--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She could decide how she was going to be…" description: "\"“She could decide how she was going to be. She had a choice. Life could be an endless series of joyless chores, or she could get totally pumped and mak..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/grady-hendrix-29005_bad-thing_she-could-decide-how-she-was-going-to-be_2984824.jpg" --- # She could decide how she was going to be. She had a… ![“She could decide how she was going to be. She had a choice. Life could be an endless series of joyless chores, or she could get totally pumped and make it fun. There were bad things, and there were good things, but she got to choose which things to focus on. Her mom focused only on the bad things…” quote by Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/grady-hendrix-29005_bad-thing_she-could-decide-how-she-was-going-to-be_2984824.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/grady-hendrix-29005_bad-thing_she-could-decide-how-she-was-going-to-be_2984824.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/grady-hendrix-29005_bad-thing_she-could-decide-how-she-was-going-to-be_2984824.jpg) > ““She could decide how she was going to be. She had a choice. Life could be an endless series of joyless chores, or she could get totally pumped and make it fun. There were bad things, and there were good things, but she got to choose which things to focus on. Her mom focused only on the bad things. Abby didn’t have to.”” [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We control our perspective, choosing to focus on joy or gloom, shaping our experience. **In simple terms:** Choice determines experience. Key Takeaway Choose focus, shape life. Themes choice mindset agency Mood empowering introspective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - daily routine - mental health - creative projects - parenting challenges Key Concepts cognitive framing psychology of happiness Questions to Reflect On - What do you focus on today? - How can you shift focus during hardship? A Different Perspective External circumstances can limit choices despite mindset. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [I burnt myself out of skating. I was ready to focus on being a mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-burnt-myself-out-of-skating-i-was-ready-to-focus-on-being-a-mom/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [“My dad told me that God allows people to make their own choices and doesn’t override their free will. That is why bad things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-lord/my-dad-told-me-that-god-allows-people-to-make-their-own-choices-and/) [J. W. Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-lord/) > [Loving someone isnt always about the good and bad things that happen in you relationships its about knowing that no matter what eachother go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-black/loving-someone-isnt-always-about-the-good-and-bad-things-that-happen/) Erika Black > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) ## More by Grady Hendrix > [“What danger signs should patients watch for when selecting a skeleton doctor? Well, if the doctor refers to patients as “poor unlucky bastards,” be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/what-danger-signs-should-patients-watch-for-when-selecting-a-skeleton/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“All over Russia, bears were depressed. The Yeti were moving west. This was due to global warming, but the bears hadn’t gone to university…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/all-over-russia-bears-were-depressed-the-yeti-were-moving-west-this/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“Babies can be fussy , and the fussiest babies have a body count . Of course , every mother thinks her baby is perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/babies-can-be-fussy-and-the-fussiest-babies-have-a-body-count-of/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“We’re getting out of here,” she said. “The store will try to stop us. It’ll disorient you, get inside your head, try to confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/we-re-getting-out-of-here-she-said-the-store-will-try-to-stop-us-it/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“That was her nature. Fail and quit. If you cut her open, it was fail and quit right down to her bones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/that-was-her-nature-fail-and-quit-if-you-cut-her-open-it-was-fail-and/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“The more Amy struggled, the faster she sank. Every month she shuffled around less and less money to cover the same number of bills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/the-more-amy-struggled-the-faster-she-sank-every-month-she-shuffled/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“Brother Lemon and Abby looked at each other, eyes gleaming in the shadows, and then he stood up. Rummaging in one of his duffle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/brother-lemon-and-abby-looked-at-each-other-eyes-gleaming-in-the/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“Life doesn’t care what you want, other people don’t care what you want. All that matters is what you do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/life-doesn-t-care-what-you-want-other-people-don-t-care-what-you-want/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“Abby was beginning to feel like everything was too much. She was beginning to feel like nothing she did made any difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/abby-was-beginning-to-feel-like-everything-was-too-much-she-was/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“There’s nothing waiting inside but retail slavery, endless exploitation, and personal subjugation to the whims of our corporate overlords.” If”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/there-s-nothing-waiting-inside-but-retail-slavery-endless/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“It's April 1988 and the world belongs to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/it-s-april-1988-and-the-world-belongs-to-them/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“In Brain Watch (1985), superpsychic powers are the result of splitting a doctor’s noggin into a quadruple brain, unlocking his ability to project illusions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/in-brain-watch-1985-superpsychic-powers-are-the-result-of-splitting-a/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“She didn’t expect life to be fair, but did it have to be so relentless?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/she-didn-t-expect-life-to-be-fair-but-did-it-have-to-be-so-relentless/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“Amy would honor the first commandment of keeping her job: Do not look like an idiot in front of anyone who can fire you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/amy-would-honor-the-first-commandment-of-keeping-her-job-do-not-look/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) > [“She and Gretchen spent hours ranking their friendships, trying to determine who was a best friend and who was an everyday friend, debating whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-hendrix/she-and-gretchen-spent-hours-ranking-their-friendships-trying-to/) [Grady Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) [Explore all 18 Grady Hendrix quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-hendrix/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She could decide how she was going to be. She had a choice. Life could be an endless series of joyless chores, or she could get totally pumped and make it fun. There were bad things, and there were good things, but she got to choose which things to focus on. Her mom focused only on the bad things. 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