---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I look upon my whole life, I cannot…"
description: "\"If I look upon my whole life, I cannot think of another time when I felt more comfortable: when I had no worries, fears, or desires, when my life seeme..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/amy-tan-730_another-time_if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-th_2696659.jpg"
---

#  If I look upon my whole life, I cannot think of another…

![“If I look upon my whole life, I cannot think of another time when I felt more comfortable: when I had no worries, fears, or desires, when my life seemed as soft and lovely as lying inside a cocoon of rose silk.” quote by Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/amy-tan-730_another-time_if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-th_2696659.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/amy-tan-730_another-time_if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-th_2696659.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/amy-tan-730_another-time_if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-th_2696659.jpg)

> “If I look upon my whole life, I cannot think of another time when I felt more comfortable: when I had no worries, fears, or desires, when my life seemed as soft and lovely as lying inside a cocoon of rose silk.”

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True peace comes from shedding worries, fears, and desires, allowing oneself to experience gentle, comforting existence.

**In simple terms:** Letting go brings calm.

Key Takeaway

Release anxieties to find inner peace.

Themes

peace contentment mindfulness freedom

Mood

serene hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- Meditation retreat
- recovering from stress
- simple living
- creative writing

Key Concepts

Detachment self‑acceptance

Questions to Reflect On

- What fears are holding me back?
- How can I cultivate a cocoon of calm?

A Different Perspective

Over‑detachment may lead to apathy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Another time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-time/) [Cocoons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cocoons/) [Comfortable Worries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable-worries-2700479/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Felt Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-comfortable/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Lovely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovely/) [Lovely Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovely-lying-2700480/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [No worries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-worries/) [Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rose/) [Rose Silk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rose-silk-2700477/) [Soft Lovely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soft-lovely-2700478/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/)

## Related quotes

> [Turn soft and lovely any time you have a chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-holzer/turn-soft-and-lovely-any-time-you-have-a-chance/)

[Jenny Holzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-holzer/)

> [Turn soft and lovely anytime you have the chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-holzer/turn-soft-and-lovely-anytime-you-have-the-chance/)

[Jenny Holzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-holzer/)

> [“That the world I was in could be soft, lovely, and nourishing was more than I could bear, and so I stood there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/that-the-world-i-was-in-could-be-soft-lovely-and-nourishing-was-more/)

[Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/)

> [“Once you stop worrying that is when the magic really happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-freestone/once-you-stop-worrying-that-is-when-the-magic-really-happens/)

[Jack Freestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-freestone/)

> [No one's hurt is too small, no worry too removed, no blessing so elusive that it cannot be seen by the eyes in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-s-hurt-is-too-small-no-worry-too-removed-no-blessing-so/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [From the passions arise worry, and from worry arises fear. Away with the passions, and no fear, no worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/from-the-passions-arise-worry-and-from-worry-arises-fear-away-with/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [In rare moments of deep play, we can lay aside our sense of self, shed time's continuum, ignore pain, and sit quietly in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/in-rare-moments-of-deep-play-we-can-lay-aside-our-sense-of-self-shed/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Without memory there are no worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/without-memory-there-are-no-worries/)

[James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/)

> [Despite my best efforts I’ve seen you naked before – doesn’t do much for me so no worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/despite-my-best-efforts-i-ve-seen-you-naked-before-doesn-t-do-much/)

[Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/)

> [Start with the impossible. Proceed calmly towards the improbable. No worry, there are at least five exits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-berrigan/start-with-the-impossible-proceed-calmly-towards-the-improbable-no/)

[Daniel Berrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-berrigan/)

> [“Honestly, Bessie? People don't care about anyone but themselves. They don't notice anything. They are never looking at what's interesting. They're always looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-wilson/honestly-bessie-people-don-t-care-about-anyone-but-themselves-they/)

[Kevin Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-wilson/)

> [No worries. They don’t scare me. (Devyn) All right, but if my brain matter ends up smeared against a wall, I’ll never forgive you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/no-worries-they-don-t-scare-me-devyn-all-right-but-if-my-brain-matter/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [I took three steps and was wrapped in his arms, where I belonged. No confusion here. No worries here. No troubles here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/i-took-three-steps-and-was-wrapped-in-his-arms-where-i-belonged-no/)

[Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/)

> [“Hoonie used to listen carefully to all the men who brought him news, and he would nod, exhale resolutely, and then get up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/hoonie-used-to-listen-carefully-to-all-the-men-who-brought-him-news/)

[Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/)

> [When the human organism is discharging its negative experience efficiently, the mind is empty of past or future concerns; there is no worry, anticipation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/when-the-human-organism-is-discharging-its-negative-experience/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

