--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought, 'Let's make it a check list…" description: "\"I thought, 'Let's make it a check list. What if I got my education even though I lost my mother, even though my dad is in a shelter?' and looking at th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/liz-murray-11321_dad_i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-wha_2075905.jpg" --- # I thought, 'Let's make it a check list. What if I got my… ![“I thought, 'Let's make it a check list. What if I got my education even though I lost my mother, even though my dad is in a shelter?' and looking at these things as hurdles to go over. I could inspire myself.” quote by Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/liz-murray-11321_dad_i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-wha_2075905.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/liz-murray-11321_dad_i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-wha_2075905.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/liz-murray-11321_dad_i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-wha_2075905.jpg) > “I thought, 'Let's make it a check list. What if I got my education even though I lost my mother, even though my dad is in a shelter?' and looking at these things as hurdles to go over. I could inspire myself.” [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Turning personal tragedy into motivation transforms obstacles into stepping stones for achievement. **In simple terms:** Hardship can fuel ambition. Key Takeaway Use challenges as motivation. Themes adversity motivation self‑empowerment goal‑setting Mood determined inspirational Type advice motivational When to use this quote - education pursuit - family loss - financial hardship - personal development Key Concepts resilience determination growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What personal goals can you set despite obstacles? - How can you seek support while staying self‑driven? A Different Perspective Motivation alone may not overcome systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Check List](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/check-list-1897692/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-lost-4030773/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Shelter Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shelter-looking-4030772/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Thought Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-let-447802/) ## Related quotes > [“I can't believe you thought I'd ever let you go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorelei-james/i-can-t-believe-you-thought-i-d-ever-let-you-go/) [Lorelei James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorelei-james/) > [“DO NOT SEARCH FOR SECURITY in the world you inhabit. You tend to make mental checklists of things you need to do in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-young/do-not-search-for-security-in-the-world-you-inhabit-you-tend-to-make/) [Sarah Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-young/) > [Check that off the list of thigns I was confused about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philly/check-that-off-the-list-of-thigns-i-was-confused-about/) [Philly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philly/) > [I don't have a check list. If I click with someone, I click with someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chace-crawford/i-don-t-have-a-check-list-if-i-click-with-someone-i-click-with-someone/) [Chace Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chace-crawford/) > [Check that off the list of thnigs I was confused about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/makaela/check-that-off-the-list-of-thnigs-i-was-confused-about/) [Makaela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/makaela/) > [Check that off the list of tinhgs I was confused about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold/check-that-off-the-list-of-tinhgs-i-was-confused-about/) [Darold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold/) > [I check the list. Rubber tubing, gas, saw, gloves, cuffs, razor wire, hatchet, Gladys, and my mitts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/i-check-the-list-rubber-tubing-gas-saw-gloves-cuffs-razor-wire/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [I was always so afraid of losing you, but I never thought I'd be the one to let you go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-mary-rosales/i-was-always-so-afraid-of-losing-you-but-i-never-thought-i-d-be-the/) [Sheena Mary Rosales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-mary-rosales/) > [It's the man I thought you were that I can't let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-skaj/it-s-the-man-i-thought-you-were-that-i-can-t-let-go/) [Ann Skaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-skaj/) > [“Having thought, I have acted, she thought. Let the arrow fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-m-stirling-2/having-thought-i-have-acted-she-thought-let-the-arrow-fly/) [S. M. Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-m-stirling-2/) > [Medicine could have pretty far-reaching effects once we begin to look at the kinds of things that people can do to induce transformation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/medicine-could-have-pretty-far-reaching-effects-once-we-begin-to-look/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) > [“Strange how few, After all’s said and done, the things that are Of moment. Few indeed! When I can make Of ten small words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/strange-how-few-after-all-s-said-and-done-the-things-that-are-of/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [“THEY WERE, WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE, AND WE LET'EM OFF THE HOOK!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-green/they-were-who-we-thought-they-were-and-we-let-em-off-the-hook/) [Dennis Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-green/) > [“Now I have done what I can, he thought. Let him begin to circle and let the fight come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/now-i-have-done-what-i-can-he-thought-let-him-begin-to-circle-and-let/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [The next time you have a thought... let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/the-next-time-you-have-a-thought-let-it-go/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) ## More by Liz Murray > [“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/) > [“Things turning around for me had been the result of my focusing on the few areas in life I could change, and surrendering to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/things-turning-around-for-me-had-been-the-result-of-my-focusing-on/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [There was just so much attention that got focused on my story, and what that created was an opportunity for me to share what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/there-was-just-so-much-attention-that-got-focused-on-my-story-and/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“Wherever you go, you'll make the best of things. Look at your life, you already have... That's why I know you'll be all right...