---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have lived this life, and no matter…"
description: "\"I have lived this life, and no matter what others may decide about it, I must claim each decision as mine. I have caused harm, failed in the expectatio..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/meredith-hall-59550_claims_i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-wha_1595718.jpg"
---

#  I have lived this life, and no matter what others may…

![“I have lived this life, and no matter what others may decide about it, I must claim each decision as mine. I have caused harm, failed in the expectations and obligations of love. I have loved well. What I do each day is carried within me until I die.” quote by Meredith Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/meredith-hall-59550_claims_i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-wha_1595718.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/meredith-hall-59550_claims_i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-wha_1595718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/meredith-hall-59550_claims_i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-wha_1595718.jpg)

> “I have lived this life, and no matter what others may decide about it, I must claim each decision as mine. I have caused harm, failed in the expectations and obligations of love. I have loved well. What I do each day is carried within me until I die.”

[Meredith Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-hall/)

## About This Quote

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

One must own each choice, acknowledging both love and failure, as life’s weight persists until death.

**In simple terms:** Own every decision despite love and loss.

Key Takeaway

Take responsibility for your life’s narrative.

Themes

responsibility love failure self‑ownership

Mood

introspective somber

Type

existential motivational

When to use this quote

- making daily choices
- reflecting on past actions
- seeking forgiveness

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- What decisions define you?
- How do you reconcile love with mistakes?

A Different Perspective

Self‑blame can hinder growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Each day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/each-day/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Obligations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligations/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/)

## Related quotes

> [The parent who loves his child dearly but asks for nothing in return might qualify as a saint, but he will not qualify as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selma-fraiberg/the-parent-who-loves-his-child-dearly-but-asks-for-nothing-in-return/)

[Selma Fraiberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selma-fraiberg/)

> [I have lived a life full of love and pain, of Joy and Sorrow, and I live on still. i have many, many years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alethea-kontis/i-have-lived-a-life-full-of-love-and-pain-of-joy-and-sorrow-and-i/)

[Alethea Kontis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alethea-kontis/)

> [I still find each day too short..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/i-still-find-each-day-too-short/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [Make tawba not just for sins you've committed, but also for obligations you haven't fulfilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-taymiyyah/make-tawba-not-just-for-sins-you-ve-committed-but-also-for/)

[Ibn Taymiyyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-taymiyyah/)

> [I don't want people to love me. It makes for obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/i-don-t-want-people-to-love-me-it-makes-for-obligations/)

[Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/)

> [“Do not confuse "duty" with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/do-not-confuse-duty-with-what-other-people-expect-of-you-they-are/)

[Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/)

> [The freedom to do your own thing ends when you have obligations and responsibilities. If you want to fail yourself - you can -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/the-freedom-to-do-your-own-thing-ends-when-you-have-obligations-and/)

[Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/)

> [There is no growth except in the fulfillment of obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/there-is-no-growth-except-in-the-fulfillment-of-obligations/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [The meaning of your life comes through your obligations to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/the-meaning-of-your-life-comes-through-your-obligations-to-others/)

[Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/)

> [Insofar as international law is observed, it provides us with stability and order and with a means of predicting the behavior of those with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/insofar-as-international-law-is-observed-it-provides-us-with/)

[J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/)

> [“A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget his sheep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-shepherd-may-like-to-travel-but-he-should-never-forget-his-sheep/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [And also I assert our interest in respecting all our obligations and implementing all our commitments. And will save no effort whatever to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abbas/and-also-i-assert-our-interest-in-respecting-all-our-obligations-and/)

[Mahmoud Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-abbas/)

> [We thought that, perhaps," said I, hesitating, "it is right to begin with the obligations of home, sir; and that, perhaps, while those are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/we-thought-that-perhaps-said-i-hesitating-it-is-right-to-begin-with/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Ordinary citizens are obliged and, if need be, compelled by force to meet their commitments. But let higher obligations of an international order be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-albert-gobat/ordinary-citizens-are-obliged-and-if-need-be-compelled-by-force-to/)

[Charles Albert Gobat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-albert-gobat/)

> [I see the main problem of my life, and indeed anybody's life, as the balancing of competitive freedoms ... a sense of mutual obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-see-the-main-problem-of-my-life-and-indeed-anybody-s-life-as-the/)

[Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/)

