--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That is what we are supposed to do when…" description: "\"That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best - make it all up - but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way.\" — Ernest Hem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/ernest-hemingway-83_later_that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when_3133515.jpg" --- # That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best… ![“That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best - make it all up - but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way.” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/ernest-hemingway-83_later_that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when_3133515.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/ernest-hemingway-83_later_that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when_3133515.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/ernest-hemingway-83_later_that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when_3133515.jpg) > “That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best - make it all up - but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way.” [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When at our best, we improvise authentically, creating a reality that later feels inevitable. **In simple terms:** Create sincerely, and it becomes real later. Key Takeaway Improvise honestly; let truth shape outcomes. Themes creativity authenticity self‑actualization Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing - problem solving - leadership - personal development Key Concepts improvisation truth‑making Questions to Reflect On - When have you improvised truthfully? - How does authentic creation influence future reality? A Different Perspective Risk of self‑deception if “making up” is insincere. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happen Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happen-way/) [Later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/later/) [Later Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/later-happen-526882/) [Make Truly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-truly-5008586/) [Truly Later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truly-later-5552747/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“Work to realize the possibility of this new day and to make it a truly great one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-weisler/work-to-realize-the-possibility-of-this-new-day-and-to-make-it-a/) [Kirk Weisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-weisler/) > [first of all nothing will happen and a little later nothing will happen again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/first-of-all-nothing-will-happen-and-a-little-later-nothing-will/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [At first first nothing will happen to us and later on it will happen to us again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/at-first-first-nothing-will-happen-to-us-and-later-on-it-will-happen/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I always worked until I had something done and I always stopped when I knew what was going to happen next. That way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-always-worked-until-i-had-something-done-and-i-always-stopped-when/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [The amazing thing is that we live our lives with the hope that things will go right, that things will happen. And all along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-nakadate/the-amazing-thing-is-that-we-live-our-lives-with-the-hope-that-things/) [Laurel Nakadate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-nakadate/) > [Often I'll try things that just won't happen the way I'd like them to, so hearing that they're not working saves me some wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/often-i-ll-try-things-that-just-won-t-happen-the-way-i-d-like-them-to/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [If you want to make something happen, you can make it happen. There's always a way if it's what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-alvord/if-you-want-to-make-something-happen-you-can-make-it-happen-there-s/) [Tiffany Alvord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-alvord/) > [How do I know it was meant to happen this way? Because it did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/how-do-i-know-it-was-meant-to-happen-this-way-because-it-did/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Some things can't be changed. They'll always happen the way they were supposed to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/some-things-can-t-be-changed-they-ll-always-happen-the-way-they-were/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [That's the funny thing about time. It is only in looking back that it's easy to connect the dots. To see exactly why everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/that-s-the-funny-thing-about-time-it-is-only-in-looking-back-that-it/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [Always remember what happened was supposed to happen in that way and order for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-joseph/always-remember-what-happened-was-supposed-to-happen-in-that-way-and/) [Jesse Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-joseph/) > [“Sometimes when you read a book or watch a TV show, you see the people and you think, Don’t do that. Don’t open that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-h-herlong/sometimes-when-you-read-a-book-or-watch-a-tv-show-you-see-the-people/) [M.H. Herlong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-h-herlong/) > [We always enter competitions to win but things don't always happen the way we want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willian/we-always-enter-competitions-to-win-but-things-don-t-always-happen/) [Willian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willian/) > [Things do not always happen the way I would have wanted, and it's best that I get used to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/things-do-not-always-happen-the-way-i-would-have-wanted-and-it-s-best/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It's not going to happen the way you thought. Sit back and relax. GOD has another plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-going-to-happen-the-way-you-thought-sit-back-and-relax-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Ernest Hemingway > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“There was no wind, and, outside now of the warm air of the cave, heavy with smoke of both tobacco and charcoal, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-was-no-wind-and-outside-now-of-the-warm-air-of-the-cave-heavy/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“It was not brilliant bull-fighting. It was only perfect bull-fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-was-not-brilliant-bull-fighting-it-was-only-perfect-bull-fighting/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Creation's probably overrated. After all, God made the world in only six days and rested on the