--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The single guiding principle that I try…" description: "\"The single guiding principle that I try to follow, assuming blindly that the rest will fall into place, is to operate squarely in the present. I think ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b43/emily-weiss-5346_difficult-things_the-single-guiding-principle-that-i-try_2730415.jpg" --- # The single guiding principle that I try to follow… ![“The single guiding principle that I try to follow, assuming blindly that the rest will fall into place, is to operate squarely in the present. I think it's one of the most difficult things for anyone to do.” quote by Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b43/emily-weiss-5346_difficult-things_the-single-guiding-principle-that-i-try_2730415.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b43/emily-weiss-5346_difficult-things_the-single-guiding-principle-that-i-try_2730415.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b43/emily-weiss-5346_difficult-things_the-single-guiding-principle-that-i-try_2730415.jpg) > “The single guiding principle that I try to follow, assuming blindly that the rest will fall into place, is to operate squarely in the present. I think it's one of the most difficult things for anyone to do.” [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focus on the present moment, trusting that other aspects will align, despite its difficulty. **In simple terms:** Live now, trust the rest. Key Takeaway Stay present, act now. Themes mindfulness focus trust Mood reflective determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - decision making - leadership - personal growth - stress management Key Concepts present-moment awareness psychology of action Questions to Reflect On - How can you train yourself to stay present? - What risks arise from ignoring future planning? 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S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“We all die and disappear, but that’s because the mechanism of the world itself is built on destruction and loss. Our lives are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/we-all-die-and-disappear-but-that-s-because-the-mechanism-of-the-2/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [What will be required to increase the quality of life and health is a coming together of technology and values, based on a scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-childre/what-will-be-required-to-increase-the-quality-of-life-and-health-is-a/) [Doc Childre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-childre/) > [“Don’t reinvent the wheel. Focus on winning one customer at a time. Be honest and sincere. Do what’s right. There’s nothing magical about this.’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-spector/don-t-reinvent-the-wheel-focus-on-winning-one-customer-at-a-time-be/) [Robert Spector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-spector/) > [The guiding principle is not to manufacture the goods everyone needs, rather to earn profits for a few capitalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-ulbricht/the-guiding-principle-is-not-to-manufacture-the-goods-everyone-needs/) [Walter Ulbricht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-ulbricht/) > [The only guiding principle you can use is to make something that you want to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-tull/the-only-guiding-principle-you-can-use-is-to-make-something-that-you/) [Thomas Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-tull/) > [Move forward and let others do the same. Simple. This is a guiding principle everyone should have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/move-forward-and-let-others-do-the-same-simple-this-is-a-guiding/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“The leaders of good-to-great companies did not first focus on creating a vision or over-arching goal. Instead, they made sure to first get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eighty-twenty-publishing/the-leaders-of-good-to-great-companies-did-not-first-focus-on/) [Eighty Twenty Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eighty-twenty-publishing/) > [There is no guiding principle, because the work that is created in collaborations should be created from its own principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eyvind-kang/there-is-no-guiding-principle-because-the-work-that-is-created-in/) [Eyvind Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eyvind-kang/) > [The guiding principle that a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy remains as true today as it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-guiding-principle-that-a-policy-of-freedom-for-the-individual-is/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and co-operation, I can look forward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/my-guiding-principle-will-be-justice-and-complete-impartiality-and-i/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [The guiding principle of this Nation has been, is now, and ever shall be IN GOD WE TRUST.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-guiding-principle-of-this-nation-has-been-is-now-and-ever-shall/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We need to protect free trade as a guiding principle for Japan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fumio-kishida/we-need-to-protect-free-trade-as-a-guiding-principle-for-japan/) [Fumio Kishida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fumio-kishida/) > [My guiding principle as president has been to try to do the right thing even when it's not politically convenient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/my-guiding-principle-as-president-has-been-to-try-to-do-the-right/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Emily Weiss > [Beauty is very intimate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/beauty-is-very-intimate/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [A huge number of women are shopping for beauty products based on recommendations from friends, and we really look to be that friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/a-huge-number-of-women-are-shopping-for-beauty-products-based-on/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > ['Into The Gloss,' what I think it did so well was create a conversation around beauty and make beauty the main event as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/into-the-gloss-what-i-think-it-did-so-well-was-create-a-conversation/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [The creation of 'Into The Gloss' took less than a month. 