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/wherever-you-go-you-ll-make-the-best-of-things-look-at-your-life-you/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“I think his paintings are cathartic for him,” she said. “After you experience trauma that deep, you need to do something to heal. Something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-think-his-paintings-are-cathartic-for-him-she-said-after-you/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“Since as far back as I could remember, I'd felt that Lisa's responses toward me usually bordered on the brink of hostility. Years later,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/since-as-far-back-as-i-could-remember-i-d-felt-that-lisa-s-responses/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“Dream, but don't sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/dream-but-don-t-sleep/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“It's not that we didn't love one another- we did. I just think we didn't know how to be with one another anymore. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/it-s-not-that-we-didn-t-love-one-another-we-did-i-just-think-we-didn/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [ “Making these choices \[to attend school instead of skipping\], as it turned out, wasn't about willpower. I always admired people who “willed” themselves to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/making-these-choices-to-attend-school-instead-of-skipping-as-it/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [I've learned in my life that you really don't know what's possible until you're already doing it,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-ve-learned-in-my-life-that-you-really-don-t-know-what-s-possible/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [Shortly after I turned 13, Child Welfare took me into care. I was sent to a residential centre where girls with behavioural problems were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/shortly-after-i-turned-13-child-welfare-took-me-into-care-i-was-sent/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [I realized eventually that when I ran out of places to stay and found myself on the D train and in Central Park, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-realized-eventually-that-when-i-ran-out-of-places-to-stay-and-found/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [As well as being blind, Ma turned out to have the same mental illness that her mother had had. Between 1986 and 1990, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/as-well-as-being-blind-ma-turned-out-to-have-the-same-mental-illness/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“That’s when I realized that sex was not necessarily a shared thing. Sex was something you do with someone else, yet you can experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/that-s-when-i-realized-that-sex-was-not-necessarily-a-shared-thing/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“for years, maybe for my whole life, it felt as though there was a brick wall down the middle of everything. Standing outside those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/for-years-maybe-for-my-whole-life-it-felt-as-though-there-was-a-brick/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) [Explore all 60 Liz Murray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) ## More Dad quotes > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [Here I am, 11 years old, and these grown men have to give it everything they have to beat me. In one part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karch-kiraly/here-i-am-11-years-old-and-these-grown-men-have-to-give-it-everything/) [Karch Kiraly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karch-kiraly/) > [I always remember what my dad told me when I decided to turn into an actor. He was emphatic that whatever I do, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karthi/i-always-remember-what-my-dad-told-me-when-i-decided-to-turn-into-an/) [Karthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karthi/) > [My mom and dad had the relationship that I want, and they were teammates. They were always equal 50/50.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-kufrin/my-mom-and-dad-had-the-relationship-that-i-want-and-they-were/) [Becca Kufrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-kufrin/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [My father was the role model I looked up. My dad was an entertainer, too. I patterned my life after him. He wanted me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/my-father-was-the-role-model-i-looked-up-my-dad-was-an-entertainer/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [I talk to my dad all the time, he's more like my buddy than my father, and he's not happy that I use him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-spade/i-talk-to-my-dad-all-the-time-he-s-more-like-my-buddy-than-my-father/) [David Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-spade/) > [This week I realized my dad will make you cry in the store if you make him mad. Also when your crossing the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-week-i-realized-my-dad-will-make-you-cry-in-the-store-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was just putting way too much pressure on myself. I was just trying to get that validation from my dad. It got so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-was-just-putting-way-too-much-pressure-on-myself-i-was-just-trying/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) [Browse all 9,737 Dad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I thought, 'Let's make it a check list. What if I got my education even though I lost my mother, even though my dad is in a shelter?' and looking at these things as hurdles to go over. I could inspire myself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Liz Murray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-what-if-i-got-my-education-even/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dad" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-what-if-i-got-my-education-even/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/liz-murray-11321_dad_i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-wha_2075905.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/liz-murray-11321_dad_i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-wha_2075905.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/liz-murray-11321_dad_i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-wha_2075905.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I thought, 'Let's make it a check list. What if I got my education even though I lost my mother, even though…” — Liz Murray", "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": "Liz Murray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I thought, 'Let's make it a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-what-if-i-got-my-education-even/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-thought-let-s-make-it-a-check-list-what-if-i-got-my-education-even/#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 } } ] } ```