---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't control what people say or…"
description: "\"I can't control what people say or anything like that. I have to focus on what I can control and that's what I'm going to do.\" — Patrick Marleau"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/patrick-marleau-93447_control_i-can-t-control-what-people-say-or-anyth_2548390.jpg"
---

#  I can't control what people say or anything like that. I…

![“I can't control what people say or anything like that. I have to focus on what I can control and that's what I'm going to do.” quote by Patrick Marleau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/patrick-marleau-93447_control_i-can-t-control-what-people-say-or-anyth_2548390.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/patrick-marleau-93447_control_i-can-t-control-what-people-say-or-anyth_2548390.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/patrick-marleau-93447_control_i-can-t-control-what-people-say-or-anyth_2548390.jpg)

> “I can't control what people say or anything like that. I have to focus on what I can control and that's what I'm going to do.”

[Patrick Marleau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marleau/)

## About This Quote

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

Focus on controllable aspects of life rather than others’ opinions, emphasizing personal agency.

**In simple terms:** Control what you can, ignore the rest.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize personal control.

Themes

self‑control focus personal agency mindset discipline

Mood

determined focused

Type

advice statement

When to use this quote

- sports training
- daily planning
- stress management

Key Concepts

goal setting mental resilience self‑efficacy

Questions to Reflect On

- What can you control today?
- How do you limit distractions?

A Different Perspective

External opinions still influence us.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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## Related quotes

> [“God is still in control. Nothing is going to happen that He can't give you the strength to handle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shana-burton/god-is-still-in-control-nothing-is-going-to-happen-that-he-can-t-give/)

[Shana Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shana-burton/)

> [We become like what we focus upon. Fix your eyes upon Christ and be conformed into His image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-lawson/we-become-like-what-we-focus-upon-fix-your-eyes-upon-christ-and-be/)

[Steven J Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-lawson/)

> [If you want to control other people, first control yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abu-bakr/if-you-want-to-control-other-people-first-control-yourself/)

[Abu Bakr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abu-bakr/)

> [I want people to come see my films and enjoy them but at the end of the day you can't control what people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-want-people-to-come-see-my-films-and-enjoy-them-but-at-the-end-of/)

[Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/)

> [You can't control how other people see you or think of you. But you have to be comfortable with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/you-can-t-control-how-other-people-see-you-or-think-of-you-but-you/)

[Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/)

> [A public figure cannot control what people say in open meetings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bridenstine/a-public-figure-cannot-control-what-people-say-in-open-meetings/)

[Jim Bridenstine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bridenstine/)

> [I don't like having too many projects in the pipeline. I like to focus on what's at hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dujardin/i-don-t-like-having-too-many-projects-in-the-pipeline-i-like-to-focus/)

[Jean Dujardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dujardin/)

> [I don't like being the focus of attention. It makes me very uncomfortable. And it's part of the reason I never look at videos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-don-t-like-being-the-focus-of-attention-it-makes-me-very/)

[Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/)

> [I like being in focus, in the moment, changing and adapting and creating and advancing a scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cooper/i-like-being-in-focus-in-the-moment-changing-and-adapting-and/)

[Dominic Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cooper/)

> [There's a tendency, when you're directing yourself, not to give the performance as much care, because you feel like there's too much focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/there-s-a-tendency-when-you-re-directing-yourself-not-to-give-the/)

[James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/)

> [It's the tactics, the little things I like to focus on and get better at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-sock/it-s-the-tactics-the-little-things-i-like-to-focus-on-and-get-better/)

[Jack Sock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-sock/)

> [I don't like to focus on just hip-hop because with hip-hop, I can only do so much; with a vocalist, I can only do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/i-don-t-like-to-focus-on-just-hip-hop-because-with-hip-hop-i-can-only/)

[Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/)

> [While musical experts of the world focus on what choir members can do, I would like to focus on what choir members can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/while-musical-experts-of-the-world-focus-on-what-choir-members-can-do/)

[Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/)

> [I would just like to focus even more because the fight is less than a week from now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-would-just-like-to-focus-even-more-because-the-fight-is-less-than-a/)

[Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/)

> [We like to collaborate on everything, so we have no formal divisions on where we each like to focus, and we like to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-russo/we-like-to-collaborate-on-everything-so-we-have-no-formal-divisions/)

[Anthony Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-russo/)

## More by Patrick Marleau

> [Games in hand are a good thing only if you win them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-marleau/games-in-hand-are-a-good-thing-only-if-you-win-them/)

[Patrick Marleau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marleau/)

[Explore all 2 Patrick Marleau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marleau/)

## More Control quotes

> [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/)

[Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/)

> [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/)

[Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/)

> [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/)

[Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/)

> [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/)

[Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/)

> [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/)

[Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/)

> [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/)

[Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/)

> [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/)

[Thomas Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-miller/)

> [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/)

[John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/)

> [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/)

[Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/)

> [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/)

[Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/)

> [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/)

[Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/)

> [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/)

[Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/)

> [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/)

[David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/)

> [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/)

[William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/)

[Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/)

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