--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great thing, if one can, is to stop…" description: "\"“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own' or one's 'real' life. The truth is of cour..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/c-s-lewis-121_day-by-day_the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-re_1003557.jpg" --- # The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the… ![“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own' or one's 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls interruptions are precisely one's real life - the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one's real life is a…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/c-s-lewis-121_day-by-day_the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-re_1003557.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/c-s-lewis-121_day-by-day_the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-re_1003557.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/c-s-lewis-121_day-by-day_the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-re_1003557.jpg) > ““The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own' or one's 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls interruptions are precisely one's real life - the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one's real life is a phantom of one's imagination.”” [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s interruptions are actually the true flow of existence; what we label as “real life” is often an imagined construct. **In simple terms:** Interruptions are life itself; “real life” is imagined. Key Takeaway Embrace daily events as part of life’s purpose. Themes time perception faith reality imagination Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - daily chores - unexpected setbacks - spiritual reflection - creative work Key Concepts existentialism theology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate between distraction and purpose? - What does “real life” mean to you? A Different Perspective Seeing interruptions as life can cause anxiety about control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day by day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-by-day/) [Interruptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interruptions/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) ## Related quotes > [The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-regarding-all-the-unpleasant-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We must stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-must-stop-regarding-unpleasant-or-unexpected-things-as/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The great thing is, if one can, to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions in one's own or real life. The truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cs-lewis/the-great-thing-is-if-one-can-to-stop-regarding-all-the-unpleasant/) [CS Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cs-lewis/) > [The truth is, of course, that what one regards as interruptions are precisely one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-truth-is-of-course-that-what-one-regards-as-interruptions-are/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I have a very set routine. I work six days a week, but only half days. I work from 9 in the morning till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mayle/i-have-a-very-set-routine-i-work-six-days-a-week-but-only-half-days-i/) [Peter Mayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mayle/) > [We live in a society created by an empire That's based on terror...welcome to the One World Era, A complete interruption to your lil'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coolio/we-live-in-a-society-created-by-an-empire-that-s-based-on-terror/) [Coolio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coolio/) > [He came, not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose first cries were heard by a peasant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/he-came-not-as-a-flash-of-light-or-as-an-unapproachable-conqueror-but/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“First, let me finish. Then interrupt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-spellman/first-let-me-finish-then-interrupt/) [Brian Spellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-spellman/) > [My family doesn't do happy endings. We do sad endings or frustrating endings or no endings at all. We are hardwired to expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-solo/my-family-doesn-t-do-happy-endings-we-do-sad-endings-or-frustrating/) [Hope Solo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-solo/) > [If I know somebody is coming 'round, it is incredibly difficult for me to work because I'm waiting for this interruption - even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/if-i-know-somebody-is-coming-round-it-is-incredibly-difficult-for-me/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [Have you ever noticed that life consists mostly of interruptions, with occasional spells of rush work in between?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buwei-yang-chao/have-you-ever-noticed-that-life-consists-mostly-of-interruptions-with/) Buwei Yang Chao > [Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/circumstances-may-cause-interruptions-and-delays-but-never-lose-sight/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [... programming requires more concentration than other activities. It's the reason programmers get upset about 'quick interruptions' - such interruptions are tantamount to asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcconnell/programming-requires-more-concentration-than-other-activities-it-s/) [Steve McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcconnell/) > [Establish an atmosphere that energizes you. Some creative people flourish in confusion; others need to be free from interruption. Many prepare themselves for work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-leland/establish-an-atmosphere-that-energizes-you-some-creative-people/) [Nita Leland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-leland/) > [I relish the time I have when there are no interruptions. Most often the best time for writing is late at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-armstrong/i-relish-the-time-i-have-when-there-are-no-interruptions-most-often/) [Franny Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-armstrong/) ## More by C.S. Lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-greatest-service-we-can-do-to-education-today-is-to-teach-fewer/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-husband-is-the-head-of-the-wife-just-in-so-far-as-he-is-to-her/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Day by day quotes > [What are the height of men who are getting smaller day by day / the Thysis and Research, may be subject to both virgin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/what-are-the-height-of-men-who-are-getting-smaller-day-by-day-the/) Mak\_786 > [“Even though every piece of today feels small. I’ll do today, glancing up and remembering a race is completed the same way this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-allen/even-though-every-piece-of-today-feels-small-i-ll-do-today-glancing/) [Jennie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-allen/) > [“Maybe I could use a little metal on the inside, I thought. If I'd kept my heart better armored, where would I be now?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/maybe-i-could-use-a-little-metal-on-the-inside-i-thought-if-i-d-kept/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“That which they have need of . . . let it be given them day by day without fail. Ezra 6:9 If we really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/that-which-they-have-need-of-let-it-be-given-them-day-by-day-without/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [“Peace, peace! he is not dead, he doth not sleep, He hath awaken’d from the dream of life; ’Tis we, who lost in stormy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/peace-peace-he-is-not-dead-he-doth-not-sleep-he-hath-awaken-d-from/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“The horrors grew. Inner horrors. On the surface it looked as though I was more or less keeping it together, but day by day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/the-horrors-grew-inner-horrors-on-the-surface-it-looked-as-though-i/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Don't promise me forever, just love me day by day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-rybak/don-t-promise-me-forever-just-love-me-day-by-day/) Alexander Rybak > [As a coach you have to be focused day by day, enjoy every day as if it was the last. I trust in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javi-gracia/as-a-coach-you-have-to-be-focused-day-by-day-enjoy-every-day-as-if-it/) [Javi Gracia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javi-gracia/) > [For me, it's about the small things in the fight to get better day by day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erling-haaland/for-me-it-s-about-the-small-things-in-the-fight-to-get-better-day-by/) [Erling Haaland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erling-haaland/) > [“Strong Mercy: My desires are many and my cry is pitiful, but ever didst thou save me by hard refusals; and this strong mercy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/strong-mercy-my-desires-are-many-and-my-cry-is-pitiful-but-ever-didst/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [“They are not brave, the days when we are twenty-one. They are full of little cowardices, little fears without foundation, and one is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/they-are-not-brave-the-days-when-we-are-twenty-one-they-are-full-of/) [Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/) > [ Its funny how you go through the year day by day but nothing changes, then when you look back \[(.everything̢¢s different.)\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/its-funny-how-you-go-through-the-year-day-by-day-but-nothing-changes/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“That's how we lose people...detail by detail, day by day, until they're pale, pale memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-turnage/that-s-how-we-lose-people-detail-by-detail-day-by-day-until-they-re/) [Sheila Turnage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-turnage/) > [Friendship is like a rose. . . opening one petal at a time, only as it unfolds. . . day by day it reveals its true beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-walsh-anglund/friendship-is-like-a-rose-opening-one-petal-at-a-time-only-as-it/) [Joan Walsh Anglund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-walsh-anglund/) [Browse all 659 Day by day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-by-day/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own' or one's 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls interruptions are precisely one's real life - the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one's real life is a phantom of one's imagination.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-regarding-all-the-unpleasant/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Day by day" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-regarding-all-the-unpleasant/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/c-s-lewis-121_day-by-day_the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-re_1003557.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/c-s-lewis-121_day-by-day_the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-re_1003557.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/c-s-lewis-121_day-by-day_the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-re_1003557.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own'…” — C.S. Lewis", "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": "C.S. Lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The great thing, if one can,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-regarding-all-the-unpleasant/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-great-thing-if-one-can-is-to-stop-regarding-all-the-unpleasant/#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 } } ] } ```