## More by Amy Tan

> [So sad! This is the saddest part when you lose someone you love- that person keeps changing. And later you wonder, Is this the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/so-sad-this-is-the-saddest-part-when-you-lose-someone-you-love-that/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [Too many good things all seem the same after a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/too-many-good-things-all-seem-the-same-after-a-while/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [“bad, how likely is it to come”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/bad-how-likely-is-it-to-come/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [“A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/a-mother-is-always-the-beginning-she-is-how-things-begin/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [Shanghainese people are good negotiators, they're very persistent, and you grow up in an atmosphere like that - very competitive. That becomes part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/shanghainese-people-are-good-negotiators-they-re-very-persistent-and/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [But now that I am old, moving every year closer to the end of my life, I also feel closer to the beginning. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/but-now-that-i-am-old-moving-every-year-closer-to-the-end-of-my-life/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [You should think about your character. Know where you are changing, how you will be changed, what cannot be changed back again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/you-should-think-about-your-character-know-where-you-are-changing-how/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [Now you see,' said the turtle, drifting back into the pond, 'why it is useless to cry. Your tears do not wash away your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/now-you-see-said-the-turtle-drifting-back-into-the-pond-why-it-is/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [I hid my deepest feelings so well I forgot where I placed them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/i-hid-my-deepest-feelings-so-well-i-forgot-where-i-placed-them/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [“Lebih baik jadi orang yang TIDAK TERLUPAKAN daripada orang yang MEMBOSANKAN -”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/lebih-baik-jadi-orang-yang-tidak-terlupakan-daripada-orang-yang/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [After all, Bao Bomu says, what is the past but what we choose to remember?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/after-all-bao-bomu-says-what-is-the-past-but-what-we-choose-to/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [We all become different readers in how we respond to books, why we need them, what we take from them. We become different in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/we-all-become-different-readers-in-how-we-respond-to-books-why-we/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [“I was no longer scared. I could see what was inside me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/i-was-no-longer-scared-i-could-see-what-was-inside-me/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [When I go back and read my journals or fiction, I am always surprised. I may not remember having those thoughts, but they still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/when-i-go-back-and-read-my-journals-or-fiction-i-am-always-surprised/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [“I am ashamed she is ashamed. Because she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother but she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/i-am-ashamed-she-is-ashamed-because-she-is-my-daughter-and-i-am-proud/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

[Explore all 383 Amy Tan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

## More Another time quotes

> [A very small percentage of the people in this world will actually experience and live today. So many people will be stuck on another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/a-very-small-percentage-of-the-people-in-this-world-will-actually/)

[Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/)

> [You know what really made me sick? I was in Washington, D.C. at another time reading in a paper where the U.S. gives Byron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/you-know-what-really-made-me-sick-i-was-in-washington-d-c-at-another/)

[Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/)

> [I would’ve liked to have been Poussin, if I’d had a choice, in another time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-twombly/i-would-ve-liked-to-have-been-poussin-if-i-d-had-a-choice-in-another/)

[Cy Twombly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-twombly/)

> [I saw Len Hutton in his prime, Another time, another time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-saw-len-hutton-in-his-prime-another-time-another-time/)

[Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/)

> [Nobody can ask me more when I try all my best all the time, no? So, you know, if I lose another time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/nobody-can-ask-me-more-when-i-try-all-my-best-all-the-time-no-so-you/)

[Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/)

> [I think labels for the most part want to sign new discoveries so that that label alone is seen to be responsible for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/i-think-labels-for-the-most-part-want-to-sign-new-discoveries-so-that/)

[Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/)

> [“Another time, twice, in fact, I tried hard to be in love. I suffered, too, gentlemen, I assure you. In the depth of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/another-time-twice-in-fact-i-tried-hard-to-be-in-love-i-suffered-too/)

[Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/)

> [Sometimes I think my past life was unrealized. I met a tragic end - it might have been a car over a cliff. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-ebersole/sometimes-i-think-my-past-life-was-unrealized-i-met-a-tragic-end-it/)

[Christine Ebersole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-ebersole/)

> [Music should be like making love. Sometimes you want it soft and tender, another time you want it hard and aggressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/music-should-be-like-making-love-sometimes-you-want-it-soft-and/)

[Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/)

> [“I have something very important to say to you, but I can't tell you what it is. It's a very important thing, but I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhona-cameron/i-have-something-very-important-to-say-to-you-but-i-can-t-tell-you/)

[Rhona Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhona-cameron/)

> [“These elusive memories, appear out of nowhere like a portal to our past, from deep within the passages of our minds. They rise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-stafford-wilson/these-elusive-memories-appear-out-of-nowhere-like-a-portal-to-our/)

[Arlene Stafford-Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlene-stafford-wilson/)

> [“what was the point in creating something that was so futile and so precious? everything beautiful was like that. a little bit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/what-was-the-point-in-creating-something-that-was-so-futile-and-so/)

[Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/)

> [The pain of loneliness is one way in which he wants to get our attention. We may be earnestly desiring to be obedient and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-pain-of-loneliness-is-one-way-in-which-he-wants-to-get-our/)

[Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/)

> [It started in middle school. Once, a group of girls locked me in the janitor's closet. Another time, a girl spilled chocolate milk down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dove-cameron/it-started-in-middle-school-once-a-group-of-girls-locked-me-in-the/)

[Dove Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dove-cameron/)

> [The only things that are a little bit newer are the CD burners, but we hid them under the table, so basically we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-white/the-only-things-that-are-a-little-bit-newer-are-the-cd-burners-but-we/)

[Meg White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-white/)

[Browse all 390 Another time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-time/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If I look upon my whole life, I cannot think of another time when I felt more comfortable: when I had no worries, fears, or desires, when my life seemed as soft and lovely as lying inside a cocoon of rose silk.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Amy Tan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-think-of-another-time-when-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Another time"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-think-of-another-time-when-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/amy-tan-730_another-time_if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-th_2696659.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/amy-tan-730_another-time_if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-th_2696659.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/amy-tan-730_another-time_if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-th_2696659.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If I look upon my whole life, I cannot think of another time when I felt more comfortable: when I had no…” — Amy Tan",
                "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": "Amy Tan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If I look upon my whole...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-think-of-another-time-when-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/if-i-look-upon-my-whole-life-i-cannot-think-of-another-time-when-i/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
