--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Real change isn't found in some new way…" description: "\"Real change isn't found in some new way to think about yourself, but in freedom from the need to think about yourself at all.\" — Guy Finley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/guy-finley-2165_about-yourself_real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way_556966.png" --- # Real change isn't found in some new way to think about… ![“Real change isn't found in some new way to think about yourself, but in freedom from the need to think about yourself at all.” quote by Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/guy-finley-2165_about-yourself_real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way_556966.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/guy-finley-2165_about-yourself_real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way_556966.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/guy-finley-2165_about-yourself_real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way_556966.png) > “Real change isn't found in some new way to think about yourself, but in freedom from the need to think about yourself at all.” [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True transformation comes from releasing self‑obsession, not merely adopting new thoughts. **In simple terms:** Freedom from self‑focus creates real change. Key Takeaway Let go of self‑centered thinking. Themes self‑awareness freedom growth mindset Mood calm introspective Type spiritual self‑help When to use this quote - meditation practice - therapy - creative work - leadership development Key Concepts Buddhist philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice non‑attachment to self? - What habits keep you focused on self? A Different Perspective Changing thoughts alone may not address deep ego patterns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about-yourself/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Real change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-change/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Real change isn't measured with words, it is measured with real achievements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/real-change-isn-t-measured-with-words-it-is-measured-with-real/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [No one rises above who he or she has been without first having fallen down. The best time - in fact, the only time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/no-one-rises-above-who-he-or-she-has-been-without-first-having-fallen/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [“Some people he said, think that freedom means men being able to wear shorts or women to go about without the hijab. Others think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hooman-majd/some-people-he-said-think-that-freedom-means-men-being-able-to-wear/) [Hooman Majd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hooman-majd/) > [What you don't want to know about yourself wants to be known, which is why it keeps 'showing up' at your door unannounced!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/what-you-don-t-want-to-know-about-yourself-wants-to-be-known-which-is/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Change isn't always for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/change-isn-t-always-for-the-best/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Seeing people change isn't what hurts, what hurts is remembering how they used to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeing-people-change-isn-t-what-hurts-what-hurts-is-remembering-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Change isn't made by asking permission. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/change-isn-t-made-by-asking-permission-change-is-made-by-asking/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Climate change isn't something people get to choose to believe or not: it's happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gaetz/climate-change-isn-t-something-people-get-to-choose-to-believe-or-not/) [Matt Gaetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gaetz/) > [Seeing people change isn't what hurts .What hurts is remembering them how they used to be .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheng-faltiquera/seeing-people-change-isn-t-what-hurts-what-hurts-is-remembering-them/) [Sheng Faltiquera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheng-faltiquera/) > [“It is not easy to watch the world change around you. To see an entire way of life change and change and change again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/it-is-not-easy-to-watch-the-world-change-around-you-to-see-an-entire/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [Change isn't easy, it takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kennedy/change-isn-t-easy-it-takes-time/) [Caroline Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-kennedy/) > [“Change isn't as easy as snapping your finger." "And for everyone it's different. If we all learned the lesson the first time around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-laurens/change-isn-t-as-easy-as-snapping-your-finger-and-for-everyone-it-s/) [Jennifer Laurens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-laurens/) > [Climate change isn't just an environmental issue; it's a technology, water, food, energy, population issue. None of this happens in a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-titley/climate-change-isn-t-just-an-environmental-issue-it-s-a-technology/) [David Titley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-titley/) > [Change isn't always bad; we should always be learning and improving. But the change I was seeing involved principles, not procedures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/change-isn-t-always-bad-we-should-always-be-learning-and-improving/) [Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/) > [I believe strongly that social change isn't just about demonstrations in the street against the wrongs in society. There is also the path of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-mclaughlin/i-believe-strongly-that-social-change-isn-t-just-about-demonstrations/) [Corinne McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-mclaughlin/) ## More by Guy Finley > [No truly conscious human being sabotages himself - it's impossible, because it's contrary to Nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/no-truly-conscious-human-being-sabotages-himself-it-s-impossible/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [A crisis is a close encounter of the third kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/a-crisis-is-a-close-encounter-of-the-third-kind/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Knowledge without Spirit is like finding yourself on a cold night with all the wood in the world and no flame to ignite it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/knowledge-without-spirit-is-like-finding-yourself-on-a-cold-night/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Eventually, we reach the point where we start to realize that we are not going to find peace, contentment, happiness, strength, fearlessness - all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/eventually-we-reach-the-point-where-we-start-to-realize-that-we-are/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Nothing glows brighter than the heart awakened to the unseen light of love that lives within it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/nothing-glows-brighter-than-the-heart-awakened-to-the-unseen-light-of/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [We are not here on earth to change our destiny, but to fulfill it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/we-are-not-here-on-earth-to-change-our-destiny-but-to-fulfill-it/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Staying present, living in Presence is the best gift anyone can give to those they love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/staying-present-living-in-presence-is-the-best-gift-anyone-can-give/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [What you don't want to know about yourself wants to be known, which is why it keeps 'showing up' at your door unannounced!