--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I try to get people thinking, to consider…" description: "\"I try to get people thinking, to consider their pasts and presents, ultimately encouraging them and giving them the tools to embrace the work of reshap..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/john-bradshaw-2227_consider_i-try-to-get-people-thinking-to-consider_2346959.jpg" --- # I try to get people thinking, to consider their pasts and… ![“I try to get people thinking, to consider their pasts and presents, ultimately encouraging them and giving them the tools to embrace the work of reshaping their lives.” quote by John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/john-bradshaw-2227_consider_i-try-to-get-people-thinking-to-consider_2346959.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/john-bradshaw-2227_consider_i-try-to-get-people-thinking-to-consider_2346959.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66c/john-bradshaw-2227_consider_i-try-to-get-people-thinking-to-consider_2346959.jpg) > “I try to get people thinking, to consider their pasts and presents, ultimately encouraging them and giving them the tools to embrace the work of reshaping their lives.” [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encouraging introspection helps people understand past influences, enabling them to actively reshape their future lives. **In simple terms:** Think about past to change future. Key Takeaway Use self‑reflection to redesign your life. Themes self‑awareness healing empowerment transformation mindset Mood introspective hopeful Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - coaching - journaling - goal setting Key Concepts psychology trauma recovery personal agency Questions to Reflect On - What past patterns limit you? - How will you apply new insights? A Different Perspective Change requires confronting uncomfortable truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Encouraging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encouraging/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Presents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presents/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“After some time spent with me, people start saying: "It's as if you knew what I was thinking". They never consider this as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/after-some-time-spent-with-me-people-start-saying-it-s-as-if-you-knew/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [We understand that you can't transform people who don't have internal drive and desire to create. But we also know it doesn't work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-dunnavant/we-understand-that-you-can-t-transform-people-who-don-t-have-internal/) Laurie Dunnavant > [When opportunity presents itself, don't be afraid to go after it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-kennison/when-opportunity-presents-itself-don-t-be-afraid-to-go-after-it/) Eddie Kennison > [Our children need our presence, not our presents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-children-need-our-presence-not-our-presents/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Classical music presents some of the world's most challenging pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-shimabukuro/classical-music-presents-some-of-the-world-s-most-challenging-pieces/) [Jake Shimabukuro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-shimabukuro/) > [All I Want For Christmas Is You! LOL jk. I want my presents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-lol-jk-i-want-my-presents/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“That’s her favorite story cause when I tell it, she get two presents. I take the brown wrapping from my Piggly Wiggly grocery bag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/that-s-her-favorite-story-cause-when-i-tell-it-she-get-two-presents-i/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [Presents are made for the pleasure of who gives them, not the merits of who receives them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/presents-are-made-for-the-pleasure-of-who-gives-them-not-the-merits/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [My little girl, Anja, is really excited. We had a baby shower yesterday and she took the presents from everyone for me and was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-ambrosio/my-little-girl-anja-is-really-excited-we-had-a-baby-shower-yesterday/) [Alessandra Ambrosio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-ambrosio/) > [I see film roles as lovely presents that come along now and again. I feel really lucky and say thank you very much. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gambon/i-see-film-roles-as-lovely-presents-that-come-along-now-and-again-i/) [Michael Gambon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gambon/) > [“We all have something to give, in different gracious forms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-all-have-something-to-give-in-different-gracious-forms/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [If there's one thing I've always taken care of with my work, it's that it's never an advertisement for anything other than the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jr/if-there-s-one-thing-i-ve-always-taken-care-of-with-my-work-it-s-that/) JR > [There are those people when you're in their presents, the world seems to stand still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bulumko-pantsi/there-are-those-people-when-you-re-in-their-presents-the-world-seems/) [Bulumko Pantsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bulumko-pantsi/) > [The center of all my enjoyments is the home wherein are my wife and children, and I have no wish to wander out from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/the-center-of-all-my-enjoyments-is-the-home-wherein-are-my-wife-and/) [Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/) > [All the Christmas presents in the world are worth nothing without the presence of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/all-the-christmas-presents-in-the-world-are-worth-nothing-without-the/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) ## More by John Bradshaw > [Recovery begins with embracing our pain and taking the risk to share it with others. We do this by joining a group and talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/recovery-begins-with-embracing-our-pain-and-taking-the-risk-to-share/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“Generally speaking, most of our vital, spontaneous, instinctual life gets shamed. Children are shamed for being too rambunctious, for wanting things and for laughing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/generally-speaking-most-of-our-vital-spontaneous-instinctual-life/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“A covert kind of sexual abuse occurs when Dad or Mom talk about sex in front of the children when the age level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/a-covert-kind-of-sexual-abuse-occurs-when-dad-or-mom-talk-about-sex/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [I know from my own clinical work that when people are beaten and hurt, they numb out so that they cant feel anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/i-know-from-my-own-clinical-work-that-when-people-are-beaten-and-hurt/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“Love-that which biologists, nervous about being misunderstood call "attachment"-fuels the bond between dog and master or mistress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/love-that-which-biologists-nervous-about-being-misunderstood-call/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“(b) Boundary Violation. 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They know their strengths, but they also know their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/i-define-a-good-person-as-somebody-who-is-fully-conscious-of-their/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“The ego defense of conversion transforms developmental needs into the need for something else. This could be food, money or excessive attention. In Max’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/the-ego-defense-of-conversion-transforms-developmental-needs-into-the/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“In fact, the most paradoxical aspect of neurotic shame is that it is the core motivator of the superachieved and the underachieved, the star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/in-fact-the-most-paradoxical-aspect-of-neurotic-shame-is-that-it-is/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“If our primary caregivers are shame-based, they will act shameless and pass their toxic shame onto us. There is no way to teach self-value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/if-our-primary-caregivers-are-shame-based-they-will-act-shameless-and/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [Ego is to the true self what a flashlight is to a spotlight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/ego-is-to-the-true-self-what-a-flashlight-is-to-a-spotlight/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“If a cat falls out of a high-rise building or a tall tree, it has another trick available: forming a “parachute” by spreading all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/if-a-cat-falls-out-of-a-high-rise-building-or-a-tall-tree-it-has/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“In the past, when dogs’ functions were mostly rural, it was accepted that they were intrinsically messy and needed to be managed on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/in-the-past-when-dogs-functions-were-mostly-rural-it-was-accepted/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“IDENTIFICATION When victimization takes place the victim often identifies with the persecutor. 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Everything. Embrace it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-gaither/everything-is-a-part-of-what-god-s-up-to-in-your-life-so-i-think-our/) [Gloria Gaither](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-gaither/) > [As a layperson, I consider myself fairly well-educated in terms of politics. My family always has been really interested in politics, and various members…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-scott/as-a-layperson-i-consider-myself-fairly-well-educated-in-terms-of/) [Reid Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-scott/) > [Because of my tremendous respect for Bob Barker and for the show's high standards of professionalism I consider this a tremendous honor that few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-west/because-of-my-tremendous-respect-for-bob-barker-and-for-the-show-s/) [Randy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-west/) > [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [I'm all over the place, and I consider myself a bit of a scrounger: 'What will I do next, so I'm not broke?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kightlinger/i-m-all-over-the-place-and-i-consider-myself-a-bit-of-a-scrounger/) [Laura Kightlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kightlinger/) > [I do consider myself part of black history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-do-consider-myself-part-of-black-history/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I definitely consider 'Poses' - the whole album in fact - to be kind of a miracle. Like the last breath of that moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-definitely-consider-poses-the-whole-album-in-fact-to-be-kind-of-a/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [These Americans are among the working poor with full-time jobs earning $5.15 an hour. 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