--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is…" description: "\"“Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is about decisions. You either make them or they're made for you, but you can't avoid them.”\" — Mhairi McFarlane" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/mhairi-mcfarlane-23243_decisions_do-nothing-and-nothing-happens-life-is-a_1046965.jpg" --- # Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is about decisions… ![“Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is about decisions. You either make them or they're made for you, but you can't avoid them.” quote by Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/mhairi-mcfarlane-23243_decisions_do-nothing-and-nothing-happens-life-is-a_1046965.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/mhairi-mcfarlane-23243_decisions_do-nothing-and-nothing-happens-life-is-a_1046965.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/mhairi-mcfarlane-23243_decisions_do-nothing-and-nothing-happens-life-is-a_1046965.jpg) > ““Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is about decisions. You either make them or they're made for you, but you can't avoid them.”” [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life requires active decisions; inaction leads to outcomes imposed by others. **In simple terms:** Doing nothing still results in consequences. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for choices. Themes decision‑making agency responsibility Mood motivational serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - relationships - health choices - financial decisions Key Concepts free will determinism personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What decisions are you postponing? - How can you turn indecision into action? A Different Perspective Avoiding decisions can cause regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-decisions/) ## Related quotes > [“I thought it would all fall into place. I've changed my mind. Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is about decisions. You either make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/i-thought-it-would-all-fall-into-place-i-ve-changed-my-mind-do/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [In life we have decisions to make, paths to take and opportunities to take advantage of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zayn-malik/in-life-we-have-decisions-to-make-paths-to-take-and-opportunities-to/) [Zayn Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zayn-malik/) > [“You stand at the edge of the rest of your life. The decisions you make now affect everything from here on. Gone are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-crane/you-stand-at-the-edge-of-the-rest-of-your-life-the-decisions-you-make/) [Robert J. Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-crane/) > [Once in a while, life gives you a chance to measure your worth. Sometimes you're called upon to make a split-second decision to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-moore/once-in-a-while-life-gives-you-a-chance-to-measure-your-worth/) [Perry Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-moore/) > [Life is all about the decisions you make everyday. You cannot change the decisions of the past. But every new day is another opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldyna-threesya/life-is-all-about-the-decisions-you-make-everyday-you-cannot-change/) [Aldyna Threesya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldyna-threesya/) > [Your life is made from the decisions that you make, don't regret making a wrong one, instead learn from it, move on, and don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/your-life-is-made-from-the-decisions-that-you-make-don-t-regret/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Showers: An activity in which one practices singing, makes life decisions, AND cleanses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/showers-an-activity-in-which-one-practices-singing-makes-life/) Myself > [Many of life's decisions are hard. What kind of career should you pursue? Does your ailing mother need to be put in a nursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-of-life-s-decisions-are-hard-what-kind-of-career-should-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't regret any of my life decisions I've made because with every choice I've learned something new!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-regret-any-of-my-life-decisions-i-ve-made-because-with-every/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Too many decisions to make with no sign of what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-many-decisions-to-make-with-no-sign-of-what-to-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't take right decisions, I take decisions and make them right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/i-don-t-take-right-decisions-i-take-decisions-and-make-them-right/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [Bad decisions make great stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bad-decisions-make-great-stories/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With every decisions we make, the last question we ask is what does the consumer think of this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-fitzgerald/with-every-decisions-we-make-the-last-question-we-ask-is-what-does/) Niall FitzGerald > [“Consider every choice carefully, no matter how small, for it will affect the bigger decisions you make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/consider-every-choice-carefully-no-matter-how-small-for-it-will/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) > [“In whatever decisions you make in life, you have to run them through a series of logic tests to make sure that there aren’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-talmage-mathis/in-whatever-decisions-you-make-in-life-you-have-to-run-them-through-a/) [John-Talmage Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-talmage-mathis/) ## More by Mhairi McFarlane > [“law that stated you didn't advertise any event you hadn't attended, any place you'd never been, or any band you didn't really listen to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/law-that-stated-you-didn-t-advertise-any-event-you-hadn-t-attended/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“Seems once was enough to infect me. From then on you've been lying dormant, like a virus. Or an incurable chronic condition that flares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/seems-once-was-enough-to-infect-me-from-then-on-you-ve-been-lying/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“...the life with him you feel like you lost out on, it’s perfect because it’s a fantasy and it’s a fantasy because it’s perfect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/the-life-with-him-you-feel-like-you-lost-out-on-it-s-perfect-because/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“Delia thought it was as much use as putting deely-boppers on a crocodile and calling it Miriam”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/delia-thought-it-was-as-much-use-as-putting-deely-boppers-on-a/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“His sadness was almost palpable, like moisture in the air before it rains. Although this was Manchester, it was probably about to rain anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/his-sadness-was-almost-palpable-like-moisture-in-the-air-before-it/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“...I think you’re bound to feel guilty, and you’re going to feel sad. You have to simply feel it. Don’t hate yourself. