--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I decided long ago, never to walk in…" description: "\"I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow. If I fail, If I succeed. At least I live as I believe. No matter what they take from me.\" — Georg..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81e/george-benson-9373_long-ago_i-decided-long-ago-never-to-walk-in-anyo_1421297.png" --- # I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow. If I… ![“I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow. If I fail, If I succeed. At least I live as I believe. No matter what they take from me.” quote by George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81e/george-benson-9373_long-ago_i-decided-long-ago-never-to-walk-in-anyo_1421297.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81e/george-benson-9373_long-ago_i-decided-long-ago-never-to-walk-in-anyo_1421297.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81e/george-benson-9373_long-ago_i-decided-long-ago-never-to-walk-in-anyo_1421297.png) > “I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow. If I fail, If I succeed. At least I live as I believe. No matter what they take from me.” [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A declaration of independence from others' expectations, embracing personal authenticity regardless of outcomes. **In simple terms:** Live true to yourself, no matter what. Key Takeaway Own your path. Themes independence authenticity self‑reliance Mood defiant determined Type personal motivational When to use this quote - career choices - relationships - creative projects - public speaking Key Concepts personal identity autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑trust with openness to feedback? - What fears arise when you defy expectations? A Different Perspective May neglect valuable advice from others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) ## Related quotes > [I decided long ago never to walk in anyones shadow; if I fail, or if I succeed at least I did as I believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-decided-long-ago-never-to-walk-in-anyones-shadow-if-i-fail-or-if-i/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow; if I fail, or if I succeed at least I did as I believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/i-decided-long-ago-never-to-walk-in-anyone-s-shadow-if-i-fail-or-if-i/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-decided-long-ago-never-to-walk-in-anyone-s-shadow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Walk in the shadow of the Almighty. Grab onto the hem of His garment and find the healing and grace to go where He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/walk-in-the-shadow-of-the-almighty-grab-onto-the-hem-of-his-garment/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [There is a time, when passing through a light, that you walk in your own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-hulme/there-is-a-time-when-passing-through-a-light-that-you-walk-in-your/) [Keri Hulme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-hulme/) > [I always walk alone and my shadow is the only one who walks besides me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-always-walk-alone-and-my-shadow-is-the-only-one-who-walks-besides-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [India should walk on her own shadow - we must have our own development model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/india-should-walk-on-her-own-shadow-we-must-have-our-own-development/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Because it is only my brother and I who know what it is like to walk in the shadow and fill the shoes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-bachchan-nanda/because-it-is-only-my-brother-and-i-who-know-what-it-is-like-to-walk/) [Shweta Bachchan Nanda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-bachchan-nanda/) > [“We walk the shadow road. If we do it right no one should ever know our real names. We should be a rumor. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-kristoff/we-walk-the-shadow-road-if-we-do-it-right-no-one-should-ever-know-our/) [Jay Kristoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-kristoff/) > [By day each soul must walk within its shadow. Only night can make us whole again...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gordon/by-day-each-soul-must-walk-within-its-shadow-only-night-can-make-us/) [Nick Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gordon/) > [When you fail to succeed the first time, keep trying. It's called life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cranch-bond/when-you-fail-to-succeed-the-first-time-keep-trying-it-s-called-life/) [William Cranch Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cranch-bond/) > [“Life is an experiment in which you may fail or succeed. Explore more, expect least.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/life-is-an-experiment-in-which-you-may-fail-or-succeed-explore-more/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [My great concern for you in life is not that you will fail, but that you will succeed in doing the wrong things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not-that-you-will-fail-but-that/) [Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/) > [I decided a long time ago that protecting our Second Amendment means doing so across the board, no exceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-decided-a-long-time-ago-that-protecting-our-second-amendment-means/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [“I decided as long as I'm going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-decided-as-long-as-i-m-going-to-hell-i-might-as-well-do-it/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) ## More by George Benson > [Andres Segovia, the great name for guitar, he put classical guitar on the map. He was the proponent of it, the best in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/andres-segovia-the-great-name-for-guitar-he-put-classical-guitar-on/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [I think I'm more entertainer than musician. I like to get with the crowd, make this night special for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/i-think-i-m-more-entertainer-than-musician-i-like-to-get-with-the/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [The less one remembers about the day before, the more the new day will be unfettered by triviality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/the-less-one-remembers-about-the-day-before-the-more-the-new-day-will/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [The jazz rhythm won't be understood by the bulk of my audience. That's the problem. We can get away with maybe one tune a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/the-jazz-rhythm-won-t-be-understood-by-the-bulk-of-my-audience-that-s/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [My whole life, I've never worried about being No. 1, because that's the guy they've got to get out of there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/my-whole-life-i-ve-never-worried-about-being-no-1-because-that-s-the/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [Never give up on a good thing, never give up, never give up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/never-give-up-on-a-good-thing-never-give-up-never-give-up/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [I moved to Hawaii from Inglewood, New Jersey. I had planned on retiring there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/i-moved-to-hawaii-from-inglewood-new-jersey-i-had-planned-on-retiring/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [We tried to talk it over but the words got in the way. We're lost inside this lonely game we play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/we-tried-to-talk-it-over-but-the-words-got-in-the-way-we-re-lost/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [I like to sing because my mother was a singer. She sang to me all the time, so I learned to love singing. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/i-like-to-sing-because-my-mother-was-a-singer-she-sang-to-me-all-the/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [I listen to other guitar players, yeah. It gives me new concepts and shows me where the instrument is going for the future and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/i-listen-to-other-guitar-players-yeah-it-gives-me-new-concepts-and/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [My biggest song in the world is 'Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You.' All over the world, it's number one on the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/my-biggest-song-in-the-world-is-nothing-s-gonna-change-my-love-for/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [People need someone to look up to. I never found anyone to fulfill my needs. A lonely place to be. So I learned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/people-need-someone-to-look-up-to-i-never-found-anyone-to-fulfill-my/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/show-them-all-the-beauty-they-possess-inside-give-them-a-sense-of/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > [I like Simon Cowell - look at how many great artists have come out of the U.K. because of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/i-like-simon-cowell-look-at-how-many-great-artists-have-come-out-of/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) > ['I Want To Hold Your Hand' is a great classic by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, I sure love that song. I did like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/i-want-to-hold-your-hand-is-a-great-classic-by-paul-mccartney-and/) [George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) [Explore all 73 George Benson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/) ## More Long ago quotes > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. 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