--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was able to change my life by knowing…" description: "\"I was able to change my life by knowing that if somebody does something good for you, you have to respond.\" — Nelson Mandela" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/nelson-mandela-248_able_i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing_2084636.jpg" --- # I was able to change my life by knowing that if somebody… ![“I was able to change my life by knowing that if somebody does something good for you, you have to respond.” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/nelson-mandela-248_able_i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing_2084636.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/nelson-mandela-248_able_i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing_2084636.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/nelson-mandela-248_able_i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing_2084636.jpg) > “I was able to change my life by knowing that if somebody does something good for you, you have to respond.” [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reciprocity drives personal transformation; respond to kindness. **In simple terms:** Return kindness, change life. Key Takeaway Practice gratitude and give back. Themes kindness reciprocity growth Mood inspirational hopeful Type motivational ethical When to use this quote - volunteering - teamwork - friendship Key Concepts ethical psychological Questions to Reflect On - Who has helped you most? - How can you pay it forward? A Different Perspective Reciprocity may not be always possible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change My Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-my-life/) [Changing my life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-my-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [I can't really change my life to accommodate people who are jealous. I don't see why I should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sting/i-can-t-really-change-my-life-to-accommodate-people-who-are-jealous-i/) [Sting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sting/) > [When you ask, Did writing change my life? It totally changed my life. It gave me my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/when-you-ask-did-writing-change-my-life-it-totally-changed-my-life-it/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [How did I change my life? I wanted things. I wanted women and I wanted to write books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/how-did-i-change-my-life-i-wanted-things-i-wanted-women-and-i-wanted/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [I change my life when I change my thinking. I am Light. I am Spirit. I am a wonderful, capable being. And it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-change-my-life-when-i-change-my-thinking-i-am-light-i-am-spirit-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many people say, "Well, I'd love to make a decision like that, but I'm not sure how I could change my life." They're paralyzed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-people-say-well-i-d-love-to-make-a-decision-like-that-but-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Get through the agony and anger, the pain and strife, and take the necessary steps to try to change my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludacris/get-through-the-agony-and-anger-the-pain-and-strife-and-take-the/) [Ludacris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludacris/) > [This person called up and said, You've got to come and take this seminar. It will completely change your life in just one weekend.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-fields/this-person-called-up-and-said-you-ve-got-to-come-and-take-this/) [Rick Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-fields/) > [I know that eventually, I'll have to change my life and my career, but I've got a lot of good years left in me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-know-that-eventually-i-ll-have-to-change-my-life-and-my-career-but/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [I've changed my music from time to time so I'm hoping that I can completely change my life from time to time, too. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-ve-changed-my-music-from-time-to-time-so-i-m-hoping-that-i-can/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I am grateful for all the military families that I've met. I wanted to spread hope and cheer to all; little did I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynonna-judd/i-am-grateful-for-all-the-military-families-that-i-ve-met-i-wanted-to/) [Wynonna Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynonna-judd/) > [I would rather not have upset him, but I couldn't see any reason to change my life. Looking back on it, I wasn't unhappy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-would-rather-not-have-upset-him-but-i-couldn-t-see-any-reason-to/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [People say having kids is life changing, well that doesn't necessarily mean a good thing, does it? I could take one of my legs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/people-say-having-kids-is-life-changing-well-that-doesn-t-necessarily/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Paintings helped to change my life. I'd still be living a life of disaster without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-cahill/paintings-helped-to-change-my-life-i-d-still-be-living-a-life-of/) [Eddie Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-cahill/) > [If I'm to change my life for you, I've got to have some hope." "I don't want you to change your life for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/if-i-m-to-change-my-life-for-you-i-ve-got-to-have-some-hope-i-don-t/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [Dear God, please help me to love and value myself, and treat myself with loving care. Please help me to know that I deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/dear-god-please-help-me-to-love-and-value-myself-and-treat-myself/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) ## More by Nelson Mandela > [We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity and power in our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-must-work-together-to-ensure-the-equitable-distribution-of-wealth/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/courageous-people-do-not-fear-forgiving-for-the-sake-of-peace/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Some of the mission groups that have been responsible for our education have not been part of the government. In fact, they acted contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/some-of-the-mission-groups-that-have-been-responsible-for-our/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“I believed that I would become a counsellor to the Thembu king,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-believed-that-i-would-become-a-counsellor-to-the-thembu-king/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [What he means by this is that instead of saying you'll "try", you need to "do". And as we let our light shine, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/what-he-means-by-this-is-that-instead-of-saying-you-ll-try-you-need/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-learned-that-courage-was-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-the-triumph/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [We need to exert ourselves that much more, and break out of the vicious cycle of dependence imposed on us by the financially powerful:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-need-to-exert-ourselves-that-much-more-and-break-out-of-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“Prison is a still point in a turning world, and it is very easy to remain in the same place in jail while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/prison-is-a-still-point-in-a-turning-world-and-it-is-very-easy-to/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-fundamental-concern-for-others-in-our-individual-and-community/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I am aware of what the position is in the United States of America. If somebody gives to charity, then he gets a tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-am-aware-of-what-the-position-is-in-the-united-states-of-america-if/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It is our duty to give support to the brother leader ... especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-our-duty-to-give-support-to-the-brother-leader-especially-in/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of our own people became a hunger for the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-was-during-those-long-and-lonely-years-that-my-hunger-for-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) [Explore all 809 Nelson Mandela quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was able to change my life by knowing that if somebody does something good for you, you have to respond.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nelson Mandela" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing-that-if-somebody-does/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing-that-if-somebody-does/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/nelson-mandela-248_able_i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing_2084636.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/nelson-mandela-248_able_i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing_2084636.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/nelson-mandela-248_able_i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing_2084636.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was able to change my life by knowing that if somebody does something good for you, you have to respond.” — Nelson Mandela", "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": "Nelson Mandela", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was able to change my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing-that-if-somebody-does/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-was-able-to-change-my-life-by-knowing-that-if-somebody-does/#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 } } ] } ```