--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Focus Not on Having Less or Having More…" description: "\"Focus Not on Having Less or Having More, But on Wanting What You Have.\" — Gretchen Rubin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/gretchen-rubin-867_focus_focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more_1980374.png" --- # Focus Not on Having Less or Having More, But on Wanting… ![“Focus Not on Having Less or Having More, But on Wanting What You Have.” quote by Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/gretchen-rubin-867_focus_focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more_1980374.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/gretchen-rubin-867_focus_focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more_1980374.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/gretchen-rubin-867_focus_focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more_1980374.png) > “Focus Not on Having Less or Having More, But on Wanting What You Have.” [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True happiness comes from appreciating what you already have rather than constantly seeking more or less. **In simple terms:** Appreciate what you have. Key Takeaway Focus on gratitude for current possessions. Themes gratitude contentment mindset Mood optimistic thoughtful Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - daily journaling - budgeting - mindful consumption - relationship building Key Concepts minimalism abundance psychology Questions to Reflect On - What do you already possess that you overlook? - How can you cultivate gratitude daily? A Different Perspective May ignore legitimate needs for change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-having-1673333/) [Having Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-having-864949/) [Having Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-wanting-1045776/) [Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanting/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness comes not from having more, not from having less, but from wanting what you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/happiness-comes-not-from-having-more-not-from-having-less-but-from/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [It occurred to me then that a lot of life was either about wanting and not having, or having and not wanting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/it-occurred-to-me-then-that-a-lot-of-life-was-either-about-wanting/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [Happiness consists not in having much, but in wanting no more than you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-m-child/happiness-consists-not-in-having-much-but-in-wanting-no-more-than-you/) [Lydia M. Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [The very nature of Joy makes nonsense of our common distinction between having and wanting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-very-nature-of-joy-makes-nonsense-of-our-common-distinction/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Most women I've ever met either already have or at some point want kids, but there are still significant numbers who don't, or at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-k-morgan/most-women-i-ve-ever-met-either-already-have-or-at-some-point-want/) [Richard K. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-k-morgan/) > [I just try and focus on having fun on the road and making the best music I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-shomo/i-just-try-and-focus-on-having-fun-on-the-road-and-making-the-best/) [Caleb Shomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-shomo/) > [One of the big things that I focus on is not having regrets, just taking every opportunity I have and going for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-weidman/one-of-the-big-things-that-i-focus-on-is-not-having-regrets-just/) [Chris Weidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-weidman/) > [“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-tabish/don-t-focus-on-having-a-great-blog-focus-on-producing-a-blog-that-s/) [Muhammad Tabish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-tabish/) > [Today, I will focus on having a good relationship with myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/today-i-will-focus-on-having-a-good-relationship-with-myself/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [“Minimalists don’t focus on having less, less, less. Rather, we focus on making room for more, more, more: more time, more passion, more experiences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-fields-millburn/minimalists-don-t-focus-on-having-less-less-less-rather-we-focus-on/) [Joshua Fields Millburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-fields-millburn/) > [Focus and having energy is the most important goal when choosing my activities and how I treat myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-renn/focus-and-having-energy-is-the-most-important-goal-when-choosing-my/) [Crystal Renn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-renn/) > [During a workout session, my focus is on having a good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlyn-chopra/during-a-workout-session-my-focus-is-on-having-a-good-time/) [Sherlyn Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlyn-chopra/) > [It's not about having it all. It's about having what you value most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-chatzky/it-s-not-about-having-it-all-it-s-about-having-what-you-value-most/) [Jean Chatzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-chatzky/) > [It's really easy to figure out why I love what I love, the holidays and food. I know the difference between having them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-lee/it-s-really-easy-to-figure-out-why-i-love-what-i-love-the-holidays/) [Sandra Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-lee/) > [“Human beings had two basic orientations: HAVING and BEING HAVING: seeks to acquire, posses things even people BEING: focuses on the experience; exchanging, engaging,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/human-beings-had-two-basic-orientations-having-and-being-having-seeks/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) ## More by Gretchen Rubin > [“Second Splendid Truth