--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in a flash of light; evening…" description: "\"We live in a flash of light; evening comes and it is night forever. It's only a flash and we waste it. We waste it with our anxiety, our worries, our c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/anthony-de-mello-1331_anxiety_we-live-in-a-flash-of-light-evening-come_2945729.jpg" --- # We live in a flash of light; evening comes and it is night… ![“We live in a flash of light; evening comes and it is night forever. It's only a flash and we waste it. We waste it with our anxiety, our worries, our concerns, our burdens.” quote by Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/anthony-de-mello-1331_anxiety_we-live-in-a-flash-of-light-evening-come_2945729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/anthony-de-mello-1331_anxiety_we-live-in-a-flash-of-light-evening-come_2945729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/anthony-de-mello-1331_anxiety_we-live-in-a-flash-of-light-evening-come_2945729.jpg) > “We live in a flash of light; evening comes and it is night forever. It's only a flash and we waste it. We waste it with our anxiety, our worries, our concerns, our burdens.” [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is fleeting; we waste precious moments on anxiety and burdens, missing the present. **In simple terms:** We waste time on worries instead of living fully. Key Takeaway Focus on present, release anxiety. Themes mindfulness impermanence anxiety presence spirituality Mood calm thoughtful Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - daily meditation - stress reduction - life coaching Key Concepts temporal awareness psychological freedom Questions to Reflect On - What anxieties dominate your day? - How can you cherish each moment? A Different Perspective Letting go can be difficult without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Evening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evening/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Silene, who declines The garish noontide's blazing light; But when the evening crescent shines, Gives all her sweetness to the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-turner-smith/silene-who-declines-the-garish-noontide-s-blazing-light-but-when-the/) Charlotte Turner Smith > [“May the warp be the white light of morning, May the weft be the red light of evening, May the fringes be the falling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tewa-indian-song/may-the-warp-be-the-white-light-of-morning-may-the-weft-be-the-red/) Tewa Indian Song > [May He support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/may-he-support-us-all-the-day-long-till-the-shades-lengthen-and-the/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [“When the evening comes, prepare yourself for the morrow ~Donald Pillai”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-pillai/when-the-evening-comes-prepare-yourself-for-the-morrow-donald-pillai/) [Donald Pillai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-pillai/) > [Sitting in the morning sun, I'll be sitting when the evening comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-redding/sitting-in-the-morning-sun-i-ll-be-sitting-when-the-evening-comes/) [Otis Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-redding/) > [“The river was glossy, narrow, and quick, a beautiful green color, with the white and maroon striped college punts strung along the near bank.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-finch/the-river-was-glossy-narrow-and-quick-a-beautiful-green-color-with/) [Charles Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-finch/) > [What do you do there, moon, in the sky? 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The rich think they will be happy when they are rid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-poor-think-they-will-be-happy-when-they-become-rich-the-rich/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You only change what you understand. What you do not understand and are not aware of, you repress. You dont change. But when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-only-change-what-you-understand-what-you-do-not-understand-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, "Wait."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-zealous-disciple-expressed-a-desire-to-teach-others-the-truth-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-the-arabs-say-the-nature-of-rain-is-the-same-but-it-makes-thorns/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Sinners often speak the truth. And saints have led people astray. Examine what is said, not the one who says it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/sinners-often-speak-the-truth-and-saints-have-led-people-astray/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Isn't there such a thing as social liberation?" "Of course there is," said the Master. "How would you describe it?" "Liberation from the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/isn-t-there-such-a-thing-as-social-liberation-of-course-there-is-said/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-important-thing-is-not-to-know-who-i-is-or-what-i-is-you-ll-never/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [And increasingly - you know this and so do I we're losing the youth everywhere. They hate us; they are not interested in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-increasingly-you-know-this-and-so-do-i-we-re-losing-the-youth/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Spirituality practiced in the state of activity is incomparably superior to that practiced in a state of withdrawel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/spirituality-practiced-in-the-state-of-activity-is-incomparably/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You know, all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - are unanimous on one thing:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-know-all-mystics-catholic-christian-non-christian-no-matter-what/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [There were rules in the monastery, but the Master always warned against the tyranny of the law. 'Obedience keeps the rules,' he would say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/there-were-rules-in-the-monastery-but-the-master-always-warned/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A disciple, in his reverence for the Master, looked upon him as God incarnate. "Tell me, O Master," he said, "why you have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-disciple-in-his-reverence-for-the-master-looked-upon-him-as-god/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“And how about you? Do you want to understand and play the game of life or fool around with miracles?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-how-about-you-do-you-want-to-understand-and-play-the-game-of-life/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-don-t-have-to-add-anything-in-order-to-be-happy-you-ve-got-to/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Rare indeed, is the relationship in which the other is not cultivated for what one can get for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/rare-indeed-is-the-relationship-in-which-the-other-is-not-cultivated/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) [Explore all 253 Anthony de Mello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. 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