--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not bound to spend my precious days…" description: "\"I am not bound to spend my precious days on Earth trying to keep up with the Joneses - because the Joneses are really just a bunch of folks in conferen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_create_i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days_1285249.jpg" --- # I am not bound to spend my precious days on Earth trying… ![“I am not bound to spend my precious days on Earth trying to keep up with the Joneses - because the Joneses are really just a bunch of folks in conference rooms changing 'trends' rapidly to create fake monthly emergencies for us.” quote by Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_create_i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days_1285249.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_create_i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days_1285249.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_create_i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days_1285249.jpg) > “I am not bound to spend my precious days on Earth trying to keep up with the Joneses - because the Joneses are really just a bunch of folks in conference rooms changing 'trends' rapidly to create fake monthly emergencies for us.” [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal pressure creates artificial crises, diverting focus from authentic living. **In simple terms:** Trends are manufactured distractions. Key Takeaway Recognize and reject manufactured urgency. Themes consumerism authenticity social pressure Mood reflective critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - personal goal setting - media consumption habits - financial planning - mental health Key Concepts media influence psychology of scarcity social conformity Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine needs from manufactured ones? - What steps can you take to live more authentically? A Different Perspective Not all trends are harmful; some can inspire positive change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) ## Related quotes > [I don't keep up with the Joneses, I am the Joneses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nene-leakes/i-don-t-keep-up-with-the-joneses-i-am-the-joneses/) [NeNe Leakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nene-leakes/) > [“Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/never-keep-up-with-the-joneses-drag-them-down-to-your-level-it-s/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“Many buy gadgets they don’t really need, with money they don’t have, for people they don’t actually care for, while infringing their corporeal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/many-buy-gadgets-they-don-t-really-need-with-money-they-don-t-have/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [Before you try to keep up with the Joneses, be sure they're not trying to keep up with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/before-you-try-to-keep-up-with-the-joneses-be-sure-they-re-not-trying/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [“The Joneses, nine times out of ten, are financially stupid. That’s why they have all that stuff, on borrowed money. Why try to copy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-joneses-nine-times-out-of-ten-are-financially-stupid-that-s-why/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's become such a cultural norm that people brag about it: "Oh yeah, you did that? I did this." Keeping up with the Joneses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/it-s-become-such-a-cultural-norm-that-people-brag-about-it-oh-yeah/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [ \[Keeping Up with the Joneses\] is not one of those movies where people get shot and fall down and there's no reality of what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mottola/keeping-up-with-the-joneses-is-not-one-of-those-movies-where-people/) [Greg Mottola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mottola/) > [Keeping up with the Joneses was a full-time job with my mother and father. It was not until many years later when I lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/keeping-up-with-the-joneses-was-a-full-time-job-with-my-mother-and/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“They talked about each others’ houses, and characters, and families--just as the Joneses do about the Smiths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/they-talked-about-each-others-houses-and-characters-and-families-just/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/never-keep-up-with-the-joneses-drag-them-down-to-your-level/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“God doesn't give a man anything more precious than a good woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-randall/god-doesn-t-give-a-man-anything-more-precious-than-a-good-woman/) [Alice Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-randall/) > [Time is so precious & so great,use it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oluwatayo-oluwatoyosi/time-is-so-precious-so-great-use-it-well/) [Oluwatayo Oluwatoyosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oluwatayo-oluwatoyosi/) > [Each of us is precious to God because each of us has their name written on the palms of God's hands. And God says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/each-of-us-is-precious-to-god-because-each-of-us-has-their-name/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Gianna Marie Turner is a beatiful name for a precious little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/gianna-marie-turner-is-a-beatiful-name-for-a-precious-little-girl/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## More by Glennon Doyle Melton > [“Just do the next right thing, one thing at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/just-do-the-next-right-thing-one-thing-at-a-time/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [Sometimes the rewards of risk don't leave us wrecked. Sometimes we find our passion, our purpose, courage, connection, and comfort. Every good thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/sometimes-the-rewards-of-risk-don-t-leave-us-wrecked-sometimes-we/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“Grief is nothing but a painful waiting, a horrible patience. Grief cannot be torn down or scaled or overcome or outsmarted. It can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/grief-is-nothing-but-a-painful-waiting-a-horrible-patience-grief/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I ask only child-free pals for parenting advice because they're the only ones sane and well-rested enough to have any real insight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-ask-only-child-free-pals-for-parenting-advice-because-they-re-the/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“I'm trying to strip myself down to my barest essentials so I can figure out where I begin and where the woman the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-m-trying-to-strip-myself-down-to-my-barest-essentials-so-i-can/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“Each day, we're making sandcastles I know will be washed away. I long for something solid, lasting, strong between