--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people consult me, it's not that I'm…" description: "\"“When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/paulo-coelho-10_god-love_when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m_703476.jpg" --- # When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the… ![“When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances. How am I to guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present. The secret here is in the present. If you…” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/paulo-coelho-10_god-love_when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m_703476.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/paulo-coelho-10_god-love_when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m_703476.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/paulo-coelho-10_god-love_when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m_703476.jpg) > ““When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances. How am I to guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present. The secret here is in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children.”” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker suggests that future insight comes from observing present signs, not from claiming prophetic knowledge, and that improving the present leads to a better future. **In simple terms:** Focus on present signs to improve life. Key Takeaway Pay attention to today, improve, and trust divine guidance. Themes mindfulness faith personal growth Mood reflective hopeful spiritual Type advice philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily decision making - personal development - spiritual practice - goal setting Key Concepts divine providence present awareness intuition Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance present awareness with future planning? - What present signs guide your daily choices? A Different Perspective Relying solely on present signs may ignore long‑term planning and external factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Live each day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-each-day/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“When people consult me, it’s not that I’m reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future belongs to God, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m-reading-the-future-i-am-3/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When people consult me,it's not that I'm reading the future;I am guessing at the future.The future belongs to God,and it is only he who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m-reading-the-future-i-am/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances. How do I guess at the future? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-future-belongs-to-god-and-it-is-only-he-who-reveals-it-under-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [How do I guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present. The secret is here in the present. If you pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-do-i-guess-at-the-future-based-on-the-omens-of-the-present-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We're guessing at our future opportunity cost. Warrenis guessing that he'll have the opportunity to put capital out at high rates of return, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-re-guessing-at-our-future-opportunity-cost-warrenis-guessing-that/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The endless legacy of the past to the present is the secret source of human genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-endless-legacy-of-the-past-to-the-present-is-the-secret-source-of/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [The past is made out of facts...I guess the future is just hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/the-past-is-made-out-of-facts-i-guess-the-future-is-just-hope/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [I've been known to have a good guess at the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bez/i-ve-been-known-to-have-a-good-guess-at-the-future/) [Bez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bez/) > [You might have a past..but guess what? You have a future, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-might-have-a-past-but-guess-what-you-have-a-future-too/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I had to guess what the future's going to look like for me - assuming it's not an orange jumpsuit in a hole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-i-had-to-guess-what-the-future-s-going-to-look-like-for-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You mustn't take what I say as gospel because no one can second-guess the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/you-mustn-t-take-what-i-say-as-gospel-because-no-one-can-second-guess/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [ “Your guess \[about the future of technology\] is as good as mine. The only thing I'm sure of is (a) most of the predictions… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-krug/your-guess-about-the-future-of-technology-is-as-good-as-mine-the-only/) [Steve Krug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-krug/) > [“The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-secret-is-here-in-the-present-if-you-pay-attention-to-the-present-3/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“live each day as if it were my last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/live-each-day-as-if-it-were-my-last/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/forget-about-the-future-and-live-each-day-according-to-the-teachings/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Future quotes > [“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/) > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [“We have no idea, now, of who or what the inhabitants of our future might be. In that sense, we have no future. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/we-have-no-idea-now-of-who-or-what-the-inhabitants-of-our-future/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. History repeats itself, thus, it's ok to LOOK back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-continue-to-dwell-on-the-past-there-s-no-chance-for-a-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) [Browse all 12,349 Future quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances. How am I to guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present. The secret here is in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m-reading-the-future-i-am-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Future" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m-reading-the-future-i-am-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/paulo-coelho-10_god-love_when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m_703476.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/paulo-coelho-10_god-love_when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m_703476.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/paulo-coelho-10_god-love_when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m_703476.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future…” — Paulo Coelho", "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": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When people consult me, it's not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m-reading-the-future-i-am-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-people-consult-me-it-s-not-that-i-m-reading-the-future-i-am-2/#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 } } ] } ```