seventh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/creation-s-probably-overrated-after-all-god-made-the-world-in-only/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Viva my husband who was Mayor of this town”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/viva-my-husband-who-was-mayor-of-this-town/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The earth gets tired of being exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-earth-gets-tired-of-being-exploited/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/what-is-moral-is-what-you-feel-good-after-and-what-is-immoral-is-what/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“We drove out along the coast road. There was the green of the headlands, the white, red-roofed villas, patches of forest, and the ocean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/we-drove-out-along-the-coast-road-there-was-the-green-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I read my own books sometimes to cheer me when it is hard to write, and then I remember that it was always difficult,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-read-my-own-books-sometimes-to-cheer-me-when-it-is-hard-to-write/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“You find everything on earth at Harry's." "Yes, my Colonel. Except, possibly, happiness." "I'll damn well find happiness, too," the Colonel assured him. "Happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-find-everything-on-earth-at-harry-s-yes-my-colonel-except/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“No. It's bad for me. Cole Porter wrote the words and the music. This knowledge that you're going mad for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/no-it-s-bad-for-me-cole-porter-wrote-the-words-and-the-music-this/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) [Explore all 1,464 Ernest Hemingway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## More Later quotes > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Here we are 17 years later. Those agencies never did come through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/here-we-are-17-years-later-those-agencies-never-did-come-through/) [Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/) > [See you later, alligator. After a while, crocodile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-haley/see-you-later-alligator-after-a-while-crocodile/) [Bill Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-haley/) > [We began intercepting Japanese radio transmissions, which indicated the two forces were very close to each other. We found out later that we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-adams/we-began-intercepting-japanese-radio-transmissions-which-indicated/) [Jack Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-adams/) > [I won't think of it now. I can't stand it now. I'll think of it later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/i-won-t-think-of-it-now-i-can-t-stand-it-now-i-ll-think-of-it-later/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“... people hasten to get their train, and Lar's humming of course at the premise that beyond this gone-to-pieces capability they will put themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mcelroy/people-hasten-to-get-their-train-and-lar-s-humming-of-course-at-the/) [Joseph McElroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mcelroy/) > [My first wife tried to get back with me a year later, but there was no way. I used to think she was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-scolari/my-first-wife-tried-to-get-back-with-me-a-year-later-but-there-was-no/) [Peter Scolari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-scolari/) > [We explore our environment, more than we are compelled to utter poetry, when we're toddlers. We start doing that later. Before that happens, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-explore-our-environment-more-than-we-are-compelled-to-utter-poetry/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“There are no goodbyes in life. Only see you later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mccarthy/there-are-no-goodbyes-in-life-only-see-you-later/) [Kate McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mccarthy/) > [The last four years have not diluted the memory or weakened the resolve of our citizens. Four years later, our hearts still hurt for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-doolittle/the-last-four-years-have-not-diluted-the-memory-or-weakened-the/) [John Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-doolittle/) > [Throughout my career, when I was finished with the drawing for one film I would go up to the story department and help develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-davis/throughout-my-career-when-i-was-finished-with-the-drawing-for-one/) [Marc Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-davis/) > [We will defend ourselves, and we have full rights to do so. If the authorities try to destroy us, we have the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-udaltsov/we-will-defend-ourselves-and-we-have-full-rights-to-do-so-if-the/) [Sergei Udaltsov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-udaltsov/) > [Truth has her sterner responsibilities sooner or later in store for those who have known anything about her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-parry-liddon/truth-has-her-sterner-responsibilities-sooner-or-later-in-store-for/) [Henry Parry Liddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-parry-liddon/) > [Everyone I have spoken with so far recognises the need for the IRA to respond positively and every has said sooner is better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-reiss/everyone-i-have-spoken-with-so-far-recognises-the-need-for-the-ira-to/) [Mitchell Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-reiss/) [Browse all 1,199 Later quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/later/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best - make it all up - but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ernest Hemingway" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when-we-are-at-our-best-make-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Later" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when-we-are-at-our-best-make-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/ernest-hemingway-83_later_that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when_3133515.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/ernest-hemingway-83_later_that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when_3133515.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/ernest-hemingway-83_later_that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when_3133515.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best - make it all up - but make it up so truly that…” — Ernest Hemingway", "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": "Ernest Hemingway", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That is what we are supposed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when-we-are-at-our-best-make-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/that-is-what-we-are-supposed-to-do-when-we-are-at-our-best-make-it/#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 } } ] } ```