---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can only stop our watches, but not…"
description: "\"“We can only stop our watches, but not real time itself.”\" — Mwanandeke Kindembo"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/mwanandeke-kindembo-1107_change-quotes_we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-rea_1298480.jpg"
---

#  We can only stop our watches, but not real time itself.

![“We can only stop our watches, but not real time itself.” quote by Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/mwanandeke-kindembo-1107_change-quotes_we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-rea_1298480.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/mwanandeke-kindembo-1107_change-quotes_we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-rea_1298480.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/mwanandeke-kindembo-1107_change-quotes_we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-rea_1298480.jpg)

> ““We can only stop our watches, but not real time itself.””

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

## About This Quote

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

We can control our actions but not the flow of time itself.

**In simple terms:** Control actions, not time.

Key Takeaway

Focus on actions, not time.

Themes

time control agency

Mood

thoughtful calm

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- project management
- personal productivity
- stress management

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology determinism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you prioritize when time feels fixed?
- What actions can you change despite time?

A Different Perspective

Time constraints can still limit possibilities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-quotes/) [Friendship quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-quotes/) [Life quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-quotes/) [Love quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-quotes/) [Memories quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories-quotes/) [Time quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-quotes/)

## Related quotes

> [“The old was once new and the new will soon become old too. Let's not resist the passage of time and change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/the-old-was-once-new-and-the-new-will-soon-become-old-too-let-s-not/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“As for me, life is just an endless experiment that must obey the rise and fall of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/as-for-me-life-is-just-an-endless-experiment-that-must-obey-the-rise/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“The richest person in the cemetery is the one who left behind the most happy memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-richest-person-in-the-cemetery-is-the-one-who-left-behind-the/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Nobody really dies if they live in your heart and your mind every second, without pauses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-gonz-lez-y-lozano/nobody-really-dies-if-they-live-in-your-heart-and-your-mind-every/)

Fernando González y Lozano

> [“The richest person in the cemetery is the one who left the most happy memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-richest-person-in-the-cemetery-is-the-one-who-left-the-most-happy/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“…the sad part is, that I will probably end up loving you without you for much longer than I loved you when I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranata-suzuki/the-sad-part-is-that-i-will-probably-end-up-loving-you-without-you/)

[Ranata Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranata-suzuki/)

> [“Time does not heal self‑inflicted wounds; the pain, the scars and the memories remain timeless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduvie-donald/time-does-not-heal-self-inflicted-wounds-the-pain-the-scars-and-the/)

[Eduvie Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduvie-donald/)

> [“We all die at the wrong time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-santo/we-all-die-at-the-wrong-time/)

[DON SANTO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-santo/)

> [“Time is your acquaintance. Life is your friend. Death is your opponent. Eternity is your companion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/time-is-your-acquaintance-life-is-your-friend-death-is-your-opponent/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Time is your acquaintance, life is your friend, death is your enemy, and existence is your soulmate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/time-is-your-acquaintance-life-is-your-friend-death-is-your-enemy-and/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“A person experiences time by traveling through the environment consisting of time and space, and encounters a variety of sense impressions. Time is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-experiences-time-by-traveling-through-the-environment/)

[Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/)

> [“Memories are changeable depending upon the passage of time and the perspective through which they are viewed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/memories-are-changeable-depending-upon-the-passage-of-time-and-the/)

[Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/)

> [“Time smiled softly, faint yet sincere— not because the mirror had changed, but because time itself had.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/time-smiled-softly-faint-yet-sincere-not-because-the-mirror-had/)

[Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/)

> [“In a second you can change your mind, in a minute you can change your heart, in an hour you can change your life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/in-a-second-you-can-change-your-mind-in-a-minute-you-can-change-your/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“Transition or transformation are the correct and softest words to describe death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/transition-or-transformation-are-the-correct-and-softest-words-to/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

