--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ‎I cannot alter the past, but the future…" description: "\"“‎I cannot alter the past, but the future is very much in my hands.”\" — Mary Lydon Simonsen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/mary-lydon-simonsen-33955_future_i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-i_104381.jpg" --- # ‎I cannot alter the past, but the future is very much in… ![“‎I cannot alter the past, but the future is very much in my hands.” quote by Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/mary-lydon-simonsen-33955_future_i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-i_104381.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/mary-lydon-simonsen-33955_future_i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-i_104381.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/mary-lydon-simonsen-33955_future_i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-i_104381.jpg) > ““‎I cannot alter the past, but the future is very much in my hands.”” [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. While the past is immutable, personal agency can shape future outcomes through intentional choices. **In simple terms:** You cannot change history, but you can influence what comes next. Key Takeaway Future is controllable, past is not. Themes motivation self‑efficacy future planning personal growth Mood hopeful empowering Type inspirational quote personal mantra When to use this quote - career planning - goal setting - habit formation Key Concepts agency theory temporal perspective Practical Applications - create actionable roadmaps - focus on present decisions Questions to Reflect On - What daily actions most impact long‑term goals? - How do you balance acceptance of past with proactive future planning? A Different Perspective External constraints may limit how much one can truly steer the future. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lydon/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simonsen/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“‎Does anyone truly understand females? ...Their behavior is opposite of everything in the natural order and flies in the face of logic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/does-anyone-truly-understand-females-their-behavior-is-opposite-of/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎I did not understand how quickly one could fall in love, and I regarded almost as an affliction that one would eventually recover from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/i-did-not-understand-how-quickly-one-could-fall-in-love-and-i/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“..love lays bare your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/love-lays-bare-your-soul/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎Women fancy admiration means more than it does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/women-fancy-admiration-means-more-than-it-does/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎There is nothing sweeter than finding the right person to love and cherish and to share your hopes and dreams with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/there-is-nothing-sweeter-than-finding-the-right-person-to-love-and/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“Every relationship must have a starting point so that past errors may remain in the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/every-relationship-must-have-a-starting-point-so-that-past-errors-may/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [Parents have to instill the right principles in their children, but then it's up to the children to live up to those principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/parents-have-to-instill-the-right-principles-in-their-children-but/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“Do not descend, but rise above so ill-mannered a person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/do-not-descend-but-rise-above-so-ill-mannered-a-person/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎With adulthood comes responsibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/with-adulthood-comes-responsibility/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎"..one can predict the future with some degree of accuracy based on one's own knowledge of past events. 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The future is in your hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fuck-your-past-the-future-is-in-your-hands/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Each time we cast our view toward distances that have not yet been touched, we transform not only the present moment and the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/each-time-we-cast-our-view-toward-distances-that-have-not-yet-been/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) ## More by Mary Lydon Simonsen > [“‎Does anyone truly understand females? ...Their behavior is opposite of everything in the natural order and flies in the face of logic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/does-anyone-truly-understand-females-their-behavior-is-opposite-of/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎I did not understand how quickly one could fall in love, and I regarded almost as an affliction that one would eventually recover from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/i-did-not-understand-how-quickly-one-could-fall-in-love-and-i/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“...Life does have its twists and turns, and that certainly is true. However, one can predict the future with some degree of accuracy based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/life-does-have-its-twists-and-turns-and-that-certainly-is-true/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“..love lays bare your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/love-lays-bare-your-soul/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎Women fancy admiration means more than it does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/women-fancy-admiration-means-more-than-it-does/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎"..love is as complex an emotion as exists. There are many reasons why love does not prosper. .. the waters are perilous, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/love-is-as-complex-an-emotion-as-exists-there-are-many-reasons-why/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎Determination, effort, and practice are rewarded with success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/determination-effort-and-practice-are-rewarded-with-success/) [Mary Lydon Simonsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/) > [“‎"..one can predict the future with some degree of accuracy based on one's own knowledge of past events. 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I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. History repeats itself, thus, it's ok to LOOK back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-continue-to-dwell-on-the-past-there-s-no-chance-for-a-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) [Browse all 12,349 Future quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“‎I cannot alter the past, but the future is very much in my hands.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Lydon Simonsen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-is-very-much-in-my-hands/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Future" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-is-very-much-in-my-hands/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/mary-lydon-simonsen-33955_future_i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-i_104381.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/mary-lydon-simonsen-33955_future_i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-i_104381.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/mary-lydon-simonsen-33955_future_i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-i_104381.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“‎I cannot alter the past, but the future is very much in my hands.” — Mary Lydon Simonsen", "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": "Mary Lydon Simonsen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lydon-simonsen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“‎I cannot alter the past, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-is-very-much-in-my-hands/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lydon-simonsen/i-cannot-alter-the-past-but-the-future-is-very-much-in-my-hands/#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 } } ] } ```