--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought I'm going to die. So why can't…" description: "\"I thought I'm going to die. So why can't I do everything? And what is this idea that I worked all day yesterday, so I'm tired today? I've never believe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/maya-angelou-104_ballet_i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t_2489043.png" --- # I thought I'm going to die. So why can't I do everything?… ![“I thought I'm going to die. So why can't I do everything? And what is this idea that I worked all day yesterday, so I'm tired today? I've never believed that.I thought, "Just suppose I could choreograph a ballet." And I did it. Suppose I could teach dance at the theater in Cleveland. And I did it…” quote by Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/maya-angelou-104_ballet_i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t_2489043.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/maya-angelou-104_ballet_i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t_2489043.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/maya-angelou-104_ballet_i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t_2489043.png) > “I thought I'm going to die. So why can't I do everything? And what is this idea that I worked all day yesterday, so I'm tired today? I've never believed that.I thought, "Just suppose I could choreograph a ballet." And I did it. Suppose I could teach dance at the theater in Cleveland. And I did it. Suppose I could sing for a living - that I could stop these two jobs as a waitress and a salesperson.” [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker challenges self‑imposed limits, urging bold action despite fear of death or fatigue. **In simple terms:** Don't let fear stop you; act boldly. Key Takeaway Act boldly despite fear. Themes ambition self‑belief overcoming fear career change Mood determined hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career transition - creative pursuits - personal growth - overcoming self‑doubt Key Concepts self‑efficacy risk‑taking identity formation Questions to Reflect On - What bold step will you take today? - How can you sustain momentum after initial success? A Different Perspective Fear of failure can still paralyze; success requires sustained effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleveland/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Salesperson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salesperson/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Waitress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waitress/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) ## Related quotes > [“is at the point of believing God that the believer is given the Holy Spirit. As I became aware that God was concerned enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-davis/is-at-the-point-of-believing-god-that-the-believer-is-given-the-holy/) [Patrick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-davis/) > [“Throughout my childhood I believed that what I thought about was different from what other kids thought about. It was not necessarily more profound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/throughout-my-childhood-i-believed-that-what-i-thought-about-was/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“As I watched and observed, day after day, week after week, month after month, even year after year, one day I had an epiphany:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/as-i-watched-and-observed-day-after-day-week-after-week-month-after/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [I believed or thought I was disoriented and the victim of a bizarre dream and I believe I paced in and out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-sheppard/i-believed-or-thought-i-was-disoriented-and-the-victim-of-a-bizarre/) [Sam Sheppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-sheppard/) > [“For no one believes anything unless he has first thought that it is to be believed. For however suddenly, however rapidly, some thoughts fly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/for-no-one-believes-anything-unless-he-has-first-thought-that-it-is/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“In my return to church, I had learned the hard way to avoid assumptions about other people's faith. For one thing, people kept surprising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mcgee/in-my-return-to-church-i-had-learned-the-hard-way-to-avoid/) [Margaret McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mcgee/) > [One of my mentors was Patricia Schroeder, and one night she came to me on the floor and she said to me, "Why are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-maloney/one-of-my-mentors-was-patricia-schroeder-and-one-night-she-came-to-me/) [Carolyn Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-maloney/) > [I always thought I was going to die before I was 60.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-carey/i-always-thought-i-was-going-to-die-before-i-was-60/) [Drew Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-carey/) > [Its so hard to sleep at night when there are so many thought going through your head~~~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-so-hard-to-sleep-at-night-when-there-are-so-many-thought-going/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I thought I was going nowhere, but now I see there was a pattern.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/i-thought-i-was-going-nowhere-but-now-i-see-there-was-a-pattern/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [I always thought I was going to be a professional dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-povitsky/i-always-thought-i-was-going-to-be-a-professional-dancer/) [Esther Povitsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-povitsky/) > [I no longer think in terms of, Ooh, this is a great role and what is it going to do for - actually, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-no-longer-think-in-terms-of-ooh-this-is-a-great-role-and-what-is-it/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [I never thought I was going to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-never-thought-i-was-going-to-be-an-actor/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [When assumptions were made that I was going to bail out there was a little part of my brain that thought 'I am going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-stevens/when-assumptions-were-made-that-i-was-going-to-bail-out-there-was-a/) [Craig Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-stevens/) > [You don't know whether he's thought through how this is going to affect the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/you-don-t-know-whether-he-s-thought-through-how-this-is-going-to/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) ## More by Maya Angelou > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“You are very kind and very intelligent and those elements are not always found together. