--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We spend our lives dreaming of the…" description: "\"We spend our lives dreaming of the future, not realizing that a little of it slips away every day.\" — Barbara Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/barbara-johnson-8544_dream_we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-futur_619094.png" --- # We spend our lives dreaming of the future, not realizing… ![“We spend our lives dreaming of the future, not realizing that a little of it slips away every day.” quote by Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/barbara-johnson-8544_dream_we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-futur_619094.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/barbara-johnson-8544_dream_we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-futur_619094.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/barbara-johnson-8544_dream_we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-futur_619094.png) > “We spend our lives dreaming of the future, not realizing that a little of it slips away every day.” [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often idealize tomorrow while neglecting the present, losing small moments daily. **In simple terms:** We chase the future and waste today. Key Takeaway Cherish each day. Themes time mindfulness regret Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - daily routines - long‑term planning - relationships - career decisions Key Concepts impermanence present focus Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance future goals with present appreciation? - What small daily moments do you overlook? A Different Perspective Future focus can cause anxiety and missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreaming/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Most of us spend a lot of time dreaming of the future, never realizing that a little of it arrives each day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/most-of-us-spend-a-lot-of-time-dreaming-of-the-future-never-realizing/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [But opinions, judgments, memories, dreaming about the future—ninety percent of the thoughts spinning around in our heads have no essential reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joko-beck/but-opinions-judgments-memories-dreaming-about-the-future-ninety/) [Joko Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joko-beck/) > [“But maybe everybody was like that, all of us living the lives we had to while dreaming of the lives we wanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-white/but-maybe-everybody-was-like-that-all-of-us-living-the-lives-we-had/) [Karen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-white/) > [We spend a good part of our lives dreaming, especially when we're awake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/we-spend-a-good-part-of-our-lives-dreaming-especially-when-we-re-awake/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“You can always die if you choose it. …in the same way others chose by living mundane lives...never dreaming...never reaching..never feeding their hunger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-mckinney/you-can-always-die-if-you-choose-it-in-the-same-way-others-chose-by/) Jerry McKinney > [“Birds that are born in cages live their entire lives dreaming of what the air feels like under their wings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-c-estrada/birds-that-are-born-in-cages-live-their-entire-lives-dreaming-of-what/) [Alejandro C. Estrada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-c-estrada/) > [Before dreaming about the future or marking plans, you need to articulate what you already have going for you - as entrepreneurs do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/before-dreaming-about-the-future-or-marking-plans-you-need-to/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Don't spend too much time dwelling on the past or dreaming about the future...stay focused on the present and be in the moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-spend-too-much-time-dwelling-on-the-past-or-dreaming-about-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, not lived in the shadow of cancer but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-swayze/i-keep-dreaming-of-a-future-a-future-with-a-long-and-healthy-life-not/) [Patrick Swayze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-swayze/) > [“life was only about the ‘what ifs’ when dreaming of the future, not for beating yourself up over the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gillis/life-was-only-about-the-what-ifs-when-dreaming-of-the-future-not-for/) [Lisa Gillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gillis/) > [I go dreaming into the future, where I see nothing, nothing. I have no plans, no idea, no project, and, what is worse, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/i-go-dreaming-into-the-future-where-i-see-nothing-nothing-i-have-no/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Life can be wonderful. Do your best not to miss it!” Enjoy what it is before it isn't anymore. Dare to slip on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/life-can-be-wonderful-do-your-best-not-to-miss-it-enjoy-what-it-is/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [A thin line separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt. Our lives constantly walk that line. When we slip off on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/a-thin-line-separates-laughter-and-pain-comedy-and-tragedy-humor-and/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Its at night, when perhaps we should be dreaming, that the mind is most clear, that we are most able to hold all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-aldiss/its-at-night-when-perhaps-we-should-be-dreaming-that-the-mind-is-most/) [Brian Aldiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-aldiss/) > [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/) ## More by Barbara Johnson > [Forgiveness is a stunning principle, your ticket out of hate and fear and chaos. ... I know what regret feels like; I've earned my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/forgiveness-is-a-stunning-principle-your-ticket-out-of-hate-and-fear/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Change is a process not an event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/change-is-a-process-not-an-event/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [We can choose to gather to our hearts the thorns of disappointment, failure, loneliness, and dismay in our present situation. Or we can gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/we-can-choose-to-gather-to-our-hearts-the-thorns-of-disappointment/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [If things are tough, remember that every flower that ever bloomed had to go through a whole lot of dirt to get there. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/if-things-are-tough-remember-that-every-flower-that-ever-bloomed-had/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [How will you use the years God gives you? Will you be remembered for being a fault-finder? Or will you be known for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/how-will-you-use-the-years-god-gives-you-will-you-be-remembered-for/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Worry is the senseless process of cluttering up tomorrows opportunities with leftover problems from today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/worry-is-the-senseless-process-of-cluttering-up-tomorrows/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [“Men are like parking spaces, the good ones are already taken and the ones left are running out of their metres”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/men-are-like-parking-spaces-the-good-ones-are-already-taken-and-the/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/never-let-a-problem-to-be-solved-become-more-important-than-a-person/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [If we give someone a piece of bread and butter, that's kindness, but if we put jelly or peanut butter on it, then it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/if-we-give-someone-a-piece-of-bread-and-butter-that-s-kindness-but-if/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Violets are God's apology for February.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/violets-are-god-s-apology-for-february/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Don’t let your life speed out of control. Live intentionally. Do something today that will last beyond your lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/don-t-let-your-life-speed-out-of-control-live-intentionally-do/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [God will never let you sink under your circumstances. He always provides a safety net and His love always encircles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/god-will-never-let-you-sink-under-your-circumstances-he-always/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Winners see an answer for every problem; losers see a problem in every answer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/winners-see-an-answer-for-every-problem-losers-see-a-problem-in-every/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Motherhood: if it were going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/motherhood-if-it-were-going-to-be-easy-it-never-would-have-started/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [We can never untangle all the woes in other people's lives. We can't produce miracles overnight. But we can bring a cup of cool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/we-can-never-untangle-all-the-woes-in-other-people-s-lives-we-can-t/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) [Explore all 80 Barbara Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [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/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We spend our lives dreaming of the future, not realizing that a little of it slips away every day.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-future-not-realizing-that-a-little/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-future-not-realizing-that-a-little/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/barbara-johnson-8544_dream_we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-futur_619094.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/barbara-johnson-8544_dream_we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-futur_619094.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/barbara-johnson-8544_dream_we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-futur_619094.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We spend our lives dreaming of the future, not realizing that a little of it slips away every day.” — Barbara Johnson", "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": "Barbara Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We spend our lives dreaming of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-future-not-realizing-that-a-little/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/we-spend-our-lives-dreaming-of-the-future-not-realizing-that-a-little/#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 } } ] } ```