--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're passionate about something…" description: "\"When you're passionate about something, you want it to be all it can be. But in the endgame of life, I fundamentally believe the key to happiness is le..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/debra-messing-8824_believe_when-you-re-passionate-about-something-y_1339116.jpg" --- # When you're passionate about something, you want it to be… ![“When you're passionate about something, you want it to be all it can be. But in the endgame of life, I fundamentally believe the key to happiness is letting go of that idea of perfection.” quote by Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/debra-messing-8824_believe_when-you-re-passionate-about-something-y_1339116.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/debra-messing-8824_believe_when-you-re-passionate-about-something-y_1339116.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/debra-messing-8824_believe_when-you-re-passionate-about-something-y_1339116.jpg) > “When you're passionate about something, you want it to be all it can be. But in the endgame of life, I fundamentally believe the key to happiness is letting go of that idea of perfection.” [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True happiness comes from releasing the pursuit of perfection and embracing imperfection. **In simple terms:** Let go of perfection to find happiness. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection. Themes happiness perfection acceptance Mood reflective calm Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - career - creative projects - personal growth Key Concepts psychology mindfulness self-compassion Questions to Reflect On - What perfection are you clinging to? - How can imperfection improve your life? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can still drive achievement; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Endgame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endgame/) [Endgame Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endgame-life-4517899/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Letting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-letting-861705/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Key to happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-to-happiness/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keys/) [Letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Fundamentally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-fundamentally-753428/) [Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate/) [Passionate Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate-want-420652/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [The key to happiness is letting each situation be what it is instead of what it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-madison/the-key-to-happiness-is-letting-each-situation-be-what-it-is-instead/) [Victoria Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-madison/) > [The Key to Happiness is letting Every Situation Be What It Is...Instead of what you think it should be...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-key-to-happiness-is-letting-every-situation-be-what-it-is-instead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're not passionate about what you want to do, you won't be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-haig/if-you-re-not-passionate-about-what-you-want-to-do-you-won-t-be-good/) [Sid Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-haig/) > [I think if you are passionate about what you want to be or where you want to go and you work very hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karine-jean-pierre/i-think-if-you-are-passionate-about-what-you-want-to-be-or-where-you/) [Karine Jean-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karine-jean-pierre/) > [I've always been passionate about what I do and want to do it well, ... My wife says she's a widow to the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-simon/i-ve-always-been-passionate-about-what-i-do-and-want-to-do-it-well-my/) [Scott Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-simon/) > [When you know what you're passionate about and what you want to do, just go for it and own it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-justice/when-you-know-what-you-re-passionate-about-and-what-you-want-to-do/) [Victoria Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-justice/) > [It's not about forcing happiness. It's about not letting the sadness win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proudlesbian/it-s-not-about-forcing-happiness-it-s-about-not-letting-the-sadness/) [ProudLesbian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proudlesbian/) > [It's not about forcing happiness, it's about not letting sadness win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-wonder-years/it-s-not-about-forcing-happiness-it-s-about-not-letting-sadness-win/) [The Wonder Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-wonder-years/) > [Crowdpac is what I'm passionate about. I want to see it develop and grow, and I'm not really thinking anything except a long-term future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/crowdpac-is-what-i-m-passionate-about-i-want-to-see-it-develop-and/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [“Dysfunctional Belief: Happiness is having it all. Reframe: Happiness is letting go of what you don’t need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-happiness-is-having-it-all-reframe-happiness-is/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [Always Be Happy. It's Not About Forcing Happiness, It's About Not Letting Sadness Win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/always-be-happy-it-s-not-about-forcing-happiness-it-s-about-not/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [I like that I still feel like I can be myself and cook the food I'm really passionate about and want to be cooking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-yeh/i-like-that-i-still-feel-like-i-can-be-myself-and-cook-the-food-i-m/) [Molly Yeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-yeh/) > [Everything in life is most fundamentally a gift. And you receive it best and you live it best by holding it with very open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-j-o-donovan/everything-in-life-is-most-fundamentally-a-gift-and-you-receive-it/) [Leo J. O'Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-j-o-donovan/) > [Life fundamentally does not change depending on work or fame or success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anson-mount/life-fundamentally-does-not-change-depending-on-work-or-fame-or/) [Anson Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anson-mount/) > [Life is fundamentally up for grabs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/life-is-fundamentally-up-for-grabs/) [Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/) ## More by Debra Messing > [There's always - somehow a red carpet everywhere. And I think that, you know, it's a fantasyland out here, you know. It's beautiful. