--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But one thing I’ve learned is that the…" description: "\"“But one thing I’ve learned is that the minute I start fixating on what I don’t have — time, money, a child I can send to camp for the summer, central ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/marie-myung-ok-lee-75065_air-conditioning_but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-m_2703862.jpg" --- # But one thing I’ve learned is that the minute I start… ![“But one thing I’ve learned is that the minute I start fixating on what I don’t have — time, money, a child I can send to camp for the summer, central air conditioning — I just feel that much hotter and put-upon, and those bad feelings seem to attract extra obstructions to my day.” quote by Marie Myung-Ok Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/marie-myung-ok-lee-75065_air-conditioning_but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-m_2703862.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/marie-myung-ok-lee-75065_air-conditioning_but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-m_2703862.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/marie-myung-ok-lee-75065_air-conditioning_but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-m_2703862.jpg) > ““But one thing I’ve learned is that the minute I start fixating on what I don’t have — time, money, a child I can send to camp for the summer, central air conditioning — I just feel that much hotter and put-upon, and those bad feelings seem to attract extra obstructions to my day.”” Marie Myung-Ok Lee ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fixating on lacks intensifies discomfort and creates obstacles. **In simple terms:** Lack focus fuels negativity. Key Takeaway Practice gratitude to reduce fixation. Themes mindfulness gratitude psychology Mood calming hopeful Type self‑help advice When to use this quote - personal growth - stress reduction Key Concepts cognitive bias mental health Questions to Reflect On - How to shift focus from scarcity? - What gratitude practices help? A Different Perspective Some lack is unavoidable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-feelings/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) ## Related quotes > [When you're tanner, you feel hotter and sexier. You should try it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-polizzi/when-you-re-tanner-you-feel-hotter-and-sexier-you-should-try-it/) [Nicole Polizzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-polizzi/) > [Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-feelings-will-attract-more-happy-circumstances/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-fire-is-the-main-comfort-of-the-camp-whether-in-summer-or-winter-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-fire-is-the-main-comfort-of-the-camp-whether-in-summer-or-winter/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [From nine on I was forced to camp every summer. Not a volunteer. I played with the wrong kids so they made me go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/from-nine-on-i-was-forced-to-camp-every-summer-not-a-volunteer-i/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I go to camp every summer for seven weeks and it's like sleepaway camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-schnapp/i-go-to-camp-every-summer-for-seven-weeks-and-it-s-like-sleepaway-camp/) [Noah Schnapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-schnapp/) > [I used to go to sports camp every summer. I'd make a lot of new friends, and it was all athletic. It was basically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/i-used-to-go-to-sports-camp-every-summer-i-d-make-a-lot-of-new/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [My best friend and I went to sleep-away camp every summer. We'd share stories of making out with boys, but we never did, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/my-best-friend-and-i-went-to-sleep-away-camp-every-summer-we-d-share/) [Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/) > [Life is too short to waste time harboring bad feelings about anyone. Forgive, forget, then move on!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/life-is-too-short-to-waste-time-harboring-bad-feelings-about-anyone/) [Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/) > [We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/we-don-t-need-to-complicate-all-the-reasons-behind-our-emotions-it-s/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [I don't like bad feelings gnawing away at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-don-t-like-bad-feelings-gnawing-away-at-me/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [The worst feeling in the world hands down is hopelessness, although it is not the only bad feeling. Other bad feelings include death of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-frisch/the-worst-feeling-in-the-world-hands-down-is-hopelessness-although-it/) Matt Frisch > [“We got into the car. It was my first time. The car was spotless and I liked its smell, the smell of old leather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/we-got-into-the-car-it-was-my-first-time-the-car-was-spotless-and-i/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“Pretend that you’re the paddle and the rubber ball is your feelings. When something bad happens to us, our natural instinct is to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dobrenski/pretend-that-you-re-the-paddle-and-the-rubber-ball-is-your-feelings/) Rob Dobrenski > [“I felt I should repeat it for the other slipper, in case there should be any bad feelings between the two. One should never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-felt-i-should-repeat-it-for-the-other-slipper-in-case-there-should/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) ## More by Marie Myung-Ok Lee > [“The current of memory carried her along, futher, futher. This time, she didn't resist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-myung-ok-lee/the-current-of-memory-carried-her-along-futher-futher-this-time-she/) Marie Myung-Ok Lee > [“Kyung-sook's mother had taken it as an example that even if you started with nothing, with enough studying, one could accomplish everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-myung-ok-lee/kyung-sook-s-mother-had-taken-it-as-an-example-that-even-if-you/) Marie Myung-Ok Lee Explore all 3 Marie Myung-Ok Lee quotes ## More Air conditioning quotes > [Life's Highs... 