---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life was messy. Always had been and…"
description: "\"Life was messy. Always had been and always would be and that was just the way it was, so why bother complaining? You either did something about it or y..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/nicholas-sparks-93_bother_life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-alway_1260034.jpg"
---

#  Life was messy. Always had been and always would be and…

![“Life was messy. Always had been and always would be and that was just the way it was, so why bother complaining? You either did something about it or you didn’t, and then you lived with the choice you made.” quote by Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/nicholas-sparks-93_bother_life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-alway_1260034.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/nicholas-sparks-93_bother_life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-alway_1260034.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/nicholas-sparks-93_bother_life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-alway_1260034.jpg)

> “Life was messy. Always had been and always would be and that was just the way it was, so why bother complaining? You either did something about it or you didn’t, and then you lived with the choice you made.”

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

## About This Quote

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

Life’s inherent messiness makes complaining futile; action or acceptance is the only path forward.

**In simple terms:** Life is messy; act or accept.

Key Takeaway

Choose action over complaint.

Themes

life messiness choice acceptance action

Mood

reflective motivational philosophical

Type

literary inspirational

When to use this quote

- daily decisions
- relationship challenges
- career setbacks
- personal growth

Key Concepts

existentialism personal responsibility mindset

Questions to Reflect On

- What choices have you avoided?
- How does acceptance affect your wellbeing?

A Different Perspective

Ignoring messiness can lead to stagnation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/) [Bother Complaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother-complaining-2989894/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Complaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaining/) [Complaining Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaining-did-4003146/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Messy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-messy/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Messy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messy/) [Messy Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messy-just-1197990/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Why bother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-bother/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/)

## Related quotes

> [“Life was messy. Always had been and always would be and that was just the way it was, so why bother complaining?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-always-would-be-and-that-was-just-2/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“It would be nice if life weren’t so messy, but that’s just not the nature of things; we want things to be perfect, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/it-would-be-nice-if-life-weren-t-so-messy-but-that-s-just-not-the/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [Mom, my friends don't care if my room is messy. They just care if we have food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mom-my-friends-don-t-care-if-my-room-is-messy-they-just-care-if-we/)

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

> [The people who know the sort of personality or persona that I give across more on Twitter just realize that I'm just being messy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-roy/the-people-who-know-the-sort-of-personality-or-persona-that-i-give/)

[Jason Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-roy/)

> [Life is messy and gloriously imperfect, and some signs of wear and tear indicate a well-loved, well-used home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-needleman/life-is-messy-and-gloriously-imperfect-and-some-signs-of-wear-and/)

[Deborah Needleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-needleman/)

> [“You can't know, but life is messy like that. We follow a few simple rules that have helped us make decisions: to apologize when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aminder-dhaliwal/you-can-t-know-but-life-is-messy-like-that-we-follow-a-few-simple/)

[Aminder Dhaliwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aminder-dhaliwal/)

> [“Life is messy,” Dr. Lau was fond of saying. “Deal with it. If you’re judging it, you’re not really seeing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/life-is-messy-dr-lau-was-fond-of-saying-deal-with-it-if-you-re/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [Life is so messy that the temptation to straighten it up is very strong. And the results always illusory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/life-is-so-messy-that-the-temptation-to-straighten-it-up-is-very/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [Life has been messy for me, as it has for most everyone. I have come to the realization that challenging experiences break us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ping-fu/life-has-been-messy-for-me-as-it-has-for-most-everyone-i-have-come-to/)

[Ping Fu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ping-fu/)

> [“Life can be messy. No doubt, a lot of these kids are living proof. But in spite of their anxieties and their angers, At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-fields/life-can-be-messy-no-doubt-a-lot-of-these-kids-are-living-proof-but/)

[Terri Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-fields/)

> [“Real life is messy and hard and never turns out like I’ve imagined. Usually it’s better. So, I try not to dream but rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kiesler/real-life-is-messy-and-hard-and-never-turns-out-like-i-ve-imagined/)

[Katie Kiesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kiesler/)

> [Life is messy. Love is messier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-messy-love-is-messier/)

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

> [Life is messy, and it's okay if you are too! We all screw up, that doesn't have to define us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/life-is-messy-and-it-s-okay-if-you-are-too-we-all-screw-up-that-doesn/)

[Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/)

> [Really, life is full of contradictions. Life is messy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-blake-nelson/really-life-is-full-of-contradictions-life-is-messy/)

[Tim Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-blake-nelson/)

> [Life is messy; it's not linear, it's not logical, and the book reflects that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-quiello/life-is-messy-it-s-not-linear-it-s-not-logical-and-the-book-reflects/)

[Rose Quiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-quiello/)

