--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing can change the past, including…" description: "\"“Nothing can change the past, including thought. However, dwelling on thoughts about the past does change our experience of the Now. When we drag the p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/gina-lake-20210_inspirational_nothing-can-change-the-past-including-th_2896594.jpg" --- # Nothing can change the past, including thought. However… ![“Nothing can change the past, including thought. However, dwelling on thoughts about the past does change our experience of the Now. When we drag the past into the present, everything else that belongs to the Now is marginalized and overlooked. All we see is the past or, more accurately, our story…” quote by Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/gina-lake-20210_inspirational_nothing-can-change-the-past-including-th_2896594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/gina-lake-20210_inspirational_nothing-can-change-the-past-including-th_2896594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/gina-lake-20210_inspirational_nothing-can-change-the-past-including-th_2896594.jpg) > ““Nothing can change the past, including thought. However, dwelling on thoughts about the past does change our experience of the Now. When we drag the past into the present, everything else that belongs to the Now is marginalized and overlooked. All we see is the past or, more accurately, our story about it. All we can ever have of the past is our story about it, and that story is very unsatisfying. Our stories about the past don't feed our soul like the Now does. And worse, any story is usually a sad tale that keeps us caught up in negative feelings, and then those feelings become our current experience of life.”” [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dwelling on past narratives steals present awareness, leading to dissatisfaction and negative emotions. **In simple terms:** Past stories distract from the present. Key Takeaway Focus on present experience, release past narratives. Themes presence mindfulness past emotion self-awareness Mood melancholic contemplative Type inspirational therapeutic When to use this quote - therapy sessions - mindfulness practice - daily reflection - stress management Key Concepts psychology spirituality cognitive therapy Questions to Reflect On - What story about your past still haunts you? - How can you reframe that story to serve the present? A Different Perspective Letting go of the past can be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-past-232546/) [Dwelling Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dwelling-thoughts-4096540/) [Including Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/including-thought-4096541/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Negative feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-feelings/) [Past present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present/) [Thoughts Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-past-251586/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“One is allowed to change the past: the present is so stubborn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/one-is-allowed-to-change-the-past-the-present-is-so-stubborn/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I do think you can change the past and the present somehow. Even if something has already happened, it doesn't mean it's settled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gallagher/i-do-think-you-can-change-the-past-and-the-present-somehow-even-if/) [Ellen Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gallagher/) > [What gone has gone.It is not possible to change the past. But present is at our disposal, therefore we should make the best use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kumar-sinha/what-gone-has-gone-it-is-not-possible-to-change-the-past-but-present/) [Dr Anil Kumar Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kumar-sinha/) > [Is the source of stress in the past, present, or future? You cant change the past, but you can respond to the present and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/is-the-source-of-stress-in-the-past-present-or-future-you-cant-change/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [“His youth reappeared, bringing with it all those sweet souvenirs which are rather perfumes than thoughts. Between that past and the present there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/his-youth-reappeared-bringing-with-it-all-those-sweet-souvenirs-which/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“Anxiety is the subtle and pervasive destroyer of our happiness. It depends on thoughts of past and future. It cannot exist in the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-chozen-bays/anxiety-is-the-subtle-and-pervasive-destroyer-of-our-happiness-it/) [Jan Chozen Bays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-chozen-bays/) > [“In the rational light of day, he could tell himself that it was better this way, for both of them. The past was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyra-dune/in-the-rational-light-of-day-he-could-tell-himself-that-it-was-better/) [Kyra Dune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyra-dune/) > [“Your dominant thoughts from your past have produced your today. Your dominant thoughts today will produce your future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/your-dominant-thoughts-from-your-past-have-produced-your-today-your/) [Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/) > [“But her thoughts are often of the past. That evanescent, pervasive, slippery internal landscape known to no one else, that vast accretion of data…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-lively/but-her-thoughts-are-often-of-the-past-that-evanescent-pervasive/) [Penelope Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-lively/) > [Hey Mrs. Beautiful there's somethin that you need to know, All your thoughts of past pain they need to go, I know its difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diggy-simmons/hey-mrs-beautiful-there-s-somethin-that-you-need-to-know-all-your/) [Diggy Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diggy-simmons/) > [ “\[We\] have a tendency during meetings to let our minds run wild and cycle through a plethora of thoughts about the past and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-have-a-tendency-during-meetings-to-let-our-minds-run-wild-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more thoughts of the past we carry in our heart. The less capable we are of loving and living in the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/the-more-thoughts-of-the-past-we-carry-in-our-heart-the-less-capable/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“If we could live all our lives in the present, with no recourse to what has gone before or what might yet be, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-burt/if-we-could-live-all-our-lives-in-the-present-with-no-recourse-to/) [Guy Burt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-burt/) > [I am utterly