## More by Mwanandeke Kindembo

> [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“I understand that you are claiming it is almost impossible to forgive, but only easier to forget. The truth is that, you can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-understand-that-you-are-claiming-it-is-almost-impossible-to-forgive/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“I admire all the great people who have dedicated their free time to helping humanity move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-admire-all-the-great-people-who-have-dedicated-their-free-time-to/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“Transition or transformation are the correct and softest words to describe death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/transition-or-transformation-are-the-correct-and-softest-words-to/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“Citizen depression has always been the fuel of all marketing strategies throughout the ages.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/citizen-depression-has-always-been-the-fuel-of-all-marketing/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“When monks deny the existence of the I, they are not denying the existence of humanity or of man in general; but that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/when-monks-deny-the-existence-of-the-i-they-are-not-denying-the/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“Politics is a matter of desires and personal feelings or emotions, only parliament tries to bring reason into the state.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/politics-is-a-matter-of-desires-and-personal-feelings-or-emotions/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“Necessity is simply a prioritised task, while choices are usually unnecessary and playful in nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/necessity-is-simply-a-prioritised-task-while-choices-are-usually/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“If our people truly believed someone had already died for their sins, none would have dared die for our independence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/if-our-people-truly-believed-someone-had-already-died-for-their-sins/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“I don't usually read popular books. Because I know how powerful promotion can be. Most of the time, the great books are hidden from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-don-t-usually-read-popular-books-because-i-know-how-powerful/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“In reality, you don't become happy because of your appearance. Instead, you might gain confidence from it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-reality-you-don-t-become-happy-because-of-your-appearance-instead/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“There is only one giver and that is God. Even the laws of gravity justify this concept. Therefore, God always gives us without expecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/there-is-only-one-giver-and-that-is-god-even-the-laws-of-gravity/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“In the case of seeking knowledge, don't do it to brag and don't give up because you think you are not worthy of becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-the-case-of-seeking-knowledge-don-t-do-it-to-brag-and-don-t-give/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“We can all create through imagination, but our reality is often blocked by our doubts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/we-can-all-create-through-imagination-but-our-reality-is-often/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“The advice to love yourself may sound beautiful to the ear, but it was the only sin committed by the first narcissist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/the-advice-to-love-yourself-may-sound-beautiful-to-the-ear-but-it-was/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

[Explore all 291 Mwanandeke Kindembo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

## More Change quotes quotes

> [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [“If we aren't willing to change, we aren't willing to unconditionally love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaric-hutchinson/if-we-aren-t-willing-to-change-we-aren-t-willing-to-unconditionally/)

[Alaric Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaric-hutchinson/)

> [“Sometimes people rise above their past, sometimes not. And sometimes the people you least expect it from—like Raylan and my father— have a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayla-cunningham/sometimes-people-rise-above-their-past-sometimes-not-and-sometimes/)

[Kayla Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayla-cunningham/)

> [“Invest in the change you want to see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mawere-mutumwa/invest-in-the-change-you-want-to-see/)

Mawere Mutumwa

> [“The one thing that always stays the same is that nothing ever stays the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julieanne-o-connor/the-one-thing-that-always-stays-the-same-is-that-nothing-ever-stays/)

[Julieanne O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julieanne-o-connor/)

> [“Stepping outside your comfort zone isn’t a walk in the park, but the treasures that await you are like paths paved with gold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/stepping-outside-your-comfort-zone-isn-t-a-walk-in-the-park-but-the/)

[Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/)

> [“Create the new world that we all wish to see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-gunzburg/create-the-new-world-that-we-all-wish-to-see/)

[Ari Gunzburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-gunzburg/)

> [“Over the years of grassroots advocacy, I have learned: People want help, but they don’t want structure. People want leadership, but they resent authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-stoyer/over-the-years-of-grassroots-advocacy-i-have-learned-people-want-help/)

June Stoyer

> [“Embracing change can be daunting, but it is our willingness to do better that makes it worthwhile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peprah-boasiako/embracing-change-can-be-daunting-but-it-is-our-willingness-to-do/)

[Peprah Boasiako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peprah-boasiako/)

> [“Change is personal. If you don't work on you, your life and the world around you will seem the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-santo/change-is-personal-if-you-don-t-work-on-you-your-life-and-the-world/)

[DON SANTO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-santo/)

> [I let hurt build up in my body until I breathe it out, then I can see without. My own strains, my own conditions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micheal-larsen/i-let-hurt-build-up-in-my-body-until-i-breathe-it-out-then-i-can-see/)

[Micheal Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micheal-larsen/)

> [“Everything can be changed with enough focused energy being brought to bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/everything-can-be-changed-with-enough-focused-energy-being-brought-to/)

[Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/)

> [“Some choices are destined to be mistakes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-chouette/some-choices-are-destined-to-be-mistakes/)

[Laura Chouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-chouette/)

> [“Change is inevitable. Wise leaders anticipate it and adapt quickly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rivard/change-is-inevitable-wise-leaders-anticipate-it-and-adapt-quickly/)

Cynthia Rivard

> [“The independence of the arms of government must be checked. Let's be real if the so-called 'democracy' we were sold doesn't embrace this and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-santo/the-independence-of-the-arms-of-government-must-be-checked-let-s-be/)

[DON SANTO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-santo/)

Browse all 183 Change quotes quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We can only stop our watches, but not real time itself.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mwanandeke Kindembo"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-real-time-itself/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change quotes"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-real-time-itself/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/mwanandeke-kindembo-1107_change-quotes_we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-rea_1298480.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/mwanandeke-kindembo-1107_change-quotes_we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-rea_1298480.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/mwanandeke-kindembo-1107_change-quotes_we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-rea_1298480.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We can only stop our watches, but not real time itself.” — Mwanandeke Kindembo",
                "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": "Mwanandeke Kindembo",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We can only stop our watches,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-real-time-itself/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/we-can-only-stop-our-watches-but-not-real-time-itself/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
