--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We may not be able to create or control…" description: "\"We may not be able to create or control all of the events that impact our lives but we can create and control our responses to everything that we exper..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/ilchi-lee-1445_able_we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control_926338.png" --- # We may not be able to create or control all of the events… ![“We may not be able to create or control all of the events that impact our lives but we can create and control our responses to everything that we experience.” quote by Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/ilchi-lee-1445_able_we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control_926338.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/ilchi-lee-1445_able_we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control_926338.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/ilchi-lee-1445_able_we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control_926338.png) > “We may not be able to create or control all of the events that impact our lives but we can create and control our responses to everything that we experience.” [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We cannot control all events, but we can control how we respond to them. **In simple terms:** Control your reactions, not events. Key Takeaway Focus on your response. Themes self‑mastery resilience agency Mood reflective empowering Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal crises - workplace stress - health challenges - relationship conflicts Key Concepts Stoicism cognitive control mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you choose your response? - What habits help you stay calm? A Different Perspective Responses are limited by emotions and external pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) ## Related quotes > [Response is what we have trained ourselves to be; it is a reflection of our manhood, character, ideals. We cannot always control our surface…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/response-is-what-we-have-trained-ourselves-to-be-it-is-a-reflection/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [You can get into a place in your life where you no longer are in control of events, and events are in control of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holt-mccallany/you-can-get-into-a-place-in-your-life-where-you-no-longer-are-in/) [Holt McCallany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holt-mccallany/) > [“You must take control of events before they take control of you...If you don't do what you can for yourself, no one else will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-fisher-staples/you-must-take-control-of-events-before-they-take-control-of-you-if/) [Suzanne Fisher Staples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-fisher-staples/) > [We should all be so lucky in our lives to create things that we're still talking about 25 years later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/we-should-all-be-so-lucky-in-our-lives-to-create-things-that-we-re/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [I believe we create our own lives. And we create it by our thinking, feeling patterns in our belief system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/i-believe-we-create-our-own-lives-and-we-create-it-by-our-thinking-2/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [In our lives, when we do not create something out of total honesty, it cannot last long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-chang/in-our-lives-when-we-do-not-create-something-out-of-total-honesty-it/) [Henry Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-chang/) > [“We need to be raising our children for LIFE. Life is not a small system within 4 walls. Life is vast and wild. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/we-need-to-be-raising-our-children-for-life-life-is-not-a-small/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“Really, Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy... Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-purohit/really-beliefs-have-the-power-to-create-and-the-power-to-destroy/) [Atul Purohit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-purohit/) > [“No...he lives to create art, but he loves to murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-beija/no-he-lives-to-create-art-but-he-loves-to-murder/) Mo Beija > [I believe that we form our own lives, that we create our own reality, and that everything works out for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-henson/i-believe-that-we-form-our-own-lives-that-we-create-our-own-reality/) [Jim Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-henson/) > [I believe we create our own lives. And we create it by our thinking, feeling patterns in our belief system. I think we're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-l-hay/i-believe-we-create-our-own-lives-and-we-create-it-by-our-thinking/) [Louise L. Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-l-hay/) > [“Drama does not just walk into our lives. Either we create it, invite it, or associate with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-l-bates/drama-does-not-just-walk-into-our-lives-either-we-create-it-invite-it/) [Brandi L. Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-l-bates/) > [Honestly I think it was gradual from the first time I came. It's been a gradual thing as far as audience and response wise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab-soul/honestly-i-think-it-was-gradual-from-the-first-time-i-came-it-s-been/) [Ab-Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab-soul/) > [Laughter is one of the great beacons in life because we don't refract it by gunning it through our intellectual prism. What makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/laughter-is-one-of-the-great-beacons-in-life-because-we-don-t-refract/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/he-blinked-his-eyes-fell-as-he-processed-her-response-then-he-lifted/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) ## More by Ilchi Lee > [“Observing is not just seeing. It is watching with attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/observing-is-not-just-seeing-it-is-watching-with-attention/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Place your concentration in the center of your palm. Concentrate on making that part of your palm warmer than the rest of your hand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/place-your-concentration-in-the-center-of-your-palm-concentrate-on/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Awareness, when managed and directed, becomes attention. By turning into attention, awareness becomes localized, and attains a focal point. Because of this feature, attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/awareness-when-managed-and-directed-becomes-attention-by-turning-into/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Our true reality is not a limited phenomenon, existing only between birth and death. It is eternal life that exists alone, self-existent and self-sufficient,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/our-true-reality-is-not-a-limited-phenomenon-existing-only-between/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“As a phenomenon, life has a beginning and ending, but life itself doesn’t. So, which one is truly me - a phenomenon that lasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/as-a-phenomenon-life-has-a-beginning-and-ending-but-life-itself-doesn/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Change is the very nature of Nature. if there's one thing that doesn't change, it is the fact that everything changes. In the Korean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/change-is-the-very-nature-of-nature-if-there-s-one-thing-that-doesn-t/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“The value of a human being depends on the quality of information held in his or her brain. Depending on whether that information is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/the-value-of-a-human-being-depends-on-the-quality-of-information-held/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Whatever path brought you here There is a reason why you came, Through you may not know it now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/whatever-path-brought-you-here-there-is-a-reason-why-you-came-through/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Everyday, Jay would sit under a giant elm tree and imagine the adventures his life might bring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/everyday-jay-would-sit-under-a-giant-elm-tree-and-imagine-the/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“It is important to realize that you are fundamentally made up of Life Particles, as is everyone else. Please realize that you, like everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/it-is-important-to-realize-that-you-are-fundamentally-made-up-of-life/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“My beloved Jay, remember me. Call my name every day. If you think of me and are with me, The infinite power of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/my-beloved-jay-remember-me-call-my-name-every-day-if-you-think-of-me/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Do you have a dream? If you do, what is it? Is your dream similar to mine? I hope that even more people dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/do-you-have-a-dream-if-you-do-what-is-it-is-your-dream-similar-to/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“It's only natural to experience times that are difficult and painful, no matter who you are. those are times when anyone would feel tempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/it-s-only-natural-to-experience-times-that-are-difficult-and-painful/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [Now is a time for change, a time to become the greatest version of yourself. And a time to to make your grandest vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/now-is-a-time-for-change-a-time-to-become-the-greatest-version-of/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“How do we meditate? It is not thinking about the past or future. It starts with being present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/how-do-we-meditate-it-is-not-thinking-about-the-past-or-future-it/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) [Explore all 240 Ilchi Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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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/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We may not be able to create or control all of the events that impact our lives but we can create and control our responses to everything that we experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ilchi Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control-all-of-the-events-that-impact/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control-all-of-the-events-that-impact/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/ilchi-lee-1445_able_we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control_926338.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/ilchi-lee-1445_able_we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control_926338.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/ilchi-lee-1445_able_we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control_926338.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We may not be able to create or control all of the events that impact our lives but we can create and…” — Ilchi Lee", "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": "Ilchi Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We may not be able to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control-all-of-the-events-that-impact/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/we-may-not-be-able-to-create-or-control-all-of-the-events-that-impact/#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 } } ] } ```