---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By clarifying what remains, you also gain…"
description: "\"“By clarifying what remains, you also gain an understanding of what is left in your life once you discard these negative items. What is left is what is..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/jonathan-berent-4272_change-for-the-bette_by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain_1900245.jpg"
---

#  By clarifying what remains, you also gain an understanding…

![“By clarifying what remains, you also gain an understanding of what is left in your life once you discard these negative items. What is left is what is most important to you. In reality, you may not be able to “discard” the unpleasant or negative things you’ve thrown in your mental wastebasket. But…” quote by Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/jonathan-berent-4272_change-for-the-bette_by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain_1900245.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/jonathan-berent-4272_change-for-the-bette_by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain_1900245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/jonathan-berent-4272_change-for-the-bette_by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain_1900245.jpg)

> ““By clarifying what remains, you also gain an understanding of what is left in your life once you discard these negative items. What is left is what is most important to you. In reality, you may not be able to “discard” the unpleasant or negative things you’ve thrown in your mental wastebasket. But you can begin to think about ways your relationship to those items, issues, or people might change for the better to improve your self-esteem and reduce your anxiety.””

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Clarifying what you keep reveals core values, allowing you to reframe relationships with negative elements and reduce anxiety.

**In simple terms:** Identify priorities, adjust mindset.

Key Takeaway

Focus on what matters, let go of excess.

Themes

self-awareness prioritization mental health anxiety reduction

Mood

introspective calm hopeful

Type

philosophical self-help

When to use this quote

- decluttering life
- relationship counseling
- career planning
- stress management

Key Concepts

psychology values cognitive restructuring

Questions to Reflect On

- What can you discard to highlight your values?
- How will you reframe negative relationships?

A Different Perspective

Changing mindset may be difficult without external support.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change for the better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-for-the-better/) [Discard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discard/) [Discard Unpleasant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discard-unpleasant-2799416/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Discard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-discard-2799418/) [Mental Wastebasket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-wastebasket-2799419/) [Reduce Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reduce-anxiety-2799417/)

## Related quotes

> [“As I asked more pointed questions about the choices and behaviors Wholehearted men and women made to reduce anxiety, they explained that reducing anxiety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/as-i-asked-more-pointed-questions-about-the-choices-and-behaviors/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [“In classic experiments on stress, people performed tasks that required concentration, like solving puzzles, while being blasted at random intervals with uncomfortably loud sounds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/in-classic-experiments-on-stress-people-performed-tasks-that-required/)

[Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/)

> [“Defenses are psychological strategies we use to keep us safe. They help us cope and reduce our anxiety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-impellizzeri/defenses-are-psychological-strategies-we-use-to-keep-us-safe-they/)

[Shirley Impellizzeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-impellizzeri/)

> [To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. And if you no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/to-truly-cherish-the-things-that-are-important-to-you-you-must-first/)

[Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/)

> [“Return Gifts: Those cheap things kids almost lynch you for, and then discard on their way out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachna-singh/return-gifts-those-cheap-things-kids-almost-lynch-you-for-and-then/)

[Rachna Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachna-singh/)

> [You can never discard too many bad ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/you-can-never-discard-too-many-bad-ideas/)

[Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/)

> [“If we could renounce our artful contrivances and discard our (scheming for) gain, there would be no thieves nor robbers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/if-we-could-renounce-our-artful-contrivances-and-discard-our-scheming/)

[Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/)

> [“Sorting papers Rule of thumb—discard everything Once”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/sorting-papers-rule-of-thumb-discard-everything-once/)

[Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/)

> [Goethe said there would be little left of him if he were to discard what he owed to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-saunders-cushman/goethe-said-there-would-be-little-left-of-him-if-he-were-to-discard/)

[Charlotte Saunders Cushman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-saunders-cushman/)

> [Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/keep-only-those-things-that-speak-to-your-heart-then-take-the-plunge/)

[Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/)

> [The challenge to Asia is to discard the dry, meatless bone of mysticism and fatalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/the-challenge-to-asia-is-to-discard-the-dry-meatless-bone-of/)

[Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/)

> [“Study whatever you were told very carefully. Make the best choices for the best brands and discard the rest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/study-whatever-you-were-told-very-carefully-make-the-best-choices-for/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [The notion that you could discard the old world and now make a new one. This is what was so bad about Modernism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/the-notion-that-you-could-discard-the-old-world-and-now-make-a-new/)

[Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/)

> [“What people discard could make a nation”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/what-people-discard-could-make-a-nation/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [In science, each new result, sometimes quite surprising, heralds a step forward and allows one to discard some hypotheses, even though one or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-b-prusiner/in-science-each-new-result-sometimes-quite-surprising-heralds-a-step/)

[Stanley B. Prusiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-b-prusiner/)

