--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mystery is what happens to us when we…" description: "\"Mystery is what happens to us when we allow life to evolve rather than having to make it happen all the time. It is the strange knock at the door, the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/joan-d-chittister-2635_afternoon_mystery-is-what-happens-to-us-when-we-al_1887720.jpg" --- # Mystery is what happens to us when we allow life to evolve… ![“Mystery is what happens to us when we allow life to evolve rather than having to make it happen all the time. It is the strange knock at the door, the sudden sight of an unceremoniously blooming flower, an afternoon in the yard, a day of riding the midtown bus. Just to see. Just to notice. Just to…” quote by Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/joan-d-chittister-2635_afternoon_mystery-is-what-happens-to-us-when-we-al_1887720.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/joan-d-chittister-2635_afternoon_mystery-is-what-happens-to-us-when-we-al_1887720.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/joan-d-chittister-2635_afternoon_mystery-is-what-happens-to-us-when-we-al_1887720.jpg) > “Mystery is what happens to us when we allow life to evolve rather than having to make it happen all the time. It is the strange knock at the door, the sudden sight of an unceremoniously blooming flower, an afternoon in the yard, a day of riding the midtown bus. Just to see. Just to notice. Just to be there.” [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. Life’s unexpected moments invite wonder; noticing them enriches existence beyond control. **In simple terms:** Notice the unexpected to feel alive. Key Takeaway Pay attention to small, unplanned events. Themes mindfulness wonder spontaneity Mood contemplative calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily walks - nature observation - travel - art appreciation Key Concepts serendipity presence Questions to Reflect On - What small wonder have you ignored today? - How does noticing change your mood? A Different Perspective Too much focus on randomness can lead to passivity instead of purposeful action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blooming flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blooming-flower/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Riding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riding/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [Pure love has no reason, question and answer. Love is a mystery. It HAPPENS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/pure-love-has-no-reason-question-and-answer-love-is-a-mystery-it/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“Every life is a mystery. And every story of every life is a mystery. But it is not what happens that is the mystery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/every-life-is-a-mystery-and-every-story-of-every-life-is-a-mystery/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“What a strange thing it is to wake up to a milk-white overcast June morning! The sun is hidden by a thick cotton blanket…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/what-a-strange-thing-it-is-to-wake-up-to-a-milk-white-overcast-june/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [T'is the last rose of summer, Left blooming alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/t-is-the-last-rose-of-summer-left-blooming-alone/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [“love is like a blooming flower if you not Quenching will shrivel !!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khlaed-naili/love-is-like-a-blooming-flower-if-you-not-quenching-will-shrivel/) Khlaed Naili > [One develops an instinct for letting silence do the heavy lifting. In the three, four, five seconds that passed without either of us speaking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/one-develops-an-instinct-for-letting-silence-do-the-heavy-lifting-in/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [Come out to view / the truth of flowers blooming / in poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matsuo-basho/come-out-to-view-the-truth-of-flowers-blooming-in-poverty/) [Matsuo Basho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matsuo-basho/) > [Oh that it were with me As with the flower; Blooming on its own tree For butterfly and bee Its summer morns: That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-rossetti/oh-that-it-were-with-me-as-with-the-flower-blooming-on-its-own-tree/) [Christina Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-rossetti/) > [Silently a flower blooms, In silence it falls away; Yet here now, at this moment, at this place, The world of the flower, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zenkei-shibayama/silently-a-flower-blooms-in-silence-it-falls-away-yet-here-now-at/) Zenkei Shibayama > [If Terri was upset about how silly she would look, her mother was completely undone. Seems she wanted Terri in her full natural bloom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-meadows/if-terri-was-upset-about-how-silly-she-would-look-her-mother-was/) [Audrey Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-meadows/) > [Intelligence is the flower of discrimination. There are many examples of the flower blooming but not bearing fruit. Bushido is in being crazy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nabeshima-naoshige/intelligence-is-the-flower-of-discrimination-there-are-many-examples/) [Nabeshima Naoshige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nabeshima-naoshige/) > [“every blooming flower is beautiful”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/every-blooming-flower-is-beautiful/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seed