--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I became much happier when I realized I…" description: "\"I became much happier when I realized I shouldn't depend solely on my career for my sense of self. So I developed other interests and surrounded myself..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/580/douglas-wood-20594_became_i-became-much-happier-when-i-realized-i_2865999.jpg" --- # I became much happier when I realized I shouldn't depend… ![“I became much happier when I realized I shouldn't depend solely on my career for my sense of self. So I developed other interests and surrounded myself with a small group of friends I could trust.” quote by Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/580/douglas-wood-20594_became_i-became-much-happier-when-i-realized-i_2865999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/580/douglas-wood-20594_became_i-became-much-happier-when-i-realized-i_2865999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/580/douglas-wood-20594_became_i-became-much-happier-when-i-realized-i_2865999.jpg) > “I became much happier when I realized I shouldn't depend solely on my career for my sense of self. So I developed other interests and surrounded myself with a small group of friends I could trust.” [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑worth shouldn’t hinge on career; diversifying interests and trusted friendships builds a stable identity. **In simple terms:** Self‑worth isn’t only about career. Key Takeaway Develop varied interests and close friends. Themes identity balance friendship Mood reflective optimistic Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - career transition - hobby exploration - social networking Key Concepts self‑esteem theory social support life satisfaction Questions to Reflect On - What non‑career activities fulfill you? - Who are your trusted friends? A Different Perspective Career pressure may still dominate thoughts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happier/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Sense of self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-self/) [Small Group](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-group/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [Star Trek is perhaps the best thing that ever happened to me, in a career sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deforest-kelley/star-trek-is-perhaps-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me-in-a/) [DeForest Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deforest-kelley/) > [Rainforest land is mistakenly valued solely for the worth of its timber, mining and oil resources by short-sighted corporations and governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/rainforest-land-is-mistakenly-valued-solely-for-the-worth-of-its/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) > [My passions were an intersection between peace in the Middle East and climate change. I know how to understand a technology problem, break it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-agassi/my-passions-were-an-intersection-between-peace-in-the-middle-east-and/) [Shai Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-agassi/) > [Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/millions-around-the-world-increasingly-see-america-not-as-a-model-of/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Cheney's memoir is not about 9/11, or solely about Bush's administration, but about his entire life and political career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/cheney-s-memoir-is-not-about-9-11-or-solely-about-bush-s/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The last refuge of privacy cannot be placed solely in law or technology. It must repose in both, and a thoughtful combination of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-placed-solely-in-law-or/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [I feel like every time I start up, it's like a truck you have to get into 15th gear, so you very solely crank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/i-feel-like-every-time-i-start-up-it-s-like-a-truck-you-have-to-get/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [Our covering ministry is Challenge for Christ ministries, and Travel the Road was solely our mission arm, designed to expose people to what missions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/our-covering-ministry-is-challenge-for-christ-ministries-and-travel/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [However, when the privilege depends solely on the broad, undifferentiated claim of public interest in the confidentiality of such conversations, a confrontation with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/however-when-the-privilege-depends-solely-on-the-broad/) [Warren E. 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As the CEO, however, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/as-a-decision-maker-you-rely-on-information-being-passed-to-you-by/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [When I sit down to begin penciling a page, most of the hard work for me is done. I can concentrate solely on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raina-telgemeier/when-i-sit-down-to-begin-penciling-a-page-most-of-the-hard-work-for/) [Raina Telgemeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raina-telgemeier/) > [It is therefore utterly false to say that Marx revokes the law of value as far as individual commodities are concerned, and maintains it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-hiferding/it-is-therefore-utterly-false-to-say-that-marx-revokes-the-law-of/) [Rudolf Hiferding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-hiferding/) > [Were the only major company in the U.S. that is solely in the professional beauty industry. We promised hairdressers when we started that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-dejoria/were-the-only-major-company-in-the-u-s-that-is-solely-in-the/) [John Paul DeJoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-dejoria/) ## More by Douglas Wood > [Working in Hollywood can be tumultuous, with incredible highs and lows and you need to be grounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/working-in-hollywood-can-be-tumultuous-with-incredible-highs-and-lows/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [I know a lot of people in the business recommend the many Story Structure seminars being offered here, but I point to them as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/i-know-a-lot-of-people-in-the-business-recommend-the-many-story/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [That said, I should also add that I learned a great deal from being allowed in these privileged circles and am grateful for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/that-said-i-should-also-add-that-i-learned-a-great-deal-from-being/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [Robert Altman's 'Nashville' is my all-time favorite film because it covers all the bases - it's original, moving, and has something to say, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/robert-altman-s-nashville-is-my-all-time-favorite-film-because-it/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [Animation scripts tend to be much more descriptive and are lighter on dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/animation-scripts-tend-to-be-much-more-descriptive-and-are-lighter-on/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [I'm more concerned with getting them to find and strengthen their original voice as writers rather than imposing my own subjective tastes, judgements or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/i-m-more-concerned-with-getting-them-to-find-and-strengthen-their/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [I was born in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Evanston.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/i-was-born-in-chicago-and-grew-up-in-the-suburb-of-evanston/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [Dick Van Dyke was my first idol. He's an amazing physical comedian, like a classic clown, but also very smart and not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/dick-van-dyke-was-my-first-idol-he-s-an-amazing-physical-comedian/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [The best way for a beginner to write for animation is to closely watch animated films, then read the screenplays for them afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/the-best-way-for-a-beginner-to-write-for-animation-is-to-closely/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [I am a big fan of the TV series 'Taxi' which combined comedy and pathos better than any other show I've seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/i-am-a-big-fan-of-the-tv-series-taxi-which-combined-comedy-and-pathos/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [All of the material for 'The Fine Line' was created via improvisation with my partner, but not in front of an audience. We'd continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/all-of-the-material-for-the-fine-line-was-created-via-improvisation/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [The major studios don't differ very much from one another as they all operate under essentially the same principles and pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/the-major-studios-don-t-differ-very-much-from-one-another-as-they-all/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [Fear of failure has always been my best motivator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/fear-of-failure-has-always-been-my-best-motivator/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [“Most prayers are not really questions...and if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer. ...We pray because we are here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wood/most-prayers-are-not-really-questions-and-if-we-listen-very-closely-a/) [Douglas Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wood/) > [“There's a willow tree that stands by my river She holds me in her arms when I am cold. 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I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [In the Machine Age, the company itself became a machine - a machine for making money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/in-the-machine-age-the-company-itself-became-a-machine-a-machine-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [I felt cheated by the way grown-ups told me that the future of the world was bleak when I became a teenager in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/i-felt-cheated-by-the-way-grown-ups-told-me-that-the-future-of-the/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [In my relationship, I was giving myself away to make the relationship better, but in actuality, wasn't doing better by doing that. I became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/in-my-relationship-i-was-giving-myself-away-to-make-the-relationship/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked; I became a hacker to get better control over the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-and-how-it-worked-i-became-a/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [In 1887, Oregon became the first state to make Labor Day an official holiday, with Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York quickly following suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-i-koerner/in-1887-oregon-became-the-first-state-to-make-labor-day-an-official/) [Brendan I. Koerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-i-koerner/) > [Mike Tyson is the most complex person I've ever met in my life. I've known Mike since 1986. We're both from Brooklyn. 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