--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of my 'Secrets of Adulthood' is…" description: "\"One of my 'Secrets of Adulthood' is: Somewhere, keep an empty shelf. I know where my empty shelf is, and I treasure it.\" — Gretchen Rubin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/gretchen-rubin-867_adulthood_one-of-my-secrets-of-adulthood-is-somewh_3130675.png" --- # One of my 'Secrets of Adulthood' is: Somewhere, keep an… ![“One of my 'Secrets of Adulthood' is: Somewhere, keep an empty shelf. I know where my empty shelf is, and I treasure it.” quote by Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/gretchen-rubin-867_adulthood_one-of-my-secrets-of-adulthood-is-somewh_3130675.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/gretchen-rubin-867_adulthood_one-of-my-secrets-of-adulthood-is-somewh_3130675.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/gretchen-rubin-867_adulthood_one-of-my-secrets-of-adulthood-is-somewh_3130675.png) > “One of my 'Secrets of Adulthood' is: Somewhere, keep an empty shelf. I know where my empty shelf is, and I treasure it.” [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. Keeping a personal space for emptiness allows reflection and renewal, preserving mental clarity amidst life's demands. **In simple terms:** Reserve a mental space for emptiness. Key Takeaway Protect your inner quiet. Themes self-care reflection balance Mood calm contemplative Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - stressful work - creative projects - personal growth - mental health Key Concepts mindfulness psychological safety Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify your empty shelf? - What practices keep it meaningful? A Different Perspective Empty space can become a trap if never used for purposeful reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adulthood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adulthood/) [Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets/) [Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasure/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [My books standing there on the shelf do not know that I have written them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/my-books-standing-there-on-the-shelf-do-not-know-that-i-have-written/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [“You ought to get out more. You know, Pérol, we should go out some evening, just you and me. 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Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/) [Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/) > [“I wondered what a man I had encountered the day before on the plane en route to Chicago's O'Hare airport would have made of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moss/i-wondered-what-a-man-i-had-encountered-the-day-before-on-the-plane/) [Robert Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moss/) > [“Sometimes your kids will say the nastiest things, won't they, Rose? You want to ask,'Whose child is this?'" Rose chuckled. "But usually, they're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sometimes-your-kids-will-say-the-nastiest-things-won-t-they-rose-you/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [No one, it has been said, will ever look at the Moon in the same way again. 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