--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Awareness is everything. Hallie once…" description: "\"Awareness is everything. Hallie once pointed out to me that people worry a lot more about the eternity *after* their deaths than the eternity that happ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b7/barbara-kingsolver-200_awareness_awareness-is-everything-hallie-once-poin_67408.png" --- # Awareness is everything. Hallie once pointed out to me… ![“Awareness is everything. Hallie once pointed out to me that people worry a lot more about the eternity *after* their deaths than the eternity that happened before they were born. But it's the same amount of infinity, rolling out in all directions from where we stand.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b7/barbara-kingsolver-200_awareness_awareness-is-everything-hallie-once-poin_67408.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b7/barbara-kingsolver-200_awareness_awareness-is-everything-hallie-once-poin_67408.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b7/barbara-kingsolver-200_awareness_awareness-is-everything-hallie-once-poin_67408.png) > “Awareness is everything. Hallie once pointed out to me that people worry a lot more about the eternity \*after\* their deaths than the eternity that happened before they were born. But it's the same amount of infinity, rolling out in all directions from where we stand.” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote emphasizes that consciousness of the present moment is paramount, noting that people often fixate on posthumous eternity while neglecting the infinite possibilities that precede birth, both extending infinitely from our current point. **In simple terms:** Focus on present awareness over past/future infinities. Key Takeaway Present awareness shapes experience. Themes mindfulness existentialism perception of time infinity self-awareness Mood reflective thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - philosophical contemplation - mental health practice - spiritual teaching - creative writing Key Concepts awareness eternity human cognition Practical Applications - mindfulness training - existential counseling Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on present awareness change one's perception of life? - What implications does viewing time as infinite have on decision‑making? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Deaths Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deaths-eternity-894802/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Eternity Deaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity-deaths-894800/) [Eternity Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity-happened-894801/) [Infinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rolling/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [TO BE in the dilemma of life when it stands in front of deaths eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/to-be-in-the-dilemma-of-life-when-it-stands-in-front-of-deaths/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [Everything that from eternity has happened in heaven and earth, the life of God and all the deeds of time simply are the struggles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/everything-that-from-eternity-has-happened-in-heaven-and-earth-the/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [“We may like to combat disease or even want to cure death. We may try to surf on the waves of infinity and attempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/we-may-like-to-combat-disease-or-even-want-to-cure-death-we-may-try/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“It is—their unconsciousness. Their lack of knowledge about others. Their not being aware of what they do to others, the destruction they have caused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/it-is-their-unconsciousness-their-lack-of-knowledge-about-others/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [You can love infinity, eternity, Scotty dogs, sports, work, play, the feelings of being alive, the earth, the sky, the fire, the wind ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-love-infinity-eternity-scotty-dogs-sports-work-play-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [He who seeks eternity should look at the sky, he who seeks the moment, should look at the cloud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-couto/he-who-seeks-eternity-should-look-at-the-sky-he-who-seeks-the-moment/) [Mia Couto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-couto/) > [To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palms of your hand and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/to-see-a-world-in-a-grain-of-sand-and-heaven-in-a-wild-flower-hold/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Through concentration we become one-pointed and through meditation we expand our consciousness into the Vast. But in contemplation we grow into the Vast itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/through-concentration-we-become-one-pointed-and-through-meditation-we/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [We are travelers on a cosmic journey,stardust,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-travelers-on-a-cosmic-journey-stardust-swirling-and-dancing-in/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“I have heard them preach, when I sat in the pew and my feet did not touch the floor, about the final home of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/i-have-heard-them-preach-when-i-sat-in-the-pew-and-my-feet-did-not/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [Think of the Earth as a turning point in eternity. Think of the Earth as a meeting point in infinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/think-of-the-earth-as-a-turning-point-in-eternity-think-of-the-earth/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [The truly still mind, with which you were born, is the mind that moves freely. Without ignoring anything, it reacts wholeheartedly to everything it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soko-morinaga/the-truly-still-mind-with-which-you-were-born-is-the-mind-that-moves/) [Soko Morinaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soko-morinaga/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [After '8 Mile' came out and blew up, the ball has been rolling ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-benson-miller/after-8-mile-came-out-and-blew-up-the-ball-has-been-rolling-ever-since/) [Omar Benson Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-benson-miller/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. "That was a luna." Crys shrugged. "So?" "So? So what? You want it should sing, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/lusa-turned-to-crys-her-eyes-shining-that-was-a-luna-crys-shrugged-so/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-strength-of-motherhood-is-greater-than-natural-laws/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Respecting the dignity of a spectacular food means enjoying it at its best. Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [I know the importance of highly trained awareness of the “moment” and the immediate and intuitive response of the photographer. It should be obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/i-know-the-importance-of-highly-trained-awareness-of-the-moment-and/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. 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Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. 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