---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't think small and expect to have a…"
description: "\"Don't think small and expect to have a big life.\" — Marianne Williamson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/marianne-williamson-90_bigs_don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-b_1485965.png"
---

#  Don't think small and expect to have a big life.

![“Don't think small and expect to have a big life.” quote by Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/marianne-williamson-90_bigs_don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-b_1485965.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/marianne-williamson-90_bigs_don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-b_1485965.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/marianne-williamson-90_bigs_don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-b_1485965.png)

> “Don't think small and expect to have a big life.”

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

## About This Quote

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

Encourages thinking big and avoiding limiting mindsets to achieve a larger life.

**In simple terms:** Don’t think small; aim for a big life.

Key Takeaway

Expand your vision beyond small expectations.

Themes

mindset growth ambition

Mood

inspirational pragmatic

Type

self‑help motivational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- goal setting
- creative projects

Key Concepts

self‑help psychology personal development

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance ambition with realism?
- What steps turn big dreams into actionable plans?

A Different Perspective

The advice may ignore practical constraints.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Big Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-life-290489/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Expect Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-big-1639201/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Great expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-expectations/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [High expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-expectations/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Inspirational life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Positive expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-expectations/) [Positive thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-thinking/) [Small Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-expect-5426499/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-positive/) [Think Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-small-233756/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [It seems to me that at 19 or 20, a young man is burning to be great at something. I was. You have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-garfunkel/it-seems-to-me-that-at-19-or-20-a-young-man-is-burning-to-be-great-at/)

[Art Garfunkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-garfunkel/)

> [Imagine the most outrageously positive possibility for your life, claim it, and consider it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/imagine-the-most-outrageously-positive-possibility-for-your-life/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Read a lot. Expect something big, something exalting or deepening from a book. No book is worth reading that isn't worth re-reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/read-a-lot-expect-something-big-something-exalting-or-deepening-from/)

[Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/)

> [“Hello, glad to be here, but just don’t expect to get from me what you will never get from me. You will not get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/hello-glad-to-be-here-but-just-don-t-expect-to-get-from-me-what-you/)

[Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/)

> [Don't expect the Big Leaps if you won't take the Small Steps!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-leggett/don-t-expect-the-big-leaps-if-you-won-t-take-the-small-steps/)

[Aaron Leggett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-leggett/)

> [How often we expect big things from God without preparing for big things from him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/how-often-we-expect-big-things-from-god-without-preparing-for-big/)

[Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/)

> [Don't expect a big celebration,expect the thing that you can do that now you are 18.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-alapan/don-t-expect-a-big-celebration-expect-the-thing-that-you-can-do-that/)

[Mitch Alapan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-alapan/)

> [I expect big things from myself but as long as I can keep the commitment and dedication and put the hard work in, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-mcilroy/i-expect-big-things-from-myself-but-as-long-as-i-can-keep-the/)

[Rory McIlroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-mcilroy/)

> [If you can't do the small things right, how can you expect to do the big things?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minkah-fitzpatrick/if-you-can-t-do-the-small-things-right-how-can-you-expect-to-do-the/)

[Minkah Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minkah-fitzpatrick/)

> [I expect big things from myself and I'm never satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauri-markkanen/i-expect-big-things-from-myself-and-i-m-never-satisfied/)

[Lauri Markkanen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauri-markkanen/)

> [Have an attitude of positive expectation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/have-an-attitude-of-positive-expectation/)

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

> [Optimists and pessimists die the exact same death, but they live very different lives!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/optimists-and-pessimists-die-the-exact-same-death-but-they-live-very/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [If you want good things to happen in your life you first have to believe good things are possible for yourself. Quit allowing negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/if-you-want-good-things-to-happen-in-your-life-you-first-have-to/)

[Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/)

> [H=have O=only P=positive E=expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/h-have-o-only-p-positive-e-expectations/)

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

> [The worst has happened. The best is next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-george/the-worst-has-happened-the-best-is-next/)

[Paul George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-george/)

## More by Marianne Williamson

> [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Great people are not people who have never fallen down. Greatness has to do with how you get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/great-people-are-not-people-who-have-never-fallen-down-greatness-has/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [I feel that if your soul was branded by the sixties, you never lost the brand. It's like going into a nightclub and having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-feel-that-if-your-soul-was-branded-by-the-sixties-you-never-lost/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Until we have met the monsters in ourselves, we keep trying to slay them in the outer world. And we find that we cannot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/until-we-have-met-the-monsters-in-ourselves-we-keep-trying-to-slay/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [No matter how sad we might be, the universe is still planning our happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/no-matter-how-sad-we-might-be-the-universe-is-still-planning-our/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Love is who we are, and when we deviate from that love we're deviating from our ultimate, essential, eternal reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/love-is-who-we-are-and-when-we-deviate-from-that-love-we-re-deviating/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [For many, many people, getting married is one of the most important things they will ever do in the pursuit of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/for-many-many-people-getting-married-is-one-of-the-most-important/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [As all of us are only too aware, the loud and frantic voices of the outer world easily drown out the small, still loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/as-all-of-us-are-only-too-aware-the-loud-and-frantic-voices-of-the/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [It is not too late. You are not too old. You are right on time-And you are better than you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-is-not-too-late-you-are-not-too-old-you-are-right-on-time-and-you/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [I tell my mother I went to God in spite of my religious education. I feel that my religious education was inadequate, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-tell-my-mother-i-went-to-god-in-spite-of-my-religious-education-i/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [You don't have to be a spiritual seeker, you can be a businessman dealing with the revolution in computers. You could be a congressman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-spiritual-seeker-you-can-be-a-businessman/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Dear God, I surrender this thought to you, for I would see the miracle that lies behind it. Amen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/dear-god-i-surrender-this-thought-to-you-for-i-would-see-the-miracle/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [Sex is not the ultimate high, but the ultimate high hangs out around sex. The ultimate high is the dance with another person, played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/sex-is-not-the-ultimate-high-but-the-ultimate-high-hangs-out-around/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

[Explore all 1,347 Marianne Williamson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

## More Bigs 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/)

> [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/)

[Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/)

> [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/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/)

[Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/)

> [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/)

[Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/)

[Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/)

[Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Don't think small and expect to have a big life.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marianne Williamson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-big-life/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bigs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-big-life/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/marianne-williamson-90_bigs_don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-b_1485965.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/marianne-williamson-90_bigs_don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-b_1485965.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/marianne-williamson-90_bigs_don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-b_1485965.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Don't think small and expect to have a big life.” — Marianne Williamson",
                "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": "Marianne Williamson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Don't think small and expect to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-big-life/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/don-t-think-small-and-expect-to-have-a-big-life/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