of today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/croft-m-pentz/all-the-flowers-of-all-the-tomorrows-are-in-the-seed-of-today/) [Croft M. Pentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/croft-m-pentz/) > [The lilac branches are bowed under the weight of the flowers: blooming is hard, and the most important thing is - to bloom. (“A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-zamyatin/the-lilac-branches-are-bowed-under-the-weight-of-the-flowers-blooming/) [Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-zamyatin/) > [The blooming of a flower is, in my mind, not a miracle. It's something that we can understand on the basis of molecular biology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-blooming-of-a-flower-is-in-my-mind-not-a-miracle-it-s-something/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) ## 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. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Two ideas militate against our consciously contributing to a better world. The idea that we can do everything or the conclusion that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/two-ideas-militate-against-our-consciously-contributing-to-a-better/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) [Explore all 156 Joan D. Chittister quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) ## More Afternoon quotes > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [My dental hygienist is cute. Every time I visit, I eat a whole package of Oreo cookies while waiting in the lobby. Sometimes she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/my-dental-hygienist-is-cute-every-time-i-visit-i-eat-a-whole-package/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Honestly, I'm living my fantasy. It's being with my family, preferably on a snowy afternoon with a fire going, cuddled up in blankets, playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-vieira/honestly-i-m-living-my-fantasy-it-s-being-with-my-family-preferably/) [Meredith Vieira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-vieira/) > [It was a very intense and stressful situation. There was playing in the Johnny-pump (an opened fire hydrant) and the ice-cream man coming around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/it-was-a-very-intense-and-stressful-situation-there-was-playing-in/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Sunday afternoon is for papers and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-haslam/sunday-afternoon-is-for-papers-and-writing/) [Nicholas Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-haslam/) > [I think that if most guys in America could somehow get their fave-rave poster girl in bed and have total license to do whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/i-think-that-if-most-guys-in-america-could-somehow-get-their-fave/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [“If you come at four in the afternoon, I'll begin to be happy by three.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-come-at-four-in-the-afternoon-i-ll-begin-to-be-happy-by-three/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [At five in the afternoon. It was exactly five in the afternoon. A boy brought the white sheet at five in the afternoon. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-five-in-the-afternoon-it-was-exactly-five-in-the-afternoon-a-boy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The shadows in the early morning don't tell much. The shadows rest at that time. So it's useless to gaze very early in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-shadows-in-the-early-morning-don-t-tell-much-the-shadows-rest-at/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [“I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-spollen/i-discovered-windows-one-afternoon-and-after-that-nothing-was-ever/) [Anne Spollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-spollen/) > [Look, science is hard, it has a reputation of being hard, and the facts are, it is hard, and that's the result of 400…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/look-science-is-hard-it-has-a-reputation-of-being-hard-and-the-facts/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon? And the day after that, and the next thirty years?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-ll-we-do-with-ourselves-this-afternoon-and-the-day-after-that/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Imagine you are walking down a leafy path…The sun is receding, and you are walking alone, caressed by the breezy light of the late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/imagine-you-are-walking-down-a-leafy-path-the-sun-is-receding-and-you/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [A good umpire is the umpire you don't even notice. He's there all afternoon but when the game is over, you don't even remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-johnson/a-good-umpire-is-the-umpire-you-don-t-even-notice-he-s-there-all/) Ban Johnson > [Sometimes in the afternoon sky the moon would pass white as a cloud, furtive, lusterless, like an actress who does not have to perform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/sometimes-in-the-afternoon-sky-the-moon-would-pass-white-as-a-cloud/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) Browse all 1,085 Afternoon quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mystery is what happens to us when we allow life to evolve rather than having to make it happen all the time. It is the strange knock at the door, the sudden sight of an unceremoniously blooming flower, an afternoon in the yard, a day of riding the midtown bus. Just to see. Just to notice. 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