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/i-think-you-re-bound-to-feel-guilty-and-you-re-going-to-feel-sad-you/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“I wanted him to be happy and it was also going to be the thing that hurt the most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/i-wanted-him-to-be-happy-and-it-was-also-going-to-be-the-thing-that/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“Men like fun much more than they like clever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/men-like-fun-much-more-than-they-like-clever/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“I thought it would all fall into place. I've changed my mind. Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is about decisions. You either make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/i-thought-it-would-all-fall-into-place-i-ve-changed-my-mind-do/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“I like the city late at night, the blasts of music and the splashes of light cast from bars that are still open, shoals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/i-like-the-city-late-at-night-the-blasts-of-music-and-the-splashes-of/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“London was one of the worst places to have a bad day and one of the best places to have a good day”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/london-was-one-of-the-worst-places-to-have-a-bad-day-and-one-of-the/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“I was right I couldn't fall in love with you. Because I never fell out of love with you." -Ben”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/i-was-right-i-couldn-t-fall-in-love-with-you-because-i-never-fell-out/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“Refusal to listen isn’t enough of a response.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/refusal-to-listen-isn-t-enough-of-a-response/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“It's pathetic, I knew I did from that first moment we met. It was...not love at first sight exactly, but - familiarity. Like: oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/it-s-pathetic-i-knew-i-did-from-that-first-moment-we-met-it-was-not/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“Isn't it weird how we make big decisions in life based on the strangest, most random things?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/isn-t-it-weird-how-we-make-big-decisions-in-life-based-on-the/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) [Explore all 25 Mhairi McFarlane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) ## More Decisions quotes > [“What can we do in any hardship? We can hope with prayerful praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-can-we-do-in-any-hardship-we-can-hope-with-prayerful-praise/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-foundation-from-which-your-decisions-about-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The decisions we take reflects our belief and our charachter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajnish-borah/the-decisions-we-take-reflects-our-belief-and-our-charachter/) Rajnish Borah > [Some might argue humans are hard-wired to fight. I don't agree: we are conscious beings who have the capacity to make decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/some-might-argue-humans-are-hard-wired-to-fight-i-don-t-agree-we-are/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [“Many people fail in their career, business and relationship, and others get stuck because of their inability to make quality decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkem-mpamah/many-people-fail-in-their-career-business-and-relationship-and-others/) [Nkem Mpamah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkem-mpamah/) > [“And so back to Cassie: who was she? Part of the deception; just a friend or something else…perhaps it was time to find out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-cusick-jones/and-so-back-to-cassie-who-was-she-part-of-the-deception-just-a-friend/) [Melanie Cusick-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-cusick-jones/) > [Decisions decide destiny, there is no action without decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/decisions-decide-destiny-there-is-no-action-without-decision/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“All you can do is make your decisions based on what you know now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malinda-lo/all-you-can-do-is-make-your-decisions-based-on-what-you-know-now/) [Malinda Lo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malinda-lo/) > [“Do you keep pace with those around you, or do you decide yourself just how you will live your life? The truth is...only you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/do-you-keep-pace-with-those-around-you-or-do-you-decide-yourself-just/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [You just try to make the best decisions you can. You just take life as it comes to you and do your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rulon-gardner/you-just-try-to-make-the-best-decisions-you-can-you-just-take-life-as/) [Rulon Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rulon-gardner/) > [A film is a chain of very difficult decisions, and I think one of them is to choose an accurate cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-camara/a-film-is-a-chain-of-very-difficult-decisions-and-i-think-one-of-them/) [Javier Camara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-camara/) > [There are no minor decisions in movie making. Each decision will either contribute to a good piece of work or bring the whole movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-making-each-decision-will/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [You've got Washington picking winners and losers. And so, all of a sudden, decisions are being made on what helps politicians, not what helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-hensarling/you-ve-got-washington-picking-winners-and-losers-and-so-all-of-a/) [Jeb Hensarling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-hensarling/) > [I've always made my decisions based on two factors: intellectual analysis and my gut. And when they meet, that's a go from me. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/i-ve-always-made-my-decisions-based-on-two-factors-intellectual/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [We, as individuals, are defined by the choices we make. Some of our decisions can have very significant consequences and totally change the courses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cage/we-as-individuals-are-defined-by-the-choices-we-make-some-of-our/) [David Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cage/) [Browse all 1,926 Decisions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Do nothing, and nothing happens. Life is about decisions. 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