--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I knew that the moment I started worrying…" description: "\"I knew that the moment I started worrying about whether or not I was good enough for the job, I wouldn't be able to do it.\" — Madeleine L'Engle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/madeleine-l-engle-345_able_i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worryin_2720666.png" --- # I knew that the moment I started worrying about whether or… ![“I knew that the moment I started worrying about whether or not I was good enough for the job, I wouldn't be able to do it.” quote by Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/madeleine-l-engle-345_able_i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worryin_2720666.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/madeleine-l-engle-345_able_i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worryin_2720666.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/madeleine-l-engle-345_able_i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worryin_2720666.png) > “I knew that the moment I started worrying about whether or not I was good enough for the job, I wouldn't be able to do it.” [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self-doubt sabotages performance; confidence is essential for success. **In simple terms:** Worry blocks ability to act. Key Takeaway Believe in yourself before starting. Themes self‑esteem performance confidence Mood anxious determined Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - job interview - public speaking - new project - team leadership Key Concepts psychology self‑fulfilling prophecy Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your self‑doubt? - How can you build confidence quickly? A Different Perspective Confidence alone may not guarantee skill; preparation matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) [Worrying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worrying/) ## Related quotes > [You'd never play Hamlet if you started worrying about who's played it before you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-macfadyen/you-d-never-play-hamlet-if-you-started-worrying-about-who-s-played-it/) [Matthew Macfadyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-macfadyen/) > [If I started worrying about how my constituents are going to react to every move I make, I wouldn't be able to do my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-harris/if-i-started-worrying-about-how-my-constituents-are-going-to-react-to/) [Ed Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-harris/) > [“As his mother said, once you started worrying about the future, you started obsessing about the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/as-his-mother-said-once-you-started-worrying-about-the-future-you/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Then he came over to me and all I remember after that is seeing blood splattered all over the walls and a girl screaming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/then-he-came-over-to-me-and-all-i-remember-after-that-is-seeing-blood/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [If a problem can be solved, why worry? If a problem cannot be solved, then worrying will do no good.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-allen/if-a-problem-can-be-solved-why-worry-if-a-problem-cannot-be-solved/) [Marc Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-allen/) > [If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shantideva/if-the-problem-can-be-solved-why-worry-if-the-problem-cannot-be/) [Shantideva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shantideva/) > [“Women seem to go through life always thinking they are not good enough. There will be a moment in our lives when we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-caro/women-seem-to-go-through-life-always-thinking-they-are-not-good/) [Jane Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-caro/) > [“I'm a Cancer, you know," I tell her. "So it's hard for me to talk. And I have all these weird dreams, not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/i-m-a-cancer-you-know-i-tell-her-so-it-s-hard-for-me-to-talk-and-i/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [We have a saying in Tibet: If a problem can be solved there is no use worrying about it. If it can't be solved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-harrer/we-have-a-saying-in-tibet-if-a-problem-can-be-solved-there-is-no-use/) [Heinrich Harrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-harrer/) > [If a problem can be solved, there is nothing to worry about. If it can't be solved, worrying will do no good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nateman/if-a-problem-can-be-solved-there-is-nothing-to-worry-about-if-it-can/) [Nateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nateman/) > [I was very afraid that I wouldn't be able to do this job well. And the time never came back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/i-was-very-afraid-that-i-wouldn-t-be-able-to-do-this-job-well-and-the/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [“All humans are coloured. Or else you wouldn't be able to see them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loesje/all-humans-are-coloured-or-else-you-wouldn-t-be-able-to-see-them/) [Loesje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loesje/) > [“She wouldn’t be able to help it. Because as mortified as she’d be, she’d be doubly turned on. And I’d stand there, a satisfied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-wouldn-t-be-able-to-help-it-because-as-mortified-as-she-d-be-she/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But that’s the thing, beautiful, I wouldn’t be able to stop. I’d fuck you all day over and over. You’d be weak from all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-webster/but-that-s-the-thing-beautiful-i-wouldn-t-be-able-to-stop-i-d-fuck/) [K. Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-webster/) > [We're all colored, or you wouldn't be able to see anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-all-colored-or-you-wouldn-t-be-able-to-see-anyone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Madeleine L'Engle > [“One of the hardest lessons I have to learn is how not to be judgmental about people who are judgmental. When I see how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/one-of-the-hardest-lessons-i-have-to-learn-is-how-not-to-be/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Inspiration more often comes during the work than before it, because the largest part of the job of an artist is to listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/inspiration-more-often-comes-during-the-work-than-before-it-because/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-have-to-write-the-book-that-wants-to-be-written-and-if-the-book/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Severe illness isolates those in close contact with it, because it inevitably narrows the focus of concern. To a certain extent this can lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/severe-illness-isolates-those-in-close-contact-with-it-because-it/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-safety/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/faith-is-what-makes-life-bearable-with-all-its-tragedies-and/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“Instead of rejoicing in this glorious “impossible” which gives meaning and dignity to our lives, we try to domesticate God, to make his mighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/instead-of-rejoicing-in-this-glorious-impossible-which-gives-meaning/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I have never lived before...Until this summer, I did not know what it was to be alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-have-never-lived-before-until-this-summer-i-did-not-know-what-it/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [On the other side of pain, there is still love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/on-the-other-side-of-pain-there-is-still-love/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“To love is to be vulnerable; and it is only in vulnerability and risk—not safety and security—that we overcome darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/to-love-is-to-be-vulnerable-and-it-is-only-in-vulnerability-and-risk/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“IT was the most horrible, the most repellent thing she had ever seen, far more nauseating then anything she had ever imagined with her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/it-was-the-most-horrible-the-most-repellent-thing-she-had-ever-seen/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I feel as though I'm not breathing when I'm out of his presence. He's the oxygen in my air, the sun in my universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-feel-as-though-i-m-not-breathing-when-i-m-out-of-his-presence-he-s/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Rather than feeling lost and unimportant and meaningless, set against galaxies which go beyond the reach of the furthest telescopes, I feel that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/rather-than-feeling-lost-and-unimportant-and-meaningless-set-against/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [My husband is my most ruthless critic... sometimes he will say, 'It's been said better before.' Of course it has. It's all been said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/my-husband-is-my-most-ruthless-critic-sometimes-he-will-say-it-s-been/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [If we aren't capable of being hurt we aren't capable of feeling joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/if-we-aren-t-capable-of-being-hurt-we-aren-t-capable-of-feeling-joy/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) [Explore all 660 Madeleine L'Engle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I knew that the moment I started worrying about whether or not I was good enough for the job, I wouldn't be able to do it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Madeleine L'Engle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worrying-about-whether-or-not-i-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worrying-about-whether-or-not-i-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/madeleine-l-engle-345_able_i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worryin_2720666.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/madeleine-l-engle-345_able_i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worryin_2720666.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/madeleine-l-engle-345_able_i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worryin_2720666.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I knew that the moment I started worrying about whether or not I was good enough for the job, I wouldn't be…” — Madeleine L'Engle", "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": "Madeleine L'Engle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I knew that the moment I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worrying-about-whether-or-not-i-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-knew-that-the-moment-i-started-worrying-about-whether-or-not-i-was/#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 } } ] } ```