--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The beginning of being fine is noticing…" description: "\"“The beginning of being fine is noticing how things really are: 1. Life is uncertain, surprises are likely. 2. If you are alive, that’s good; lower the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b9/john-tarrant-102729_dark-place_the-beginning-of-being-fine-is-noticing_241925.jpg" --- # The beginning of being fine is noticing how things really… ![“The beginning of being fine is noticing how things really are: 1. Life is uncertain, surprises are likely. 2. If you are alive, that’s good; lower the bar. 3. In a dark place, you still have what really counts. 4. If you are in a predicament, there will be a gate. 5. What you need might be given…” quote by John Tarrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b9/john-tarrant-102729_dark-place_the-beginning-of-being-fine-is-noticing_241925.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b9/john-tarrant-102729_dark-place_the-beginning-of-being-fine-is-noticing_241925.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b9/john-tarrant-102729_dark-place_the-beginning-of-being-fine-is-noticing_241925.jpg) > ““The beginning of being fine is noticing how things really are: 1. Life is uncertain, surprises are likely. 2. If you are alive, that’s good; lower the bar. 3. In a dark place, you still have what really counts. 4. If you are in a predicament, there will be a gate. 5. What you need might be given to you. 6. The true life is in between winning and losing. 7. If you have nothing - give it away.”” John Tarrant ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being okay starts with realistic acceptance of uncertainty, modest expectations, and generosity, recognizing life’s ups and downs. **In simple terms:** Accept uncertainty, lower expectations, stay generous. Key Takeaway Embrace realistic optimism. Themes philosophy resilience generosity Mood thoughtful hopeful Type Beginning:1 Dark place:0 Fine:1 Life:1 True life:1 Winning and losing:1 Life Uncertain:1 Life Is Uncertain:1 Beginning Fine:0 Fine Noticing:0 When to use this quote - daily reflections - goal setting - supporting others Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How can you lower the bar health? - What can you give away today? A Different Perspective May sound overly simplistic for severe hardship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Is Uncertain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-uncertain/) [Life Uncertain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-uncertain/) [True life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-life/) [Winning and losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning-and-losing/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is uncertain. Today you get a rose. Tomorrow you feel the thorns. But the end result is red, always!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shillpi-s-banerrji/life-is-uncertain-today-you-get-a-rose-tomorrow-you-feel-the-thorns/) Shillpi S Banerrji > [Don't look for reasons to be happy. Life is short life is uncertain be happy because you are still alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-look-for-reasons-to-be-happy-life-is-short-life-is-uncertain-be/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Life is uncertain. Lord grant us gracious courage to face the uncertainty of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/life-is-uncertain-lord-grant-us-gracious-courage-to-face-the/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Life is uncertain, so I have learnt to enjoy each moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-sanu/life-is-uncertain-so-i-have-learnt-to-enjoy-each-moment/) [Kumar Sanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-sanu/) > [Life is a mystery. Life is uncertain. 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I believe that for each of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-greitens/life-is-short-life-is-uncertain-but-we-know-that-we-have-today-and-we/) [Eric Greitens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-greitens/) > [I accept that life is uncertain--that the goal is not to become more certain about anything but to relax more into the mystery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/i-accept-that-life-is-uncertain-that-the-goal-is-not-to-become-more/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [The Goddess of wealth is unsteady, and so is the life breath. The duration of life is uncertain, and the place of habitation is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/the-goddess-of-wealth-is-unsteady-and-so-is-the-life-breath-the/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Life is uncertain don't waste your time on such things that don't deserve your time and efforts instead do things you love and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/life-is-uncertain-don-t-waste-your-time-on-such-things-that-don-t/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernestine-ulmer/life-is-uncertain-eat-dessert-first/) Ernestine Ulmer > [Death is certain. Life is uncertain. Be AWARE. Be good. Be Kind Hearted. Be Grateful. Be Compassionate. Be Loving. Be Gentle. Be Helpful. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-certain-life-is-uncertain-be-aware-be-good-be-kind-hearted/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John Tarrant > [“Attention is the most basic form of love; through it we bless and are blessed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tarrant/attention-is-the-most-basic-form-of-love-through-it-we-bless-and-are/) John Tarrant Explore all 2 John Tarrant quotes ## More Beginning quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) Adam Imad > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) Manae Poet Of Carisis > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) Jacklyn H Lucas [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The beginning of being fine is noticing how things really are: 1. Life is uncertain, surprises are likely. 2. 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