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If you want to keep using your retinols, your SPFs, of course you should continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/glossier-is-not-about-throwing-out-everything-you-re-using-if-you/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [That power of the individual person - just the girl - is infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/that-power-of-the-individual-person-just-the-girl-is-infinite/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [People often ask me, 'How do you go about choosing who to feature on Into The Gloss?' And I've never had a great answer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/people-often-ask-me-how-do-you-go-about-choosing-who-to-feature-on/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [If you look dull, the easiest thing to do is wash your face with water, and immediately you look refreshed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/if-you-look-dull-the-easiest-thing-to-do-is-wash-your-face-with-water/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [Ultimately, we're making and selling a consumer good that needs to work and that needs to make customers happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/ultimately-we-re-making-and-selling-a-consumer-good-that-needs-to/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [My December is typically one big, sweaty 'wintry mix' blur, not a punch-laden, heartwarming mixer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/my-december-is-typically-one-big-sweaty-wintry-mix-blur-not-a-punch/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [You can make a million excuses for why something didn't go well, but ultimately, just fix it and get on with it. 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I'm not a horrible copycat, or if I am, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/i-m-surrounded-by-women-whose-style-i-admire-it-s-natural-to-be/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [Glossier - our content, our products - it's for all for you; it's ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/glossier-our-content-our-products-it-s-for-all-for-you-it-s-ours/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) [Explore all 101 Emily Weiss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) ## More Difficult things quotes > [Do nondoing, strive for nonstriving, savor the flavorless, regard the small as important, make much of little, repay enmity with virtue; plan for difficulty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/do-nondoing-strive-for-nonstriving-savor-the-flavorless-regard-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [ \[Stéphane Mallarmé\] theory of the hermetic is a mistake, but he can be only difficult to read when he has difficult things to say. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/st-phane-mallarm-theory-of-the-hermetic-is-a-mistake-but-he-can-be/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Maintaining marriage seems to be tougher than fatherhood: apparently its the most difficult thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-slater/maintaining-marriage-seems-to-be-tougher-than-fatherhood-apparently/) [Kelly Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-slater/) > [KIN' is basically a kind of rite of passage, scars-and-all celebration of going through difficult things in your life and being better for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/kin-is-basically-a-kind-of-rite-of-passage-scars-and-all-celebration/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [To be alone in the air at night is to be very much alone indeed. . . cut off from everything and everyone .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-gower/to-be-alone-in-the-air-at-night-is-to-be-very-much-alone-indeed-cut/) [Pauline Gower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-gower/) > [After initial needs are met—enough food, shelter, comfort—there is no correlation between money and happiness. That's a difficult thing for people to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/after-initial-needs-are-met-enough-food-shelter-comfort-there-is-no/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [Organise your working life. If your work day often leaves you feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it is time to calm things down by getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/organise-your-working-life-if-your-work-day-often-leaves-you-feeling/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [One of the most difficult things in writing a novel or anything at all is to choose the point of view from which it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-in-writing-a-novel-or-anything-at/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness it is usually returned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-to-give-away-is-kindness-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sexual assault and domestic violence are difficult things to talk about. Talk about them anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/sexual-assault-and-domestic-violence-are-difficult-things-to-talk/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [The most difficult thing for us seems to be to give of ourselves, to do away with selfishness. If we really love someone, nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-eldon-tanner/the-most-difficult-thing-for-us-seems-to-be-to-give-of-ourselves-to/) [Nathan Eldon Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-eldon-tanner/) > [ It was practically with people with strings. 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