## More by Nicholas Sparks

> [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“Nothing is ever lost nor can be lost; the body aged, sluggish,cold… the embers left from earlier fires shall dully flame again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-is-ever-lost-nor-can-be-lost-the-body-aged-sluggish-cold-the/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [I'm sure you think that I don't understand what you're going through, but I do. It's just that sometimes, our future is dictated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-m-sure-you-think-that-i-don-t-understand-what-you-re-going-through/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“You weren't out there that long, were you? I can't bear to think that no one found you right away." Noah shook his head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-weren-t-out-there-that-long-were-you-i-can-t-bear-to-think-that/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“And in your smile, I will live forever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/and-in-your-smile-i-will-live-forever/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [When we first met, I didn't want to get involved with anyone. I didn't have the time or energy, and I wasn't sure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/when-we-first-met-i-didn-t-want-to-get-involved-with-anyone-i-didn-t/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“There is something terrible in the moments after waking up, when the subconscious knows that something terrible has happened but before all the memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-is-something-terrible-in-the-moments-after-waking-up-when-the/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [There is nothing like love. You should try it.” Thibault shrugged. “Maybe one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-is-nothing-like-love-you-should-try-it-thibault-shrugged-maybe/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“more time she’d spent with him, the more convinced she became that he was by far the sexiest guy she’d ever met. Who else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/more-time-she-d-spent-with-him-the-more-convinced-she-became-that-he/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [Dear John, tell me everything. Write it all down, that way, we’ll be with each other all the time, even if we’re not with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/dear-john-tell-me-everything-write-it-all-down-that-way-we-ll-be-with/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [You were spying on us?" "It was kind of hard not to. You were right there by the workshop with Will. it looked like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-were-spying-on-us-it-was-kind-of-hard-not-to-you-were-right-there/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [There are lots of real men out there - men who could fall in love with you at the drop of a hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-are-lots-of-real-men-out-there-men-who-could-fall-in-love-with/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [...nothing wonderful lasted forever. Joy was as fleeting as a shooting star that crossed the evening sky, ready to blink out at any moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-wonderful-lasted-forever-joy-was-as-fleeting-as-a-shooting/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [He put his arms around her. “Well, in my defense, then, whatever I did seemed to work, didn't it?” She sighed. “I suppose.” “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-put-his-arms-around-her-well-in-my-defense-then-whatever-i-did/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [I don't know. I really don't. While I was in the living room, I kept asking myself what I really wanted in life." She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-don-t-know-i-really-don-t-while-i-was-in-the-living-room-i-kept/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

[Explore all 1,309 Nicholas Sparks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

## More Bother quotes

> [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/)

[David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/)

> [One day I decided I would like to put a record into my system. So I picked up a record that was lying on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/one-day-i-decided-i-would-like-to-put-a-record-into-my-system-so-i/)

[Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/)

> [Im tired, tired of putting more effort than you do. Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/)

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

> [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/)

[Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/)

> [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/)

[Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/)

> ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/)

[Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/)

> [I've always been a late bloomer in some ways, and extremely precocious in other ways. When I was twenty I was living in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-ve-always-been-a-late-bloomer-in-some-ways-and-extremely-precocious/)

[Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/)

> [“Shut up. Stand up. Put this on. That’s right . . . if you were the kind of man who found it easy to do that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/shut-up-stand-up-put-this-on-that-s-right-if-you-were-the-kind-of-man/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [We have reached the point where we can lose a game or two and not drop out of sight in the rankings. I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/we-have-reached-the-point-where-we-can-lose-a-game-or-two-and-not/)

[LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/)

> [I've said I want the meanest, toughest SOB I can find to protect America. And so that's why Trump's tone doesn't bother me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-ve-said-i-want-the-meanest-toughest-sob-i-can-find-to-protect/)

[Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/)

> [I was a loner as a child. I had an imaginary friend - I didn't bother with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-was-a-loner-as-a-child-i-had-an-imaginary-friend-i-didn-t-bother/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/)

[Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/)

> [Our students wanted to know everything: but only the newest theory seemed to them worth bothering with. Knowing nothing of the intellectual achievements of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-levi-strauss/our-students-wanted-to-know-everything-but-only-the-newest-theory/)

[Claude Levi-Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-levi-strauss/)

> [Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-dale-bell/show-me-a-man-who-cannot-bother-to-do-little-things-and-i-ll-show-you/)

[Lawrence Dale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-dale-bell/)

> [People are people. All that celebrity tagging doesn't bother me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-price/people-are-people-all-that-celebrity-tagging-doesn-t-bother-me-at-all/)

[Katie Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-price/)

[Browse all 1,604 Bother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Life was messy. Always had been and always would be and that was just the way it was, so why bother complaining? You either did something about it or you didn’t, and then you lived with the choice you made.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nicholas Sparks"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-always-would-be-and-that-was-just/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bother"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-always-would-be-and-that-was-just/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/nicholas-sparks-93_bother_life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-alway_1260034.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/nicholas-sparks-93_bother_life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-alway_1260034.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/nicholas-sparks-93_bother_life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-alway_1260034.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Life was messy. Always had been and always would be and that was just the way it was, so why bother…” — Nicholas Sparks",
                "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": "Nicholas Sparks",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Life was messy. Always had been...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-always-would-be-and-that-was-just/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/life-was-messy-always-had-been-and-always-would-be-and-that-was-just/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