## More by Jonathan Berent

> [“ . . . Because of a lack of self-confidence and an inability to function independently . . .” It may be easier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/because-of-a-lack-of-self-confidence-and-an-inability-to-function/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is the reference manual used by mental health professionals to diagnose psychological problems, defines the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/the-diagnostic-and-statistical-manual-of-mental-disorders-which-is/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ Body Orientation When someone does approach and speak to you, pay careful attention to the extent to which you face that person. Facing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/body-orientation-when-someone-does-approach-and-speak-to-you-pay/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ Three Opening Topics of Conversation Use your information-gathering skills to devise topics that would interest you both. As your conversation proceeds, listen carefully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/three-opening-topics-of-conversation-use-your-information-gathering/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ Nodding You can nod your head to show that you are listening and understanding what is being said. Nodding is a sign of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/nodding-you-can-nod-your-head-to-show-that-you-are-listening-and/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ Posture The first impression you make is likely to be from several feet away. An observer will assess your approachability from a general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/posture-the-first-impression-you-make-is-likely-to-be-from-several/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“These days, there are many different ways to enjoy yourself, and the interactive requirements vary considerably, so it wouldn’t be too hard to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/these-days-there-are-many-different-ways-to-enjoy-yourself-and-the/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ LOW SELF-ESTEEM Characteristic of most people with social anxiety is low self-esteem. I showed you the sequence in Chapter 1. What is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/low-self-esteem-characteristic-of-most-people-with-social-anxiety-is/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ Courting and Friendship Reciprocals Reciprocals are the signals people give each other to indicate an interest in companionship. When there is physical attraction,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/courting-and-friendship-reciprocals-reciprocals-are-the-signals/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ The Resume Your resume is like an advertisement for you as a job candidate. It should present you in the best possible light.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/the-resume-your-resume-is-like-an-advertisement-for-you-as-a-job/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“It may help you to jot down a few notes to alleviate any fear of becoming tongue-tied—your name, the position or company you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/it-may-help-you-to-jot-down-a-few-notes-to-alleviate-any-fear-of/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“This portion of the chapter is directed at those of you whose son or daughter or other relative is in denial about his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/this-portion-of-the-chapter-is-directed-at-those-of-you-whose-son-or/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“The more you understand about anxiety, the more you will be able to control it. Remember, social anxiety is not some abstract phenomenon or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/the-more-you-understand-about-anxiety-the-more-you-will-be-able-to/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ CONVERSATION GUIDELINES What is the secret to good conversation? Shared interest in the subject; easy, natural flow from topic to topic; humor, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/conversation-guidelines-what-is-the-secret-to-good-conversation/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

> [“ Changing Topics Changing topics gracefully is the hallmark of an excellent conversationalist. Changing topics keeps the conversation fresh and allows you to explore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/changing-topics-changing-topics-gracefully-is-the-hallmark-of-an/)

[Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

[Explore all 113 Jonathan Berent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/)

## More Change for the better quotes

> [“Life has a way of doing that; one minute everything makes sense, the next, things change. People get sick. Families break apart, your friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/life-has-a-way-of-doing-that-one-minute-everything-makes-sense-the/)

[Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/)

> [Start believing that things are going to change for the better. Not because you deserve it, but simply because God loves you that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-believing-that-things-are-going-to-change-for-the-better-not/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“It all suddenly seemed like a hopeless fight, but so what? I told myself. What does it cost you to pretend that the can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-j-cogswell/it-all-suddenly-seemed-like-a-hopeless-fight-but-so-what-i-told/)

[Kelly J. Cogswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-j-cogswell/)

> [“People have to be less internally focused and show more of a desire to help others in order to create change for the better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/people-have-to-be-less-internally-focused-and-show-more-of-a-desire/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [“No matter who and where you are in life... you absolutely have within you the power to positively change for the better. You always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/no-matter-who-and-where-you-are-in-life-you-absolutely-have-within/)

[Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/)

> [Working with the media remains an effective and essential way to raise issues, educate the public, and prod policy-makers and corporate leaders to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/working-with-the-media-remains-an-effective-and-essential-way-to/)

[Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/)

> [Sometimes men change for the better. Sometimes men change for the worse. And often, very often, given time and opportunity . . .’ He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/sometimes-men-change-for-the-better-sometimes-men-change-for-the/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [Not a change for the better in our human housekeeping has ever taken place that wise and good men have not opposed it-have not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/not-a-change-for-the-better-in-our-human-housekeeping-has-ever-taken/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [“People who go through a heavy experience like that are changed men, like it or not,” he said. “They change for the better and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/people-who-go-through-a-heavy-experience-like-that-are-changed-men/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“You know you are wealthy when you lose count of the people whose lives you changed for the better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/you-know-you-are-wealthy-when-you-lose-count-of-the-people-whose/)

[Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/)

> [The thing has already taken form in my mind before I start it. The first attempts are absolutely unbearable. I say this because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-thing-has-already-taken-form-in-my-mind-before-i-start-it-the/)

[Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/)

> [I am very optimistic because I have seen the changes in my lifetime. I have seen the world change for the better. We always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-am-very-optimistic-because-i-have-seen-the-changes-in-my-lifetime-i/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [Most of the earth's inhabitants work to get by. They work because they have to. They didn't pick this or that kind of job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/most-of-the-earth-s-inhabitants-work-to-get-by-they-work-because-they/)

[Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/)

> [Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/any-change-even-a-change-for-the-better-is-always-accompanied-by/)

[Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/)

> [All I can promise the supporters of Reading is that I come in here and give 100%, I try to get the team successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-clarke/all-i-can-promise-the-supporters-of-reading-is-that-i-come-in-here/)

[Steve Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-clarke/)

[Browse all 218 Change for the better quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-for-the-better/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“By clarifying what remains, you also gain an understanding of what is left in your life once you discard these negative items. What is left is what is most important to you. In reality, you may not be able to “discard” the unpleasant or negative things you’ve thrown in your mental wastebasket. But you can begin to think about ways your relationship to those items, issues, or people might change for the better to improve your self-esteem and reduce your anxiety.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Berent"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain-an-understanding-of-what-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change for the better"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain-an-understanding-of-what-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/jonathan-berent-4272_change-for-the-bette_by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain_1900245.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/jonathan-berent-4272_change-for-the-bette_by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain_1900245.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/jonathan-berent-4272_change-for-the-bette_by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain_1900245.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“By clarifying what remains, you also gain an understanding of what is left in your life once you discard…” — Jonathan Berent",
                "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": "Jonathan Berent",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“By clarifying what remains, you also...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain-an-understanding-of-what-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/by-clarifying-what-remains-you-also-gain-an-understanding-of-what-is/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
