--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus…" description: "\"I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus, and it's time to pause and reflect and think about what I've seen and done.\" — Dick Cheney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/dick-cheney-1810_done_i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus_2724250.jpg" --- # I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus, and it's time to… ![“I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus, and it's time to pause and reflect and think about what I've seen and done.” quote by Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/dick-cheney-1810_done_i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus_2724250.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/dick-cheney-1810_done_i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus_2724250.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/dick-cheney-1810_done_i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus_2724250.jpg) > “I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus, and it's time to pause and reflect and think about what I've seen and done.” [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An experienced leader looks back on a long career, assessing achievements and lessons before moving on. **In simple terms:** A senior official reviews his long service and its impact. Key Takeaway Pause to evaluate past work and future direction. Themes reflection leadership career legacy selfassessment Mood thoughtful contemplative Type reflective political personal When to use this quote - retirement planning - policy review - personal growth - historical analysis Key Concepts public service political strategy decision making Questions to Reflect On - What insights have you gained from your career? - How will you apply past lessons to future endeavors? A Different Perspective May overlook unexamined biases or missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I think anybody who has been in Washington for almost 40 years has been there too long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-ward/i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washington-for-almost-40-years-has/) Kelli Ward > [I've never seen anything like that (reaction) before. It gives you something to reflect on and to think about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-bettis/i-ve-never-seen-anything-like-that-reaction-before-it-gives-you/) [Jerome Bettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-bettis/) > [The cancer battle, it helped me put a lot of things in perspective and gave me time to reflect and think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-jacobs/the-cancer-battle-it-helped-me-put-a-lot-of-things-in-perspective-and/) [Daniel Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-jacobs/) > [In order to reflect, think and plan, you must quiet yourself. You can't see your reflection in churning waters. Water must be still to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hantze-susman/in-order-to-reflect-think-and-plan-you-must-quiet-yourself-you-can-t/) Karen Hantze Susman > [The time I spent on the bench helped me to reflect and think. It encouraged me to keep fighting and work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-de-gea/the-time-i-spent-on-the-bench-helped-me-to-reflect-and-think-it/) [David de Gea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-de-gea/) > [It is interesting to note that during the last ten years Washington's 'Farewell Address' has begun to reappear in college textbooks - minus the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/it-is-interesting-to-note-that-during-the-last-ten-years-washington-s/) [David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/) > [I believe that if the people of this nation fully understood what Congress has done to them over the last 49 years, they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-malone/i-believe-that-if-the-people-of-this-nation-fully-understood-what/) George W. Malone > [I spent 19 years as a Washington reporter covering a variety of beats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-mossberg/i-spent-19-years-as-a-washington-reporter-covering-a-variety-of-beats/) [Walt Mossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-mossberg/) > [wisdom is like a bottomless pond. You throw stones in and they sink into darkness and dissolve. Her eyes looking back do not reflect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/wisdom-is-like-a-bottomless-pond-you-throw-stones-in-and-they-sink/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [It seems to be the special peculiarity of human beings that they reflect: they think about thinking and know that they know. This, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/it-seems-to-be-the-special-peculiarity-of-human-beings-that-they/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [How many solutions are found to family problems if we take time to reflect? If we think of a husband or wife and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/how-many-solutions-are-found-to-family-problems-if-we-take-time-to/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Hygge is a phenomenon that reflects our way of inhabiting the world. The routines that shape our days locate us - from the places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/hygge-is-a-phenomenon-that-reflects-our-way-of-inhabiting-the-world/) [Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/) > [Christmas gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us - a time when we can look back on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/christmas-gives-us-the-opportunity-to-pause-and-reflect-on-the/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/whenever-you-find-yourself-on-the-side-of-the-majority-it-is-time-to/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I'm a super spiritual person, so every now and then I'll say, "Everyone, get out of my room because I need 15 minutes by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilly-singh/i-m-a-super-spiritual-person-so-every-now-and-then-i-ll-say-everyone/) [Lilly Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilly-singh/) ## More by Dick Cheney > [A little tough talk in the midst of a campaign or as part of a presidential debate cannot obscure a record of 30 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/a-little-tough-talk-in-the-midst-of-a-campaign-or-as-part-of-a/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. It makes the whole thing mutual - America sees two John Kerrys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/senator-kerry-says-he-sees-two-americas-it-makes-the-whole-thing/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I am a deficit hawk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-am-a-deficit-hawk/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [We know he's been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons, and we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/we-know-he-s-been-absolutely-devoted-to-trying-to-acquire-nuclear/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I think the decision that's been made with respect to allowing gays to serve openly in the military is a good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-think-the-decision-that-s-been-made-with-respect-to-allowing-gays/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [ \[In response to the question "Do you think that you underestimated the insurgency's strength?"\] I think so. I guess if I look back on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/in-response-to-the-question-do-you-think-that-you-underestimated-the/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Let us rid ourselves of the fiction that low oil prices are somehow good for the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/let-us-rid-ourselves-of-the-fiction-that-low-oil-prices-are-somehow/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I think we need to significantly reduce the regulatory burden on the private sector. The Obama administration is doing the opposite. They're loading on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-think-we-need-to-significantly-reduce-the-regulatory-burden-on-the/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I'm often asked why I left politics and went to Halliburton and I explain that I reached the point where I was mean-spirited, short-tempered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-m-often-asked-why-i-left-politics-and-went-to-halliburton-and-i/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I do find that the mainstream media oftentimes is what I would consider off base or has a bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-do-find-that-the-mainstream-media-oftentimes-is-what-i-would/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I'm one of those people who believes that part of the greatness of the United States is our private sector. It's what we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-believes-that-part-of-the-greatness-of/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I believe that we were not as effective in the second term dealing with this issue of nuclear none proliferation as we had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-believe-that-we-were-not-as-effective-in-the-second-term-dealing/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Sarah Palin is an attractive candidate, but based on her background, she only was governor for what, two years. I don't think she passed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/sarah-palin-is-an-attractive-candidate-but-based-on-her-background/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [My own belief is that the way we grow the economy, create jobs, create wealth is in the private sector. The government doesn't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/my-own-belief-is-that-the-way-we-grow-the-economy-create-jobs-create/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [From our perspective, trying to deal with this continuing campaign of terror, if you will, the war on terror that we're engaged in, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/from-our-perspective-trying-to-deal-with-this-continuing-campaign-of/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) [Explore all 207 Dick Cheney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus, and it's time to pause and reflect and think about what I've seen and done.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dick Cheney" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus-and-it-s-time-to-pause-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus-and-it-s-time-to-pause-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/dick-cheney-1810_done_i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus_2724250.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/dick-cheney-1810_done_i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus_2724250.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/dick-cheney-1810_done_i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus_2724250.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus, and it's time to pause and reflect and think about what I've seen…” — Dick Cheney", "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": "Dick Cheney", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I did my 40 years in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus-and-it-s-time-to-pause-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus-and-it-s-time-to-pause-and/#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 } } ] } ```