--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am tired of trying to hold things…" description: "\"I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot be held. Trying to control what cannot be controlled. I am tired of denying myself what I want..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/erin-morgenstern-806_break_i-am-tired-of-trying-to-hold-things-toge_1217113.jpg" --- # I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot… ![“I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot be held. Trying to control what cannot be controlled. I am tired of denying myself what I want for fear of breaking things I cannot fix. They will break no matter what we do.” quote by Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/erin-morgenstern-806_break_i-am-tired-of-trying-to-hold-things-toge_1217113.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/erin-morgenstern-806_break_i-am-tired-of-trying-to-hold-things-toge_1217113.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/erin-morgenstern-806_break_i-am-tired-of-trying-to-hold-things-toge_1217113.jpg) > “I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot be held. Trying to control what cannot be controlled. I am tired of denying myself what I want for fear of breaking things I cannot fix. They will break no matter what we do.” [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker is exhausted from trying to control uncontrollable aspects of life, recognizing that some things will break despite effort. **In simple terms:** I’m tired of trying to control the uncontrollable. Key Takeaway Accept limits and focus on what you can influence. Themes acceptance resilience control Mood thoughtful somber Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - health - creative projects - personal goals Key Concepts psychology impermanence Questions to Reflect On - What can you let go of? - How do you cope with inevitable change? A Different Perspective Control attempts can cause more stress than benefit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaking things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-things/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot be held. Trying to control what cannot be controlled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-tired-of-trying-to-hold-things-together-that-cannot-be-held/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot be held,” Celia says when he approaches her. “Trying to control what cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-am-tired-of-trying-to-hold-things-together-that-cannot-be-held-4/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot be held.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-am-tired-of-trying-to-hold-things-together-that-cannot-be-held-3/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [All thing being equal, Id rather be breaking things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-thing-being-equal-id-rather-be-breaking-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Breaking things is a specialty of everyone in Fairy Tail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-mashima/breaking-things-is-a-specialty-of-everyone-in-fairy-tail/) [Hiro Mashima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-mashima/) > [“Breaking things heals a great many hurts. This is why children do it so often.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/breaking-things-heals-a-great-many-hurts-this-is-why-children-do-it/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [I do worry about breaking things - things that don't belong to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-do-worry-about-breaking-things-things-that-don-t-belong-to-me/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [We were given no chance against them, but we held our own and we will be trying to do the same this summer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-keane/we-were-given-no-chance-against-them-but-we-held-our-own-and-we-will/) [Robbie Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-keane/) > [“I am tired of denying myself what I want for fear of breaking things I cannot fix. They will break no matter what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-am-tired-of-denying-myself-what-i-want-for-fear-of-breaking-things/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [Move fast and break things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/move-fast-and-break-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/which-is-better-law-and-rescue-or-hunting-and-breaking-things-up/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [Sometimes good things fall apart so better things could fall together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/sometimes-good-things-fall-apart-so-better-things-could-fall-together/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [I don't want to preach, but I would like to see metal become more of a united thing. I'm tired of people breaking things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schuldiner/i-don-t-want-to-preach-but-i-would-like-to-see-metal-become-more-of-a/) [Chuck Schuldiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schuldiner/) > [God in heaven sits on high and plays games with us. He has plenty to do up there, what with building worlds and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuel-yosef-agnon/god-in-heaven-sits-on-high-and-plays-games-with-us-he-has-plenty-to/) [Shmuel Yosef Agnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuel-yosef-agnon/) > [Some conservatives are traditionalists, and the idea of breaking things up and changing things is concerning to them at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-schlapp/some-conservatives-are-traditionalists-and-the-idea-of-breaking/) [Matt Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-schlapp/) ## More by Erin Morgenstern > [They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent. They seek each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/they-are-enthusiasts-devotees-addicts-something-about-the-circus/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“The Burgess sisters arrive together. Tara and Lainie do a little bit of everything. Sometimes dancers, sometimes actresses. Once they were librarians, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/the-burgess-sisters-arrive-together-tara-and-lainie-do-a-little-bit/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“Bedtime stories Eventide Rhapsodies Anthologies of Memory Please enter cautiously and feel free to open what is closed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/bedtime-stories-eventide-rhapsodies-anthologies-of-memory-please/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“When all of this is over, no matter which one of us wins, I will not let you go so easily. Agreed?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/when-all-of-this-is-over-no-matter-which-one-of-us-wins-i-will-not/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“Even the ground beneath his feet feels unsatisfying to his boots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/even-the-ground-beneath-his-feet-feels-unsatisfying-to-his-boots/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“Why haven’t you asked me how I do my tricks?” Celia asks, once they have reached the point where she is certain he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/why-haven-t-you-asked-me-how-i-do-my-tricks-celia-asks-once-they-have/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [And there are really never endings, happy or otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/and-there-are-really-never-endings-happy-or-otherwise/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I binge write. I think it's because I started seriously writing by participating in National Novel Writing Month, an online-based challenge to write 50,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-binge-write-i-think-it-s-because-i-started-seriously-writing-by/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I have absurdly vivid dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-have-absurdly-vivid-dreams/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I made a wish on this tree years ago," Marco says. "What did you wish for?" Bailey asks. Marco leans forward and whispers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/i-made-a-wish-on-this-tree-years-ago-marco-says-what-did-you-wish-for/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“He reads histories and mythologies and fairy tales, wondering why it seems that only girls are ever swept away from their mundane lives on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/he-reads-histories-and-mythologies-and-fairy-tales-wondering-why-it/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“Behind him, the sheep, left to their own devices, decide to wander through the open gate into the field beyond.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/behind-him-the-sheep-left-to-their-own-devices-decide-to-wander/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [Marco moves to close the distance between them, kissing away her tears before catching her lip with his own. As he kisses her, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/marco-moves-to-close-the-distance-between-them-kissing-away-her-tears/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [“«Importa más ser que parecer.»”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/importa-m-s-ser-que-parecer/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [And before he can tell her to tell Widget goodbye for him if need be, she leans forward and kisses him, not on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/and-before-he-can-tell-her-to-tell-widget-goodbye-for-him-if-need-be/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) [Explore all 339 Erin Morgenstern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. 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No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. 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I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) Peter Dunne > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. 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