1. Laughing hysterically 2. Dancing your heart out 3. Star gazing 4. Shopping 5. Going to the beach 6. Listening to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-s-highs-1-laughing-hysterically-2-dancing-your-heart-out-3-star/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“I remember hearing years ago about a centenarian being interviewed on her birthday. 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It is clear that current lifestyles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/developed-and-benefited-from-the-unsustainable-patterns-of-production/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [I do hate air conditioning and early mornings, but my friends all know this and plan accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-radziwill/i-do-hate-air-conditioning-and-early-mornings-but-my-friends-all-know/) [Carole Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-radziwill/) > [The congressional tradition of escaping the nation's capital in August dates back to the time before air conditioning when Senators would race home before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-hyde-smith/the-congressional-tradition-of-escaping-the-nation-s-capital-in/) [Cindy Hyde-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-hyde-smith/) > [I have an idea for sweatshops: air conditioning! That's simple. 14 year old boys working twelve hour days? "Yeah, but they're comfortable!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-have-an-idea-for-sweatshops-air-conditioning-that-s-simple-14-year/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Forests ... are in fact the world's air-conditioning system-the very lungs of the planet-and help to store the largest body of freshwater on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/forests-are-in-fact-the-world-s-air-conditioning-system-the-very/) [Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/) > [“Now I know what development means: air-conditioning. With air-conditioning, we can have civilization, which exists only in temperate climates. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-chua/now-i-know-what-development-means-air-conditioning-with-air/) [Lawrence Chua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-chua/) > [We called the Weather Bureau and found out what historically was the hottest day of the summer...So we scheduled the hearing that day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wirth/we-called-the-weather-bureau-and-found-out-what-historically-was-the/) [Tim Wirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wirth/) > [America is a great country. I've been in the south, in the center and in the north. I like it. Americans are very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-balotelli/america-is-a-great-country-i-ve-been-in-the-south-in-the-center-and/) [Mario Balotelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-balotelli/) > [My husband is in charge of all phone, email and texting duties at home. He even has to turn on the TV and air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becki-newton/my-husband-is-in-charge-of-all-phone-email-and-texting-duties-at-home/) [Becki Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becki-newton/) > [The American house has been TV-centered for three generations. It is the focus of family life, and the life of the house correspondingly turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-american-house-has-been-tv-centered-for-three-generations-it-is/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [“God…is the air conditioning in here broken? What’s the deal? It’s hotter than Satan’s nutsack. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skyla-madi/god-is-the-air-conditioning-in-here-broken-what-s-the-deal-it-s/) [Skyla Madi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skyla-madi/) Browse all 117 Air conditioning quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But one thing I’ve learned is that the minute I start fixating on what I don’t have — time, money, a child I can send to camp for the summer, central air conditioning — I just feel that much hotter and put-upon, and those bad feelings seem to attract extra obstructions to my day.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marie Myung-Ok Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-myung-ok-lee/but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-minute-i-start-fixating-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Air conditioning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-myung-ok-lee/but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-minute-i-start-fixating-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/marie-myung-ok-lee-75065_air-conditioning_but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-m_2703862.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/marie-myung-ok-lee-75065_air-conditioning_but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-m_2703862.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/marie-myung-ok-lee-75065_air-conditioning_but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-m_2703862.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But one thing I’ve learned is that the minute I start fixating on what I don’t have — time, money, a child I…” — Marie Myung-Ok Lee", "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": "Marie Myung-Ok Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-myung-ok-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But one thing I’ve learned is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-myung-ok-lee/but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-minute-i-start-fixating-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-myung-ok-lee/but-one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-the-minute-i-start-fixating-on/#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 } } ] } ```