us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/each-day-we-re-making-sandcastles-i-know-will-be-washed-away-i-long/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [To me, full-time mothering felt like way too much and yet not nearly enough. Lost in a landslide of diapers, birthday parties, and others'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/to-me-full-time-mothering-felt-like-way-too-much-and-yet-not-nearly/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [Rock bottom is a crisis... and everyone wants to avoid crisis. But what 'crisis' means literally is 'to sift' - like a child who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/rock-bottom-is-a-crisis-and-everyone-wants-to-avoid-crisis-but-what/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [We need to make friends with ourselves. We are stuck with our self all day, so let's be kinder, gentler, more amusing company. Let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/we-need-to-make-friends-with-ourselves-we-are-stuck-with-our-self-all/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [The truth is that cleaning up socks and trying to get someone to really listen to you is marriage. It's less sweep you off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/the-truth-is-that-cleaning-up-socks-and-trying-to-get-someone-to/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“If you can’t beat fear, just do it scared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/if-you-can-t-beat-fear-just-do-it-scared/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“The sun shows up every morning, no matter how bad youve been the night before. It shines without judgment. It never withholds. It warms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/the-sun-shows-up-every-morning-no-matter-how-bad-youve-been-the-night/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > ['Brave' is very specific and extremely personal. It can't be judged by people on the outside. Just can't. Sometimes brave means letting everyone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/brave-is-very-specific-and-extremely-personal-it-can-t-be-judged-by/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I know how I like my house. I like it cute and cozy and a little funky, and I like it to feel lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-know-how-i-like-my-house-i-like-it-cute-and-cozy-and-a-little-funky/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I think of love and marriage in the same way I do plants: We have perennials and annuals. The perennial plant blooms, goes away,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-think-of-love-and-marriage-in-the-same-way-i-do-plants-we-have/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) [Explore all 131 Glennon Doyle Melton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) ## More Create quotes > [As far as Vern and I go, we have had situations where people have tried to take photographs of me and cut Vernon out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/as-far-as-vern-and-i-go-we-have-had-situations-where-people-have/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/) [Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [I'm proud to stand with U.S. Impact Team in their initiative to create harmony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-stanton-king/i-m-proud-to-stand-with-u-s-impact-team-in-their-initiative-to-create/) [Angela Stanton-King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-stanton-king/) > [I am not a nationalist in any way, and I hate flag waving, and I don't think much good has come out of nationalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/i-am-not-a-nationalist-in-any-way-and-i-hate-flag-waving-and-i-don-t/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [My favourite designers always create a strong silhouette, like McQueen and Tom Ford and Alaia. I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [I'd take garbage, and I'd glue them together and create inventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-makosinski/i-d-take-garbage-and-i-d-glue-them-together-and-create-inventions/) [Ann Makosinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-makosinski/) > [United Way works to create a safe and healthy home for everyone in our community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steward/united-way-works-to-create-a-safe-and-healthy-home-for-everyone-in/) [David Steward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steward/) > [Renewable energy could reduce emissions but also create jobs and improve public health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/renewable-energy-could-reduce-emissions-but-also-create-jobs-and/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [“If I can create something unique in the world, so can you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scifurz/if-i-can-create-something-unique-in-the-world-so-can-you/) SciFurz > [“If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/if-you-can-imagine-it-you-can-create-it-if-you-can-dream-it-you-can/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [For a long time at Blackburn and at Fulham last season, I was playing on the right wing. I've never seen myself as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cairney/for-a-long-time-at-blackburn-and-at-fulham-last-season-i-was-playing/) [Tom Cairney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cairney/) > [We've got to get back to a country that can get things done. And my whole career has been marching and charging at and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/we-ve-got-to-get-back-to-a-country-that-can-get-things-done-and-my/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) Browse all 5,654 Create quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am not bound to spend my precious days on Earth trying to keep up with the Joneses - because the Joneses are really just a bunch of folks in conference rooms changing 'trends' rapidly to create fake monthly emergencies for us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glennon Doyle Melton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days-on-earth-trying-to-keep-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Create" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days-on-earth-trying-to-keep-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_create_i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days_1285249.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_create_i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days_1285249.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_create_i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days_1285249.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am not bound to spend my precious days on Earth trying to keep up with the Joneses - because the Joneses…” — Glennon Doyle Melton", "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": "Glennon Doyle Melton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I am not bound to spend...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days-on-earth-trying-to-keep-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-am-not-bound-to-spend-my-precious-days-on-earth-trying-to-keep-up/#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 } } ] } ```