--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: how much have i changed. i was a…" description: "\"“how much have i changed. i was a parent-pleaser, a dutiful friend. i made safe, careful choices and hoped that things would fall into place for me. bu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/emily-giffin-938_changed_how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-p_1509561.png" --- # how much have i changed. i was a parent-pleaser, a dutiful… ![“how much have i changed. i was a parent-pleaser, a dutiful friend. i made safe, careful choices and hoped that things would fall into place for me. but i have learned that you make your own happiness, that part of going for what you want means losing something else. and when the stakes are high…” quote by Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/emily-giffin-938_changed_how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-p_1509561.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/emily-giffin-938_changed_how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-p_1509561.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/emily-giffin-938_changed_how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-p_1509561.png) > ““how much have i changed. i was a parent-pleaser, a dutiful friend. i made safe, careful choices and hoped that things would fall into place for me. but i have learned that you make your own happiness, that part of going for what you want means losing something else. and when the stakes are high, the losses can be that much greater”” [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness is self‑created; pursuing desires often requires sacrifice, especially when stakes are high. **In simple terms:** You create your own happiness, but it may cost you. Key Takeaway Accept responsibility for joy. Themes personal growth choice sacrifice Mood thoughtful determined Type advice reflective When to use this quote - career moves - relationship decisions - health goals - financial planning Key Concepts self‑determination trade‑offs Questions to Reflect On - What are you willing to lose for your goals? - How do you balance risk and reward? A Different Perspective Sacrifices can lead to regret if not aligned with core values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ## Related quotes > [I've learned that you have to make careful choices because everything has an impact. 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Barr, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-h-barr-jr/) > [No actor wants to be typecast, so you always want to make good, careful choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haaz-sleiman/no-actor-wants-to-be-typecast-so-you-always-want-to-make-good-careful/) [Haaz Sleiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haaz-sleiman/) > [There are times when I wish I could go back and change the course of my life. Make different choices...But the past cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/there-are-times-when-i-wish-i-could-go-back-and-change-the-course-of/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [The requirements for our evolution have changed. Survival is no longer sufficient. Our evolution now requires us to develop spiritually-to become emotionally aware and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/the-requirements-for-our-evolution-have-changed-survival-is-no-longer/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [It changed me. 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I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Everything has changed and nothing has changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lowery/everything-has-changed-and-nothing-has-changed/) [Joseph Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lowery/) > [You made me hate my own reflection Question every choice I make So I could try to be perfect But I will try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/you-made-me-hate-my-own-reflection-question-every-choice-i-make-so-i/) [Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/) > [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. 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I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-the-avenue-to-salvation-not-intellectual-understanding-not/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When I became Miss World, I couldn't believe I had won it. I used to sleep with my crown because I was scared someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka-chopra/when-i-became-miss-world-i-couldn-t-believe-i-had-won-it-i-used-to/) [Priyanka Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka-chopra/) > [As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-light-changed-from-red-to-green-to-yellow-and-back-to-red/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Working with Rihanna has changed my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibi-bourelly/working-with-rihanna-has-changed-my-life/) [Bibi Bourelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibi-bourelly/) > [The international game has changed for bidding cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ueberroth/the-international-game-has-changed-for-bidding-cities/) [Peter Ueberroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ueberroth/) > [You changed my life, don't know what you're doing to me with your love. You got me feeling super human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-changed-my-life-don-t-know-what-you-re-doing-to-me-with-your-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not changing because I'm part of a hit. People around me have changed in their attitude toward me, but I haven't changed. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-penny/i-m-not-changing-because-i-m-part-of-a-hit-people-around-me-have/) [Joe Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-penny/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) Browse all 6,529 Changed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“how much have i changed. i was a parent-pleaser, a dutiful friend. i made safe, careful choices and hoped that things would fall into place for me. but i have learned that you make your own happiness, that part of going for what you want means losing something else. and when the stakes are high, the losses can be that much greater”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emily Giffin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-pleaser-a-dutiful-friend-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Changed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-pleaser-a-dutiful-friend-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/emily-giffin-938_changed_how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-p_1509561.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/emily-giffin-938_changed_how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-p_1509561.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/emily-giffin-938_changed_how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-p_1509561.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“how much have i changed. i was a parent-pleaser, a dutiful friend. i made safe, careful choices and hoped…” — Emily Giffin", "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": "Emily Giffin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“how much have i changed. i...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-pleaser-a-dutiful-friend-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/how-much-have-i-changed-i-was-a-parent-pleaser-a-dutiful-friend-i/#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 } } ] } ```