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/what-you-don-t-want-to-know-about-yourself-wants-to-be-known-which-is/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Statistics vary, but in less than seven years there won't be a single cell left in any of our bodies that's the same as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/statistics-vary-but-in-less-than-seven-years-there-won-t-be-a-single/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Never run from what you don't understand, as it will be waiting for you every time you come to a stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/never-run-from-what-you-don-t-understand-as-it-will-be-waiting-for/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Ours is the task of discovering that our true nature has nothing to fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/ours-is-the-task-of-discovering-that-our-true-nature-has-nothing-to/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [No one rises above who he or she has been without first having fallen down. The best time - in fact, the only time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/no-one-rises-above-who-he-or-she-has-been-without-first-having-fallen/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [You cannot separate the onset of a disturbing moment in life from the appearance of some simultaneous new possibility to know a deeper and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/you-cannot-separate-the-onset-of-a-disturbing-moment-in-life-from-the/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [What is the nature of that place where our original self is one with its longing to explore its own deepest possibilities, and where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/what-is-the-nature-of-that-place-where-our-original-self-is-one-with/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [All created forms are fractal, as is their purpose, use, and allotted time for existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/all-created-forms-are-fractal-as-is-their-purpose-use-and-allotted/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) [Explore all 176 Guy Finley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) ## More About yourself quotes > [“they all have always loved you Will Herondale, for you cannot hide what is good about yourself, however har you try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/they-all-have-always-loved-you-will-herondale-for-you-cannot-hide/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/if-you-can-t-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Change your thoughts, change your life. —LAO TZU When I was fighting depression, I remember hearing this expression and not understanding it at first.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/change-your-thoughts-change-your-life-lao-tzu-when-i-was-fighting/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Dreams really tell you about yourself more than anything else in this world could ever tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/dreams-really-tell-you-about-yourself-more-than-anything-else-in-this/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [Celebrate all the things you don't like about yourself. love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/celebrate-all-the-things-you-don-t-like-about-yourself-love-yourself/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [Start enjoying the things you like about yourself, and if there are things you want to change, either get to work on it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benji-madden/start-enjoying-the-things-you-like-about-yourself-and-if-there-are/) [Benji Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benji-madden/) > [Always be yourself. There's only one you. You should embrace anything that you don't like about yourself because that's individual and that's you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesy-nelson/always-be-yourself-there-s-only-one-you-you-should-embrace-anything/) [Jesy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesy-nelson/) > [It's too distracting to read about yourself. You want to be perfect and you want everyone to love you, and that's never going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/it-s-too-distracting-to-read-about-yourself-you-want-to-be-perfect/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-make-people-shun-you-and-laugh-at-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [The only thing a master can teach is how to learn about yourself. There are no secrets. They are only techniques to waken yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/the-only-thing-a-master-can-teach-is-how-to-learn-about-yourself/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [I don't want to sell myself short. You hurt your spouse, not so much by the infidelity, but by the negative feelings about yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-zaslow/i-don-t-want-to-sell-myself-short-you-hurt-your-spouse-not-so-much-by/) [Michael Zaslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-zaslow/) > [A stranger can see in an instant something in you that you might spend years learning about yourself. How awful we all are when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/a-stranger-can-see-in-an-instant-something-in-you-that-you-might/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [Knowing is the most profound kind of love, giving someone the gift of knowledge about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-norman/knowing-is-the-most-profound-kind-of-love-giving-someone-the-gift-of/) [Marsha Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-norman/) > [Start telling the truth now and never stop. Begin by telling the truth to yourself about yourself. Then tell the truth to yourself about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/start-telling-the-truth-now-and-never-stop-begin-by-telling-the-truth/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) [Browse all 770 About yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Real change isn't found in some new way to think about yourself, but in freedom from the need to think about yourself at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Guy Finley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way-to-think-about-yourself-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About yourself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way-to-think-about-yourself-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/guy-finley-2165_about-yourself_real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way_556966.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/guy-finley-2165_about-yourself_real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way_556966.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/guy-finley-2165_about-yourself_real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way_556966.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Real change isn't found in some new way to think about yourself, but in freedom from the need to think about…” — Guy Finley", "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": "Guy Finley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Real change isn't found in some...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way-to-think-about-yourself-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/real-change-isn-t-found-in-some-new-way-to-think-about-yourself-but/#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 } } ] } ```