--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't be afraid of missing opportunities…" description: "\"Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed.\" — Lily Tomlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/lily-tomlin-3278_failure_don-t-be-afraid-of-missing-opportunities_2604226.png" --- # Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every… ![“Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed.” quote by Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/lily-tomlin-3278_failure_don-t-be-afraid-of-missing-opportunities_2604226.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/lily-tomlin-3278_failure_don-t-be-afraid-of-missing-opportunities_2604226.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/lily-tomlin-3278_failure_don-t-be-afraid-of-missing-opportunities_2604226.png) > “Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed.” [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Missing opportunities isn’t fear; failure hides unseen chances. **In simple terms:** Don’t fear missing chances; failure hides opportunities. Key Takeaway Embrace failure as a source of hidden opportunities. Themes failure opportunity mindset Mood optimistic reflective Type personal motivational When to use this quote - career pivots - creative projects - learning from mistakes Key Concepts growth mindset risk taking Questions to Reflect On - What failure taught you something valuable? - How do you identify hidden chances? A Different Perspective Not all failures lead to opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid Missing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-missing-584762/) [Behind Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behind-every/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-opportunity-263058/) [Missing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missing/) [Missing Opportunities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missing-opportunities-212892/) [Opportunities Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunities-failure-692034/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Opportunity Somebody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity-somebody-1937417/) ## Related quotes > [Boy, look, look! Look! Your daddy may not had a whole lot of money. Oh, but he was rich, because he invested in people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-the-entertainer/boy-look-look-look-your-daddy-may-not-had-a-whole-lot-of-money-oh-but/) [Cedric The Entertainer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-the-entertainer/) > [“Cultivate the habit of defining, refining, redefining and redeeming your opportunities. Failure is a temporal event, not a permanent trademark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/cultivate-the-habit-of-defining-refining-redefining-and-redeeming/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I've always said AOL is great opportunity for somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/i-ve-always-said-aol-is-great-opportunity-for-somebody/) [Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/) > [Many successful people have found opportunities in failure and adversity that they could not recognize in more favorable circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/many-successful-people-have-found-opportunities-in-failure-and/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Youth is the opportunity to do something and to be somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/youth-is-the-opportunity-to-do-something-and-to-be-somebody/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [The fear of failure never goes away. In many ways, you could argue that success multiplies the opportunities for failure. It's just more of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/the-fear-of-failure-never-goes-away-in-many-ways-you-could-argue-that/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [There is an actor's responsibility in presenting the emotional content of the lyrics to an audience. But whether you do that in a straightforward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-elling/there-is-an-actor-s-responsibility-in-presenting-the-emotional/) [Kurt Elling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-elling/) > [I'm trying to avoid having regrets about missing opportunities. That would be the worst thing. Like having an audience waiting, and not working hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-m-trying-to-avoid-having-regrets-about-missing-opportunities-that/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [Might you be missing opportunities because you have been too quick to ask how instead of why?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/might-you-be-missing-opportunities-because-you-have-been-too-quick-to/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [My skills include hesitating, missing opportunities and being full of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zahid-abas/my-skills-include-hesitating-missing-opportunities-and-being-full-of/) [Zahid Abas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zahid-abas/) > [I'm not afraid to say things, I'm afraid of missing my chance to say things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-afraid-to-say-things-i-m-afraid-of-missing-my-chance-to-say/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am still a little afraid of missing something if I forget that, as my father snobbishly suggested, and I snobbishly repeat, a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-am-still-a-little-afraid-of-missing-something-if-i-forget-that-as/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life, wherever it reveals itself; truth, no matter how bitter; bold, sincere speech with people—these are my leaven, these are what I want, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-wherever-it-reveals-itself-truth-no-matter-how-bitter-bold/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How much I missed, simply because I was afraid of missing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/how-much-i-missed-simply-because-i-was-afraid-of-missing-it/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Just as, in travel, one may miss seeing the sunset because one cannot find the ticket-office or is afraid of missing the train, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-origo/just-as-in-travel-one-may-miss-seeing-the-sunset-because-one-cannot/) [Iris Origo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-origo/) ## More by Lily Tomlin > [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“So if you've had a good time tonight, or if you've had a good time any night, for gosh sake's why not drop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/so-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-tonight-or-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-any/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I bought a box of animal crackers, but there was nothing inside. They'd eaten each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-bought-a-box-of-animal-crackers-but-there-was-nothing-inside-they-d/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [You know being relevant or coming up with something interesting, funny to say about what's current is just as hard as it might ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/you-know-being-relevant-or-coming-up-with-something-interesting-funny/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I wanted to be a stage actress. I wanted to be a New York actress and have a community with other actors. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-wanted-to-be-a-stage-actress-i-wanted-to-be-a-new-york-actress-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for masturbation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-have-reason-to-believe-that-man-first-walked-upright-to-free-his/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-don-t-care-we-don-t-have-to-we-re-the-phone-company/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/no-matter-how-cynical-i-get-i-can-t-keep-up/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [In the depths of the night, fear grips my heart. It paralyzes my mind. But most of all, I feel very, very alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/in-the-depths-of-the-night-fear-grips-my-heart-it-paralyzes-my-mind/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. And then I realized I was somebody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-always-wondered-why-somebody-didn-t-do-something-about-that-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/sometimes-i-worry-about-being-a-success-in-a-mediocre-world/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [And yet humanity is so not evolved that how can you expect anything absolutely major to happen? Look how long, we move ahead in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/and-yet-humanity-is-so-not-evolved-that-how-can-you-expect-anything/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [The whole idea of being in captivity in such limited space, especially in a zoo, causes elephants to suffer. They develop all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-whole-idea-of-being-in-captivity-in-such-limited-space-especially/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) [Explore all 135 Lily Tomlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. 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