--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: . I had been so focused on myself and all…" description: "\"“. I had been so focused on myself and all the ugliness that I felt inside of me that I forgot how beautiful the simplest of things can be. Looking at ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/paul-s-anderson-64727_life_i-had-been-so-focused-on-myself-and-all_1003691.jpg" --- # . I had been so focused on myself and all the ugliness… ![“. I had been so focused on myself and all the ugliness that I felt inside of me that I forgot how beautiful the simplest of things can be. Looking at the blades of grass start to regain their shade of green after a cold winter is a simple thing, yet it captures the vibrancy of life.” quote by Paul S. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/paul-s-anderson-64727_life_i-had-been-so-focused-on-myself-and-all_1003691.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/paul-s-anderson-64727_life_i-had-been-so-focused-on-myself-and-all_1003691.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/paul-s-anderson-64727_life_i-had-been-so-focused-on-myself-and-all_1003691.jpg) > ““. I had been so focused on myself and all the ugliness that I felt inside of me that I forgot how beautiful the simplest of things can be. Looking at the blades of grass start to regain their shade of green after a cold winter is a simple thing, yet it captures the vibrancy of life.”” [Paul S. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-s-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focusing on self‑criticism blinds us to simple beauties that restore vitality. **In simple terms:** Notice small wonders to feel alive. Key Takeaway Pause and appreciate everyday beauty. Themes mindfulness gratitude renewal Mood calm hopeful Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - stress relief - mental health - creative inspiration - nature walks Key Concepts psychology nature appreciation Questions to Reflect On - How can you shift focus from flaws to simple joys? - What daily practice helps you notice beauty? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on self‑criticism can cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cold Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-winter/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Vibrancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vibrancy/) ## Related quotes > [I go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. I take walks. I work until I'm tired. I watch the wind play with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-go-to-sleep-alone-and-wake-up-alone-i-take-walks-i-work-until-i-m/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I forgot that I might see, so many beautiful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-forgot-that-i-might-see-so-many-beautiful-things/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [“I forgot that I might see So many beautiful things I forgot that I might need To find out what life could bring”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/i-forgot-that-i-might-see-so-many-beautiful-things-i-forgot-that-i/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [ This election \[in 2016\] is about electing a president that will restore our economic vibrancy so that the American dream can expand to reach… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/this-election-in-2016-is-about-electing-a-president-that-will-restore/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [We need to dream big dreams, propose grandiose means if we are to recapture the excitement, the vibrancy, and pride we once had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleman-young/we-need-to-dream-big-dreams-propose-grandiose-means-if-we-are-to/) [Coleman Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleman-young/) > [The house as I say ... smelled of brisket and bourbon, so you could hear that. I started imitating them. Phrases came out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-crystal/the-house-as-i-say-smelled-of-brisket-and-bourbon-so-you-could-hear/) [Billy Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-crystal/) > [You know, the vibrancy of the black church, the black businesses that employ so many people, the opportunities that so many families are working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/you-know-the-vibrancy-of-the-black-church-the-black-businesses-that/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Now and again, it is necessary to seclude yourself among deep mountain and hidden valleys to restore your link to the source of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/now-and-again-it-is-necessary-to-seclude-yourself-among-deep-mountain/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) > [She was the reason I was a reader, and being a reader was what had made me most myself; it had given me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/she-was-the-reason-i-was-a-reader-and-being-a-reader-was-what-had/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [As years and experiences add up and life begins to wear us down, it's easy for the vibrancy of our passion and purpose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-anderson/as-years-and-experiences-add-up-and-life-begins-to-wear-us-down-it-s/) [Shawn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-anderson/) > [So, I mean, there's still vast swaths of the city that are suffering from a lack of jobs and poor housing and poor public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maraniss/so-i-mean-there-s-still-vast-swaths-of-the-city-that-are-suffering/) [David Maraniss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maraniss/) > [Vibrancy is so universally desirable, so totemic in its powers, that even though we aren't sure what the word means, we know the quality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-frank/vibrancy-is-so-universally-desirable-so-totemic-in-its-powers-that/) [Thomas Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-frank/) > [We get to choose how we're going to live - what level of energy, what level of vibrancy, what level of excitement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendon-burchard/we-get-to-choose-how-we-re-going-to-live-what-level-of-energy-what/) [Brendon Burchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendon-burchard/) > [You've always lived here, right?" Sarah asked. "Except for the years I went to college." "Didn't you ever want to move away? To experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-ve-always-lived-here-right-sarah-asked-except-for-the-years-i/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [What I am out to do is make sure that the Met continues to be the most exciting encyclopedic museum in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-campbell/what-i-am-out-to-do-is-make-sure-that-the-met-continues-to-be-the/) [Thomas P. Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-campbell/) ## More by Paul S. Anderson > [“It seems like this day and age is heading to a larger emphasis on conformity. The goal of life was to be a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-s-anderson/it-seems-like-this-day-and-age-is-heading-to-a-larger-emphasis-on/) [Paul S. 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That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“. 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