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/there-s-always-somehow-a-red-carpet-everywhere-and-i-think-that-you/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [If I have a pocket, then I'll have lip balm, my keys, and $10 cash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/if-i-have-a-pocket-then-i-ll-have-lip-balm-my-keys-and-10-cash/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [Well first of all I was nine weeks pregnant at the time and no one knew it. So it was - it had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/well-first-of-all-i-was-nine-weeks-pregnant-at-the-time-and-no-one/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [I know there must be something I should explore about that with my therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/i-know-there-must-be-something-i-should-explore-about-that-with-my/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [I'm thrilled because I think that, you know, everyone has gotten what they wanted. You know, I just wanted to be (there) surrounded with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/i-m-thrilled-because-i-think-that-you-know-everyone-has-gotten-what/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [Oh my God the fantasies are my favorite thing that we do each episode by far. And the great thing now is that instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/oh-my-god-the-fantasies-are-my-favorite-thing-that-we-do-each-episode/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [And because I have a four-year-old son I have become a great baseball pitcher. And, you know, juggler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/and-because-i-have-a-four-year-old-son-i-have-become-a-great-baseball/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [I mean I love my family very much, but there is a difference when you're reuniting with your family outside of your hometown and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/i-mean-i-love-my-family-very-much-but-there-is-a-difference-when-you/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [I don't think it's possible to have a wedding without it being stressful!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/i-don-t-think-it-s-possible-to-have-a-wedding-without-it-being/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [Whatever consequences come as a result, in terms of work, I'm fully prepared to embrace because it's a priority to me to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/whatever-consequences-come-as-a-result-in-terms-of-work-i-m-fully/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [I pay parking tickets. You know, you can try to give 50%, but then they charge you all those penalties! Seriously, I have gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/i-pay-parking-tickets-you-know-you-can-try-to-give-50-but-then-they/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [You know, unfortunately divorce it happens in Kansas as much as it does in Hollywood. And, you know, women having to start over at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/you-know-unfortunately-divorce-it-happens-in-kansas-as-much-as-it/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [Repeat after me: 'I am doing the best that I can.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/repeat-after-me-i-am-doing-the-best-that-i-can/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [It's essentially encouraging parents, teachers, and caretakers to remind children how special they are on a regular basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/it-s-essentially-encouraging-parents-teachers-and-caretakers-to/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) > [My parents always made education and school the number one priority. They believed that an education is the best gift you can give to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/my-parents-always-made-education-and-school-the-number-one-priority/) [Debra Messing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) [Explore all 77 Debra Messing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [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/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're passionate about something, you want it to be all it can be. But in the endgame of life, I fundamentally believe the key to happiness is letting go of that idea of perfection.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Debra Messing" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/when-you-re-passionate-about-something-you-want-it-to-be-all-it-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/when-you-re-passionate-about-something-you-want-it-to-be-all-it-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/debra-messing-8824_believe_when-you-re-passionate-about-something-y_1339116.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/debra-messing-8824_believe_when-you-re-passionate-about-something-y_1339116.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/debra-messing-8824_believe_when-you-re-passionate-about-something-y_1339116.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you're passionate about something, you want it to be all it can be. But in the endgame of life, I…” — Debra Messing", "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": "Debra Messing", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-messing/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you're passionate about something, you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/when-you-re-passionate-about-something-you-want-it-to-be-all-it-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-messing/when-you-re-passionate-about-something-you-want-it-to-be-all-it-can/#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 } } ] } ```