## More by Meredith Hall

> [The past lies beneath the surface, intransigent truth. Remembered or not, what we say and do remains, always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-hall/the-past-lies-beneath-the-surface-intransigent-truth-remembered-or/)

[Meredith Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-hall/)

> [“The lights come on and my future returns in the glare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-hall/the-lights-come-on-and-my-future-returns-in-the-glare/)

[Meredith Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-hall/)

> [The world waits for you with all its beauty, but also its frights and its pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-hall/the-world-waits-for-you-with-all-its-beauty-but-also-its-frights-and/)

[Meredith Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-hall/)

> [“I didn't make this plan. I just wake up sometimes and want to crawl out of my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-hall/i-didn-t-make-this-plan-i-just-wake-up-sometimes-and-want-to-crawl/)

[Meredith Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-hall/)

[Explore all 5 Meredith Hall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-hall/)

## More Claim quotes

> [I don't claim 2 be perfect, but whatever I do is more then it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-claim-2-be-perfect-but-whatever-i-do-is-more-then-it/)

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

> [That FRIEND who claim they do anything for you. but yet talk behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kushsoulja/that-friend-who-claim-they-do-anything-for-you-but-yet-talk-behind/)

KushSoulja

> [Extremist perspectives win sympathy and recruits because they offer narratives that claim to identify deep injustices and enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-gahr-store/extremist-perspectives-win-sympathy-and-recruits-because-they-offer/)

[Jonas Gahr Store](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-gahr-store/)

> [If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-ever-my-life-can-be-of-any-use-to-you-come-and-claim-it/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [When scientists are asked what they are working on, their response is seldom 'Finding the origin of the universe' or 'Seeking to cure cancer.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/when-scientists-are-asked-what-they-are-working-on-their-response-is/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [The claim of the State Socialists, however, that this right would not be exercised in matters pertaining to the individual in the more intimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/the-claim-of-the-state-socialists-however-that-this-right-would-not/)

[Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/)

> [I don't claim to be a good woman, but I do claim to be good at being a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne/i-don-t-claim-to-be-a-good-woman-but-i-do-claim-to-be-good-at-being-a/)

Suzanne

> [“Who among us can claim normalcy, Bishop?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-marusek/who-among-us-can-claim-normalcy-bishop/)

[David Marusek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-marusek/)

> [You have to name it to claim it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-have-to-name-it-to-claim-it/)

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

> [I personally claim no special insight into Satan's methods, but I have at times been able to identify his influence and his actions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/i-personally-claim-no-special-insight-into-satan-s-methods-but-i-have/)

[James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/)

> [“Their hands clasped between them, he whispered into her ear, "I claim you, too, Aelin Galathynius.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/their-hands-clasped-between-them-he-whispered-into-her-ear-i-claim/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [When you claim to have the truth, as opposed to the truth as you perceive it, then you move us toward a theocratic view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-robinson/when-you-claim-to-have-the-truth-as-opposed-to-the-truth-as-you/)

[Gene Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-robinson/)

> [I don't claim to be the best boxer in the world. What I claim to do is give 100% when I get in that ring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bellew/i-don-t-claim-to-be-the-best-boxer-in-the-world-what-i-claim-to-do-is/)

[Tony Bellew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bellew/)

> [“What did it take to claim a person, really? One perfect night? A few weeks of phone calls, hundreds of texts, all of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/what-did-it-take-to-claim-a-person-really-one-perfect-night-a-few/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [No One Else Is Responsible For You. You Are In Full Control Of Your Life So Long As You Claim It And Own It...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/no-one-else-is-responsible-for-you-you-are-in-full-control-of-your/)

Pacifiersucker

Browse all 447 Claim quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have lived this life, and no matter what others may decide about it, I must claim each decision as mine. I have caused harm, failed in the expectations and obligations of love. I have loved well. What I do each day is carried within me until I die.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Meredith Hall"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-hall/i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-what-others-may-decide-about-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Claim"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-hall/i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-what-others-may-decide-about-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/meredith-hall-59550_claims_i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-wha_1595718.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/meredith-hall-59550_claims_i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-wha_1595718.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/meredith-hall-59550_claims_i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-wha_1595718.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have lived this life, and no matter what others may decide about it, I must claim each decision as mine. I…” — Meredith Hall",
                "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": "Meredith Hall",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-hall/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have lived this life, and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-hall/i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-what-others-may-decide-about-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-hall/i-have-lived-this-life-and-no-matter-what-others-may-decide-about-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
