator, an adulterer. The celestial will not mix with the terrestrial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/i-know-why-i-wrote-those-songs-i-was-a-fornicator-an-adulterer-the/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [You want to show kids they can be successful. Be successful and toss it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/you-want-to-show-kids-they-can-be-successful-be-successful-and-toss/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) [Explore all 44 Al Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My dad didn't believe that I was going to make it through school, and that was the only thing I was determined to do, because he said that I wasn't going to do it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Al Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-to-make-it-through-school-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-to-make-it-through-school-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/al-green-14955_believe_my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-t_232405.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/al-green-14955_believe_my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-t_232405.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/128/al-green-14955_believe_my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-t_232405.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My dad didn't believe that I was going to make it through school, and that was the only thing I was…” — Al Green", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Al Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My dad didn't believe that I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-to-make-it-through-school-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/my-dad-didn-t-believe-that-i-was-going-to-make-it-through-school-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```