--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One small shift in the way we each…" description: "\"“One small shift in the way we each conduct ourselves, and the crystal lattice structure of the world is already different. In this way, we are the wor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_change_one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-condu_1863091.jpg" --- # One small shift in the way we each conduct ourselves, and… ![“One small shift in the way we each conduct ourselves, and the crystal lattice structure of the world is already different. In this way, we are the world, and when we take responsibility for our small but not insignificant part of it, the whole is already different—the flowering we manifest…” quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_change_one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-condu_1863091.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_change_one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-condu_1863091.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_change_one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-condu_1863091.jpg) > ““One small shift in the way we each conduct ourselves, and the crystal lattice structure of the world is already different. In this way, we are the world, and when we take responsibility for our small but not insignificant part of it, the whole is already different—the flowering we manifest emotionally and in every other way of some importance, potentially enormous.”” [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Small personal actions collectively reshape the world, influencing emotional and material outcomes. **In simple terms:** Minor changes create big impacts. Key Takeaway Act responsibly in everyday life. Themes interconnectedness responsibility mindfulness change growth Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily habits - community service - environmental choices - personal relationships Key Concepts systems thinking psychology social impact Questions to Reflect On - What small habit could you adopt to benefit others? - How does personal responsibility affect global change? A Different Perspective Impact may be indirect and not immediately visible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ## Related quotes > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“You don’t always have to take it all on, either, you know. The weight of the world. The responsibility for everyone else’s problems. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-day/you-don-t-always-have-to-take-it-all-on-either-you-know-the-weight-of/) [Alyssa Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-day/) > [I am a believer that if you bring children into this world, then you have a responsibility to do your best and support and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/i-am-a-believer-that-if-you-bring-children-into-this-world-then-you/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [The only way we can change our world is to take responsibility for our part in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-bermingham/the-only-way-we-can-change-our-world-is-to-take-responsibility-for/) [Rachael Bermingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-bermingham/) > [Education is the best way to train ourselves that we will secure our own well-being by concerning ourselves with others. It is possible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/education-is-the-best-way-to-train-ourselves-that-we-will-secure-our/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Left to my own devices, my first inclination is to mess in other people's lives. I secretly believe my whole family, and really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/left-to-my-own-devices-my-first-inclination-is-to-mess-in-other/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“To make good environmental decision, we must stop focusing on trying to remove or undo human influence, on turning back time or freezing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-marris/to-make-good-environmental-decision-we-must-stop-focusing-on-trying/) [Emma Marris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-marris/) > [You ask why London has to 'stand for' anything. One response is that in fact it always inevitably does. One could say at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-massey/you-ask-why-london-has-to-stand-for-anything-one-response-is-that-in/) [Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) > [The world is our responsibility. We cannot evade it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/the-world-is-our-responsibility-we-cannot-evade-it/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [“Now especially since man has the strength to destroy the world, it is the responsibility of man to keep it alive, in all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cooper/now-especially-since-man-has-the-strength-to-destroy-the-world-it-is/) [Susan Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cooper/) > [All that means to me is that people who have a vision of a better world have a responsibility to open their eyes, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/all-that-means-to-me-is-that-people-who-have-a-vision-of-a-better/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Why are all these refugees rushing to the beauty and strength of Europe and to the United States and not rushing to their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-t-flynn/why-are-all-these-refugees-rushing-to-the-beauty-and-strength-of/) [Michael T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-t-flynn/) > [We do not have to accept the world as we find it. And we have a responsibility to leave our world a better place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/we-do-not-have-to-accept-the-world-as-we-find-it-and-we-have-a/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [If you bring a child into the world, you have a responsibility to that child in every sense of the word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-r-jaffe/if-you-bring-a-child-into-the-world-you-have-a-responsibility-to-that/) [Stanley R. Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-r-jaffe/) > [“For remember, that it is altogether your world now. You and all the rest. We have delivered you from evil, but the evil that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cooper/for-remember-that-it-is-altogether-your-world-now-you-and-all-the/) [Susan Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cooper/) ## More by Jon Kabat-Zinn > [Karma is often wrongly confused with the notion of a fixed destiny. It is more like an accumulation of tendencies that can lock us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/karma-is-often-wrongly-confused-with-the-notion-of-a-fixed-destiny-it/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Living in a chronic state of unawareness can cause us to miss much of what is most beautiful and meaningful in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/living-in-a-chronic-state-of-unawareness-can-cause-us-to-miss-much-of/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-means-moment-to-moment-non-judgmental-awareness-it-is/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“One practical way to do this is to look at other people and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/one-practical-way-to-do-this-is-to-look-at-other-people-and-ask/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [I thought it was a stroke of genius that Hans Selye used the word stress, because it's true that if you don't know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/i-thought-it-was-a-stroke-of-genius-that-hans-selye-used-the-word/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“dwell in stillness and to observe without reacting and without judging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/dwell-in-stillness-and-to-observe-without-reacting-and-without-judging/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Generosity is another quality which, like patience, letting go, non-judging, and trust, provides a solid foundation for mindfulness practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/generosity-is-another-quality-which-like-patience-letting-go-non/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/the-little-things-the-little-moments-they-aren-t-little/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Arriving someplace more desirable at some future time is an illusion. This is it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/arriving-someplace-more-desirable-at-some-future-time-is-an-illusion/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“Give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is, and allow yourself to be exactly as you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/give-yourself-permission-to-allow-this-moment-to-be-exactly-as-it-is/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Generosity is another quality which, like patience, letting go, non-judging, and trust, provides a solid foundation for mindfulness practice. You might experiment with using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/generosity-is-another-quality-which-like-patience-letting-go-non-2/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Science gave me a cosmic religious feeling, and I would get the same feeling when I was dragged to the Met and the Museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/science-gave-me-a-cosmic-religious-feeling-and-i-would-get-the-same/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Look at other people and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just your thoughts about them… Without knowing it, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/look-at-other-people-and-ask-yourself-if-you-are-really-seeing-them/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“In fact, even if distraction does alleviate your pain or help to cope with it some of the time, bringing mindfulness to it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/in-fact-even-if-distraction-does-alleviate-your-pain-or-help-to-cope/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) [Explore all 252 Jon Kabat-Zinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“One small shift in the way we each conduct ourselves, and the crystal lattice structure of the world is already different. In this way, we are the world, and when we take responsibility for our small but not insignificant part of it, the whole is already different—the flowering we manifest emotionally and in every other way of some importance, potentially enormous.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Kabat-Zinn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-conduct-ourselves-and-the-crystal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-conduct-ourselves-and-the-crystal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_change_one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-condu_1863091.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_change_one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-condu_1863091.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_change_one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-condu_1863091.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One small shift in the way we each conduct ourselves, and the crystal lattice structure of the world is…” — Jon Kabat-Zinn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jon Kabat-Zinn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“One small shift in the way...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-conduct-ourselves-and-the-crystal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-conduct-ourselves-and-the-crystal/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```