--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In life, there's the beginning and the…" description: "\"In life, there's the beginning and the end. The beginning don't matter. The end don't matter. All that matters is what you do in between – whether you'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/john-carlos-16923_change_in-life-there-s-the-beginning-and-the-en_657344.jpg" --- # In life, there's the beginning and the end. The beginning… ![“In life, there's the beginning and the end. The beginning don't matter. The end don't matter. All that matters is what you do in between – whether you're prepared to do what it takes to make change. There has to be physical and material sacrifice. When all the dust settles and we're getting ready…” quote by John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/john-carlos-16923_change_in-life-there-s-the-beginning-and-the-en_657344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/john-carlos-16923_change_in-life-there-s-the-beginning-and-the-en_657344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/john-carlos-16923_change_in-life-there-s-the-beginning-and-the-en_657344.jpg) > “In life, there's the beginning and the end. The beginning don't matter. The end don't matter. All that matters is what you do in between – whether you're prepared to do what it takes to make change. There has to be physical and material sacrifice. When all the dust settles and we're getting ready to play down for the ninth inning, the greatest reward is to know that you did your job when you were here on the planet.” [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) ## 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 value lies in actions taken, not beginnings or endings; sacrifice and purpose define legacy. **In simple terms:** Actions matter more than start or finish. Key Takeaway Focus on meaningful work now. Themes purpose sacrifice legacy Mood determined hopeful Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - career projects - community service - environmental activism Key Concepts ethics motivation social impact Questions to Reflect On - What can you do today that aligns with your purpose? - How do you measure personal impact? A Different Perspective May ignore the need for rest and self‑care. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) ## Related quotes > [Loneliness itself is material for sacrifice. The very longings themselves can be offered to Him who understands perfectly. The transformation into something He can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/loneliness-itself-is-material-for-sacrifice-the-very-longings/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/now-this-is-not-the-end-it-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-but/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [it is always easier to see the beginning from the end, than the end from the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-mcnair-wright/it-is-always-easier-to-see-the-beginning-from-the-end-than-the-end/) [Julia McNair Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-mcnair-wright/) > [“And the end and the beginning were always there Before the beginning and after the end. And all is always now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot-2/and-the-end-and-the-beginning-were-always-there-before-the-beginning/) [T.S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot-2/) > [“That’s how it ends So, this is it. when we lose it all but this is not the End This is only The Beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rixa-white/that-s-how-it-ends-so-this-is-it-when-we-lose-it-all-but-this-is-not/) [Rixa White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rixa-white/) > [Today is either the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning. Today we are making history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhard-pfeiffer/today-is-either-the-beginning-of-the-end-or-the-end-of-the-beginning/) [Eckhard Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhard-pfeiffer/) > [“This is the beginning of the end (talking about the war)... Everyone was saying... But the British Prime Minister said, "This is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/this-is-the-beginning-of-the-end-talking-about-the-war-everyone-was/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [There is no beginning to an end / But there is a beginning and an end / To beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/there-is-no-beginning-to-an-end-but-there-is-a-beginning-and-an-end/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“This is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, this is just perhaps the end of the beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-s-churchill/this-is-not-the-end-this-is-not-even-the-beginning-of-the-end-this-is/) [Winston S. Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-s-churchill/) > [The end of THE END is the best place to begin THE END, because if you read THE END from the beginning of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-end-of-the-end-is-the-best-place-to-begin-the-end-because-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mary Stuart wrote, 'My end is in my beginning.' It is easier to agree with her than to decide what is the beginning, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/mary-stuart-wrote-my-end-is-in-my-beginning-it-is-easier-to-agree/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [“It is always harder to live in the middle of something than it is to live at the beginning or the end. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-s-lane/it-is-always-harder-to-live-in-the-middle-of-something-than-it-is-to/) [Timothy S. Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-s-lane/) > [The End is the Beginning is the End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-ryder/the-end-is-the-beginning-is-the-end/) Serena Ryder > [Every end is a beginning...And every beginning is an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/every-end-is-a-beginning-and-every-beginning-is-an-end/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [“Knowledge is the beginning ( fâtihah) of action, and action is the end (tamâm, here = energeia, rather than entelecheia) of knowledge; a beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-amiri/knowledge-is-the-beginning-f-tihah-of-action-and-action-is-the-end/) Al-Amiri ## More by John Carlos > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [The beginning don't matter. The end don't matter. All that matters is what you do in between...the greatest reward is to know that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/the-beginning-don-t-matter-the-end-don-t-matter-all-that-matters-is/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ The black socks \[on me at Olympics in 1968\] emphasized the fact that we had so many Blacks and people of color here in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/the-black-socks-on-me-at-olympics-in-1968-emphasized-the-fact-that-we/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I'm not too proud to do any job to support my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-m-not-too-proud-to-do-any-job-to-support-my-family/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [My kids going to school and teachers denying my kids the grades that they should have once they found out that I was their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/my-kids-going-to-school-and-teachers-denying-my-kids-the-grades-that/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I think it's something that we said collectively, in terms of the fact that we was getting ready to face probably the biggest storms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-think-it-s-something-that-we-said-collectively-in-terms-of-the-fact/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [If you look at the Olympic Games as a whole, if we would say we didn't want to interject politics into the games, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/if-you-look-at-the-olympic-games-as-a-whole-if-we-would-say-we-didn-t/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I think society had to grow up to the mentality of Peter Norman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-think-society-had-to-grow-up-to-the-mentality-of-peter-norman/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I was a pallbearer. I felt, when I got the call that Peter had died, I didn't have any bank account, but I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-was-a-pallbearer-i-felt-when-i-got-the-call-that-peter-had-died-i/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ It took some time for us to realize that \[people\] didn't particularly say they didn't like us or have the love for us that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/it-took-some-time-for-us-to-realize-that-people-didn-t-particularly/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Peter Norman is a humanitarian, and I say "is" because in my life, Peter Norman is never deceased. He's always going to live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-is-a-humanitarian-and-i-say-is-because-in-my-life-peter/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Peter Norman's a man's man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-s-a-man-s-man/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ The beads around my neck \[at Olympics in 1968\] indicated that there were so many Blacks throughout the history of this country that have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/the-beads-around-my-neck-at-olympics-in-1968-indicated-that-there/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [ Peter \[Norman\] never vacated from himself as to who he was. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/peter-norman-never-vacated-from-himself-as-to-who-he-was/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [I'm sure there was people in Australia that told Peter Norman that hey, man, you shouldn't have done what you did, you shouldn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-m-sure-there-was-people-in-australia-that-told-peter-norman-that/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) [Explore all 38 John Carlos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) ## More Baseball quotes > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/) [Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/) > [When you're in the middle of a pennant race, you can't go up there thinking about home runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-sosa/when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-a-pennant-race-you-can-t-go-up-there/) [Sammy Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-sosa/) > [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/) > [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/) [Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/) > [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [I don't want the electronic strike zone. I like the element of sometimes pitches don't get called. Guys don't receive it well or whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-don-t-want-the-electronic-strike-zone-i-like-the-element-of/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [If I was going to make one rule change, I would bring the DH to the National League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brett/if-i-was-going-to-make-one-rule-change-i-would-bring-the-dh-to-the/) [George Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brett/) > [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/in-all-honesty-once-you-become-a-professional-number-one-you-re-no/) [Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/) > [I'll tell you what's helped me my entire life. I look at baseball as a game. It's something where people can go out, enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-caray/i-ll-tell-you-what-s-helped-me-my-entire-life-i-look-at-baseball-as-a/) [Harry Caray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-caray/) > [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/) [Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/) > [What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray & Carlos Baerga)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/what-we-should-have-done-is-kept-the-same-team-that-played-in-the-95/) [Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/) > [“I can buy baseball cards to view an entire career on the back of a little square of cardboard. But nobody sells major league…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg-jr/i-can-buy-baseball-cards-to-view-an-entire-career-on-the-back-of-a/) [John Ortberg Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg-jr/) > [The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/the-wind-always-seems-to-blow-against-catchers-when-they-are-running/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) [Browse all 7,461 Baseball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In life, there's the beginning and the end. The beginning don't matter. The end don't matter. All that matters is what you do in between – whether you're prepared to do what it takes to make change. There has to be physical and material sacrifice. 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