--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why was it that the only choices that…" description: "\"“Why was it that the only choices that truly mattered were the ones you felt least prepare to make?”\" — Eileen Goudge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/eileen-goudge-56689_choices_why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-tr_449793.jpg" --- # Why was it that the only choices that truly mattered were… ![“Why was it that the only choices that truly mattered were the ones you felt least prepare to make?” quote by Eileen Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/eileen-goudge-56689_choices_why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-tr_449793.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/eileen-goudge-56689_choices_why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-tr_449793.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/eileen-goudge-56689_choices_why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-tr_449793.jpg) > ““Why was it that the only choices that truly mattered were the ones you felt least prepare to make?”” [Eileen Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-goudge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Important decisions often feel most daunting when we feel unprepared, yet they can be the most meaningful **In simple terms:** Big choices feel hardest when unprepared but are crucial Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty in key choices Themes courage decision‑making growth Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career moves - relationships - personal growth - creative projects Key Concepts risk assessment self‑trust life planning Questions to Reflect On - What unprepared choice have you avoided? - How can you prepare for uncertain decisions? A Different Perspective Fear of failure can stall action ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Choices Truly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-truly-1140901/) [Mattered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mattered/) [Mattered Ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mattered-ones-3928023/) [Truly Mattered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truly-mattered-1243006/) ## Related quotes > [It was at that moment, that I knew what I did truly mattered! :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayy/it-was-at-that-moment-that-i-knew-what-i-did-truly-mattered/) [Rayy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rayy/) > [“The door was now ajar, the light of an unknown future shining through its crack. But it would take more strength than I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/the-door-was-now-ajar-the-light-of-an-unknown-future-shining-through/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [He knew me in all the ways that truly mattered: the shape of my fears, the contours of my dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-knew-me-in-all-the-ways-that-truly-mattered-the-shape-of-my-fears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is nothing more nerve-racking than waiting as someone reads your writing. The reader becomes the videographer, zooming far, far into your heart and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-marinello-sweeney/there-is-nothing-more-nerve-racking-than-waiting-as-someone-reads/) [Gina Marinello-Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-marinello-sweeney/) > [“It’s tempting to straddle the fence and try to have it both ways. Yet in attempting to live in two choices at once, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-mckay/it-s-tempting-to-straddle-the-fence-and-try-to-have-it-both-ways-yet/) [Brett McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-mckay/) > [It is our choices... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/it-is-our-choices-that-show-what-we-truly-are-far-more-than-our/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [“I can see that my choices were never truly mine alone--and that is how it should be, that to assert otherwise is to chase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-see-that-my-choices-were-never-truly-mine-alone-and-that-is-how/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [You know give me choices that are truly different from one another, otherwise they don't regard them as meaningful choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/you-know-give-me-choices-that-are-truly-different-from-one-another/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [No matter what your choices are, you truly have no control about what people think of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/no-matter-what-your-choices-are-you-truly-have-no-control-about-what/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [“Climbing mattered. The danger bathed the world in a halogen glow that caused everything—the sweep of the rock, the orange and yellow lichens, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/climbing-mattered-the-danger-bathed-the-world-in-a-halogen-glow-that/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [Death mattered not -- It was a mere puncutation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-huggins/death-mattered-not-it-was-a-mere-puncutation/) [Nathan Huggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-huggins/) > [“Knowing you don’t have much time left changes things. You get kind of philosophical. And you figure things out—more like, they figure themselves out—and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/knowing-you-don-t-have-much-time-left-changes-things-you-get-kind-of/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“There it was, Hema must have thought; it was both the sorry and the thank-you that was so long overdue, and the funny thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/there-it-was-hema-must-have-thought-it-was-both-the-sorry-and-the/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [Why was it that they could never shout like that about anything that mattered?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/why-was-it-that-they-could-never-shout-like-that-about-anything-that/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“History mattered. But it could not guarantee what might happen next.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-gable/history-mattered-but-it-could-not-guarantee-what-might-happen-next/) [Michelle Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-gable/) ## More by Eileen Goudge > [“blue-and-white helmet, and the muscles in his powerful dark forearms knotting as”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/blue-and-white-helmet-and-the-muscles-in-his-powerful-dark-forearms/) [Eileen Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-goudge/) > [“and in the wedge of light from the hallway she thought she saw something flicker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/and-in-the-wedge-of-light-from-the-hallway-she-thought-she-saw/) [Eileen Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-goudge/) > [“feel ridiculous,” she muttered. “And I feel like a jerk for getting thrown,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/feel-ridiculous-she-muttered-and-i-feel-like-a-jerk-for-getting-thrown/) [Eileen Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-goudge/) > [“Looking at him now, she saw a study in contrasts. Someone who was kind and loyal but who could also be stubborn and intractable;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/looking-at-him-now-she-saw-a-study-in-contrasts-someone-who-was-kind/) [Eileen Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-goudge/) > [Still waters run deep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/still-waters-run-deep/) [Eileen Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-goudge/) [Explore all 6 Eileen Goudge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-goudge/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) [Alison James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-james/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Why was it that the only choices that truly mattered were the ones you felt least prepare to make?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eileen Goudge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-truly-mattered-were-the-ones/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choices" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-truly-mattered-were-the-ones/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/eileen-goudge-56689_choices_why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-tr_449793.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/eileen-goudge-56689_choices_why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-tr_449793.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d74/eileen-goudge-56689_choices_why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-tr_449793.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why was it that the only choices that truly mattered were the ones you felt least prepare to make?” — Eileen Goudge", "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": "Eileen Goudge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-goudge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Why was it that the only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-truly-mattered-were-the-ones/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-goudge/why-was-it-that-the-only-choices-that-truly-mattered-were-the-ones/#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 } } ] } ```