devoted to the present moment. Don't move into the past because that is memory; there is no relevant existence to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/i-am-utterly-devoted-to-the-present-moment-don-t-move-into-the-past/) [OSHO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [It seems to me self-evident that it is worthwhile to understand the best thoughts of the past, to appropriate them, to criticize them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-seems-to-me-self-evident-that-it-is-worthwhile-to-understand-the/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) ## More by Gina Lake > [“Not only is it not our business to change others, but it’s also harmful to relationships to try to do so. Ideas are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/not-only-is-it-not-our-business-to-change-others-but-it-s-also/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“There are two possible experiences of every moment: the moment as experienced by Essence and the moment experienced by the ego. The ego's experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/there-are-two-possible-experiences-of-every-moment-the-moment-as/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“One channel is the Stress Channel and the other is the Peace Channel. We really do have a choice about what we listen to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/one-channel-is-the-stress-channel-and-the-other-is-the-peace-channel/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“The ego just makes the mistake of looking for happiness in the wrong places. In fact, the egoic mind is the only thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/the-ego-just-makes-the-mistake-of-looking-for-happiness-in-the-wrong/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“When two people are meant to be together—to enjoy love and life together, to help each other, or to learn something—love is just there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/when-two-people-are-meant-to-be-together-to-enjoy-love-and-life/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“To get the most out of the relationship you are in, it won't be helpful to listen to the ego's stories about it. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/to-get-the-most-out-of-the-relationship-you-are-in-it-won-t-be/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“If you were determined to get enjoyment out of every moment, you would learn to do whatever it took. What it takes is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/if-you-were-determined-to-get-enjoyment-out-of-every-moment-you-would/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“A lot of things are inherent in life -change, birth, death, aging, illness, accidents, calamities, and losses of all kinds- but these events don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/a-lot-of-things-are-inherent-in-life-change-birth-death-aging-illness/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“We tend to think of love as an uncontrollable feeling that comes over us. Although this overwhelming feeling does happen, real love and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/we-tend-to-think-of-love-as-an-uncontrollable-feeling-that-comes-over/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“When you find yourself wanting a better moment -wanting something else in the future- it can be helpful to ask: What will that give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/when-you-find-yourself-wanting-a-better-moment-wanting-something-else/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“The you is programmed for unhappiness because it is programmed to seek that which can never bring true happiness. It goes after more and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/the-you-is-programmed-for-unhappiness-because-it-is-programmed-to/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“Love shows up, and you had nothing to do with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/love-shows-up-and-you-had-nothing-to-do-with-it/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“You are the Beloved you have been searching for, for so long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/you-are-the-beloved-you-have-been-searching-for-for-so-long/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [“The egoic mind imagines a problem, and then it imagines a solution. When we get caught up in these thoughts, we feel like we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/the-egoic-mind-imagines-a-problem-and-then-it-imagines-a-solution/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) > [ “\[...\] Essence simply enjoys and commits attention and love to whatever is. In fact, committing attention to anything that is present results in enjoyment.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/essence-simply-enjoys-and-commits-attention-and-love-to-whatever-is/) [Gina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) [Explore all 30 Gina Lake quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nothing can change the past, including thought. However, dwelling on thoughts about the past does change our experience of the Now. When we drag the past into the present, everything else that belongs to the Now is marginalized and overlooked. All we see is the past or, more accurately, our story about it. All we can ever have of the past is our story about it, and that story is very unsatisfying. Our stories about the past don't feed our soul like the Now does. And worse, any story is usually a sad tale that keeps us caught up in negative feelings, and then those feelings become our current experience of life.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gina Lake" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/nothing-can-change-the-past-including-thought-however-dwelling-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inspirational" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/nothing-can-change-the-past-including-thought-however-dwelling-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/gina-lake-20210_inspirational_nothing-can-change-the-past-including-th_2896594.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/gina-lake-20210_inspirational_nothing-can-change-the-past-including-th_2896594.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/gina-lake-20210_inspirational_nothing-can-change-the-past-including-th_2896594.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing can change the past, including thought. However, dwelling on thoughts about the past does change our…” — Gina Lake", "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": "Gina Lake", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-lake/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Nothing can change the past, including...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/nothing-can-change-the-past-including-thought-however-dwelling-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-lake/nothing-can-change-the-past-including-thought-however-dwelling-on/#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 } } ] } ```