--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Memory is not about what went on in the…" description: "\"Memory is not about what went on in the past, it is about what is going on inside us right this moment. It is made up of the stuff of life in the pro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3c/joan-d-chittister-2635_becoming_memory-is-not-about-what-went-on-in-the_419451.png" --- # Memory is not about what went on in the past, it is about… ![“Memory is not about what went on in the past, it is about what is going on inside us right this moment. It is made up of the stuff of life in the process of becoming the grist of the soul.” quote by Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3c/joan-d-chittister-2635_becoming_memory-is-not-about-what-went-on-in-the_419451.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3c/joan-d-chittister-2635_becoming_memory-is-not-about-what-went-on-in-the_419451.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3c/joan-d-chittister-2635_becoming_memory-is-not-about-what-went-on-in-the_419451.png) > “Memory is not about what went on in the past, it is about what is going on inside us right this moment. It is made up of the stuff of life in the process of becoming the grist of the soul.” [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Memory shapes current identity more than past events, reflecting ongoing internal experience. **In simple terms:** Memory is about present inner experience. Key Takeaway Focus on present inner growth. Themes identity mindfulness self-awareness Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - creative work - personal reflection - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology philosophy consciousness Questions to Reflect On - How does your present mindset affect your recollection? - What inner narratives shape your memory? A Different Perspective Memory can be distorted by bias, limiting accuracy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“The young hear memory in the voice of their elders and, delighted by these voices from the past or bored by them, too often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/the-young-hear-memory-in-the-voice-of-their-elders-and-delighted-by/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“For almost a decade I was haunted by the memory of Deborah Black, I was about to claim. But the memory didn't haunt me;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/for-almost-a-decade-i-was-haunted-by-the-memory-of-deborah-black-i/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [Chasing after the past is not going to lead you to the future you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ad-rock/chasing-after-the-past-is-not-going-to-lead-you-to-the-future-you-want/) [Ad-Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ad-rock/) > [I always want to push on, I always want to keep going because I feel like I've missed out on things in the past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michail-antonio/i-always-want-to-push-on-i-always-want-to-keep-going-because-i-feel/) [Michail Antonio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michail-antonio/) > [If we keep living in the past, we're going to pay the price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/if-we-keep-living-in-the-past-we-re-going-to-pay-the-price/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [If you keep looking back, you can never focus on your destination. If you keep dwelling on the past, you're going to miss the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-keep-looking-back-you-can-never-focus-on-your-destination-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I don't know what my future holds, but I know my past and I'm not going back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gooknuh/i-don-t-know-what-my-future-holds-but-i-know-my-past-and-i-m-not/) Paul Gooknuh > [People are going to make mistakes, everyday; but when you keep bringing my past up, its never going to go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexia/people-are-going-to-make-mistakes-everyday-but-when-you-keep-bringing/) [Alexia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexia/) > [“I don't want to listen to that because I don't care about here past. I am going to take a walk”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oda-eiichiro/i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-that-because-i-don-t-care-about-here-past-i/) [Oda Eiichiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oda-eiichiro/) > [A lot of people go through life like they are rowing a boat. They look at where they have been (the PAST) rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lot-of-people-go-through-life-like-they-are-rowing-a-boat-they-look/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't imagine telling past me that she was going to go on tour with someone in One Direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisie-peters/i-can-t-imagine-telling-past-me-that-she-was-going-to-go-on-tour-with/) [Maisie Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisie-peters/) > [Football is like a rollercoaster and if you keep dwelling on what's happened in the past you're never going to move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-wright-phillips/football-is-like-a-rollercoaster-and-if-you-keep-dwelling-on-what-s/) [Shaun Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-wright-phillips/) > [If you keep dwelling on the past, it's only going to hurt your future. The faster you can move on, the better it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-chung/if-you-keep-dwelling-on-the-past-it-s-only-going-to-hurt-your-future/) [Patrick Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-chung/) > [The past is the past. We're not going to spend energy on the past, because it's going to detract from us going forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-glazer/the-past-is-the-past-we-re-not-going-to-spend-energy-on-the-past/) [Joel Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-glazer/) > [“I didn’t want these wretched things to be in my past. But they were; nothing was going to change that fact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keary-taylor/i-didn-t-want-these-wretched-things-to-be-in-my-past-but-they-were/) [Keary Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keary-taylor/) ## More by Joan D. Chittister > [A hard heart makes for hard judgments; a compassionate heart understands the humanity of the one we presume to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/a-hard-heart-makes-for-hard-judgments-a-compassionate-heart/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [To be enlightened is to know that heaven is not "coming." Heaven is here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/to-be-enlightened-is-to-know-that-heaven-is-not-coming-heaven-is-here/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [We don't change as we get older - we just get to be more of what we've always been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/we-don-t-change-as-we-get-older-we-just-get-to-be-more-of-what-we-ve/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [We may well be the ones Proverbs warns when it reminds us: "Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/we-may-well-be-the-ones-proverbs-warns-when-it-reminds-us-kings-take/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Today we live in a world that judges its achievements by speed and busyness. Â… We are so busy making things happen that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/today-we-live-in-a-world-that-judges-its-achievements-by-speed-and/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [My limitations make space for the gifts of other people. Without the grace of our limitations we would be isolated, dry, and insufferable creatures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/my-limitations-make-space-for-the-gifts-of-other-people-without-the/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Humility is authenticity. It comes from the Latin word humus, meaning "earth." As the church has taught, we're made of dust, and unto dust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/humility-is-authenticity-it-comes-from-the-latin-word-humus-meaning/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Compassion makes no distinction between friends and enemies, neighbors and outsiders, compatriots and foreigners. Compassion is the gate to human community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/compassion-makes-no-distinction-between-friends-and-enemies-neighbors/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Prophets are so dangerous because they cry in season and out of season, politely and impolitely, loud and long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/prophets-are-so-dangerous-because-they-cry-in-season-and-out-of/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“We don't change as we get older - we just get to be ore of what we've always been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/we-don-t-change-as-we-get-older-we-just-get-to-be-ore-of-what-we-ve/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“What happens to the spiritual life of a young girl who is made to understand, consciously or subconsciously, that she has no place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/what-happens-to-the-spiritual-life-of-a-young-girl-who-is-made-to/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Old age tells us that we ourselves have failed often, have never really done anything completely right, have never truly been perfect - anad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/old-age-tells-us-that-we-ourselves-have-failed-often-have-never/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [But we are here to depart from this world as finished as we can possibly become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/but-we-are-here-to-depart-from-this-world-as-finished-as-we-can/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“Whatever happens to the body, what toll age takes on the physical, the spirit does not grow old. In our dreams, in the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/whatever-happens-to-the-body-what-toll-age-takes-on-the-physical-the/) [Joan D. 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