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-are-very-kind-and-very-intelligent-and-those-elements-are-not/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I agreed a long time ago, I would not live at any cost. If I am moved or forced away from what I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-agreed-a-long-time-ago-i-would-not-live-at-any-cost-if-i-am-moved/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-want-me-to-do-something-tell-me-i-can-t-do-it/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Intelligence is a separate gift, for the benefit of students, so that they may think of themselves as intellectual and not very intelligent, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/intelligence-is-a-separate-gift-for-the-benefit-of-students-so-that/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/life-is-going-to-give-you-just-what-you-put-in-it-put-your-whole/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-write-me-down-in-history-with-your-bitter-twisted-lies-you/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The more you know of your history, the more liberated you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/the-more-you-know-of-your-history-the-more-liberated-you-are/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Life offers us tickets to places which we have not knowingly asked for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/life-offers-us-tickets-to-places-which-we-have-not-knowingly-asked-for/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Nathaniel Hawthorne once said that easy reading is damn hard writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/nathaniel-hawthorne-once-said-that-easy-reading-is-damn-hard-writing/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Sunday, if I'm lucky, I'll go to church or listen to some good spiritual advice on the television or on the radio. I take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/sunday-if-i-m-lucky-i-ll-go-to-church-or-listen-to-some-good/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) [Explore all 1,313 Maya Angelou quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More Ballet quotes > [“Afterwards Isabelle often wondered if the moments themselves were greater or the memory of them. At least the memory did not pass, while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-bentley/afterwards-isabelle-often-wondered-if-the-moments-themselves-were/) [Toni Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-bentley/) > [One can be a great artist without being a great technician. There have been many famous ballet stars who did not have the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-bujones/one-can-be-a-great-artist-without-being-a-great-technician-there-have/) Fernando Bujones > [So I'm studying ballet every day and really training so people will see me as a ballet dancer, which no one's seen before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/so-i-m-studying-ballet-every-day-and-really-training-so-people-will/) [Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/) > [No matter the style, the farther one goes the more obstacles increase, and the more distant appears the object it is desired to attain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-georges-noverre/no-matter-the-style-the-farther-one-goes-the-more-obstacles-increase/) [Jean-Georges Noverre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-georges-noverre/) > [What I love most about ballet is being able to express my emotions through dance, and to be able to bring others joy through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/what-i-love-most-about-ballet-is-being-able-to-express-my-emotions/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-not-a-question-of-who-dances-but-of-who-or-what-does-not-dance/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [Ballet is pure and demands that you serve something larger than yourself, whether it be beauty or art, or a combination of both. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-martins/ballet-is-pure-and-demands-that-you-serve-something-larger-than/) Peter Martins > [Even though I am a professional, and I know what the steps are, I don't quite know how I'm going to do them, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-farrell/even-though-i-am-a-professional-and-i-know-what-the-steps-are-i-don-t/) [Suzanne Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-farrell/) > [I'd rather be a guy that can build a house or fix a car than be able to walk like a ballet dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/i-d-rather-be-a-guy-that-can-build-a-house-or-fix-a-car-than-be-able/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [When I was 16, I moved to Torrance, California to train at a more advanced studio, and by 19, I joined the American Ballet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/when-i-was-16-i-moved-to-torrance-california-to-train-at-a-more/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [Bob's work gleaned from hoofing, from vaudeville, from ballet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/bob-s-work-gleaned-from-hoofing-from-vaudeville-from-ballet/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [You can imagine me as a kid growing up in redneck Texas with ballet shoes, tucking the violin under my arm. I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-swayze/you-can-imagine-me-as-a-kid-growing-up-in-redneck-texas-with-ballet/) [Patrick Swayze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-swayze/) > [I only started writing in the latter days of Spandau Ballet. I didnt know I could write because all had our roles within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hadley/i-only-started-writing-in-the-latter-days-of-spandau-ballet-i-didnt/) [Tony Hadley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hadley/) > [All ballet, all reading, all music. That was my world, my inner world,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-makarova/all-ballet-all-reading-all-music-that-was-my-world-my-inner-world/) [Natalia Makarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-makarova/) > [I can dance. I like hip hop and stuff and jazz movements, but I'm horrible in ballet. I tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keke-palmer/i-can-dance-i-like-hip-hop-and-stuff-and-jazz-movements-but-i-m/) [Keke Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keke-palmer/) [Browse all 1,227 Ballet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I thought I'm going to die. So why can't I do everything? And what is this idea that I worked all day yesterday, so I'm tired today? I've never believed that.I thought, \"Just suppose I could choreograph a ballet.\" And I did it. Suppose I could teach dance at the theater in Cleveland. And I did it. Suppose I could sing for a living - that I could stop these two jobs as a waitress and a salesperson.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maya Angelou" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t-i-do-everything-and-what-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ballet" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t-i-do-everything-and-what-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/maya-angelou-104_ballet_i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t_2489043.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/maya-angelou-104_ballet_i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t_2489043.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/maya-angelou-104_ballet_i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t_2489043.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I thought I'm going to die. So why can't I do everything? And what is this idea that I worked all day…” — Maya Angelou", "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": "Maya Angelou", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I thought I'm going to die....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t-i-do-everything-and-what-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-thought-i-m-going-to-die-so-why-can-t-i-do-everything-and-what-is/#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 } } ] } ```