One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/second-splendid-truth-one-of-the-best-ways-to-make-yourself-happy-is/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Knowing what you admire in others is a wonderful mirror into your deepest, as yet unborn, self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/knowing-what-you-admire-in-others-is-a-wonderful-mirror-into-your/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Being taken for granted is an unpleasant but sincere form of praise. Ironically, the more reliable you are and the less you complain, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/being-taken-for-granted-is-an-unpleasant-but-sincere-form-of-praise/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“one Secret of Adulthood is “Never start a sentence with the words ‘No offense’”? “And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/one-secret-of-adulthood-is-never-start-a-sentence-with-the-words-no/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [One of the findings that really interests me is that, although we think we ACT because of the way we FEEL, we often FEEL…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/one-of-the-findings-that-really-interests-me-is-that-although-we/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [We all want to get along well with other people, and one way to do this is to help people feel good about themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/we-all-want-to-get-along-well-with-other-people-and-one-way-to-do/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [During my study of happiness, I noticed something that surprised me: I often learn more from one person's highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/during-my-study-of-happiness-i-noticed-something-that-surprised-me-i/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [There is a preppy wabi-sabi to soft, faded khakis and cotton shirts, but it's not nice to be surrounded by things that are worn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/there-is-a-preppy-wabi-sabi-to-soft-faded-khakis-and-cotton-shirts/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“There are times in the lives of most of us,” observed William Edward Hartpole Lecky, “when we would have given all the world to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/there-are-times-in-the-lives-of-most-of-us-observed-william-edward/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“I started thinking more about music. I thought I'd accepted the fact that, as part of "Being Gretchen," I didn't really like music, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-started-thinking-more-about-music-i-thought-i-d-accepted-the-fact/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [If you've had something for more than six months, and it's still not repaired, it's clutter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/if-you-ve-had-something-for-more-than-six-months-and-it-s-still-not/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn't be overlooked. The things I do every day take on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/the-pleasure-of-doing-the-same-thing-in-the-same-way-every-day/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Although we often assume that feelings inspire actions, in fact, actions also inspire feelings. By pushing myself to act happier, I make myself feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/although-we-often-assume-that-feelings-inspire-actions-in-fact/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [I love finding - or inventing - ways to categorize people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-love-finding-or-inventing-ways-to-categorize-people/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“After someone's death, how strange to see the value drain away from his or her possessions; useful objects such as clothes, or dish towels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/after-someone-s-death-how-strange-to-see-the-value-drain-away-from/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) [Explore all 346 Gretchen Rubin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) ## More Focus quotes > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“This is Galileo,” said Aristotle. “He advocates understanding the world through observation and experiment. He is an unimaginative thinker, but his results demand our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/this-is-galileo-said-aristotle-he-advocates-understanding-the-world/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/) [Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [All I'm focused on is playing my game. Everything else will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigor-dimitrov/all-i-m-focused-on-is-playing-my-game-everything-else-will-take-care/) [Grigor Dimitrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigor-dimitrov/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) [Browse all 11,734 Focus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Focus Not on Having Less or Having More, But on Wanting What You Have.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gretchen Rubin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more-but-on-wanting-what-you-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Focus" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more-but-on-wanting-what-you-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/gretchen-rubin-867_focus_focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more_1980374.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/gretchen-rubin-867_focus_focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more_1980374.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/gretchen-rubin-867_focus_focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more_1980374.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Focus Not on Having Less or Having More, But on Wanting What You Have.” — Gretchen Rubin", "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": "Gretchen Rubin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Focus Not on Having Less or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more-but-on-wanting-what-you-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/focus-not-on-having-less-or-having-more-but-on-wanting-what-you-have/#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 } } ] } ```