---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our thoughts, or in other words, our…"
description: "\"Our thoughts, or in other words, our state of mind, is ever at work 'fixing up' things good or bad in advance.\" — Prentice Mulford"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/prentice-mulford-19880_fixing_our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state_1791748.png"
---

#  Our thoughts, or in other words, our state of mind, is…

![“Our thoughts, or in other words, our state of mind, is ever at work 'fixing up' things good or bad in advance.” quote by Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/prentice-mulford-19880_fixing_our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state_1791748.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/prentice-mulford-19880_fixing_our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state_1791748.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/prentice-mulford-19880_fixing_our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state_1791748.png)

> “Our thoughts, or in other words, our state of mind, is ever at work 'fixing up' things good or bad in advance.”

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

## About This Quote

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

Our mind constantly anticipates outcomes, shaping reality by pre‑emptively fixing events as good or bad.

**In simple terms:** Mind pre‑plans outcomes, shaping reality.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and guide your mental narratives.

Themes

mindset anticipation control

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

- personal planning
- stress management
- creative projects
- goal setting

Key Concepts

cognitive bias future‑oriented thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your mental rehearsal affect outcomes?
- What habits reinforce negative predictions?

A Different Perspective

Mind’s predictions can be inaccurate, leading to anxiety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fixing things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fixing-things/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [State of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-of-mind/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [I work on fixing myself every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/i-work-on-fixing-myself-every-day/)

[Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/)

> [“We are all a little bit broken, she tells me (the reason she doesn’t sleep at night?), but we all work on fixing ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/we-are-all-a-little-bit-broken-she-tells-me-the-reason-she-doesn-t/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [I don't believe in expending energy on something you can't do anything about. If there was some easy way of fixing things, I'd probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-annis/i-don-t-believe-in-expending-energy-on-something-you-can-t-do/)

[Francesca Annis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-annis/)

> [Fixing things around the house was the last bastion of manliness. But now, even that is getting taken away. As women become more economically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/fixing-things-around-the-house-was-the-last-bastion-of-manliness-but/)

[Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/)

> [ I have an organization called BLIND \[Beautiful Love Incorporated Nonprofit Development\], so named because even though my interest is in the black community, because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erykah-badu/i-have-an-organization-called-blind-beautiful-love-incorporated/)

[Erykah Badu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erykah-badu/)

> [Congratulations to the Auburn team and coach Malzahn. The piece for us was that we took some first and ten's and could not get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miles/congratulations-to-the-auburn-team-and-coach-malzahn-the-piece-for-us/)

[Les Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miles/)

> [I've always loved painting, although I never show anyone what I've done. Mainly because I don't do it well. But it's like a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/i-ve-always-loved-painting-although-i-never-show-anyone-what-i-ve/)

[Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/)

> [Women can do anything men can do. Except math, chess, running, jumping, lifting stuff, fixing things, making money, hockey, surfing, driving, making decisions, being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tosh/women-can-do-anything-men-can-do-except-math-chess-running-jumping/)

[Daniel Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tosh/)

> [Perfectionism has nothing to do with getting it right. It has nothing to do with fixing things. It has nothing to do with standards.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/perfectionism-has-nothing-to-do-with-getting-it-right-it-has-nothing/)

[Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/)

> [Sometimes its better to move on than to be the one thats always fixing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-rogers/sometimes-its-better-to-move-on-than-to-be-the-one-thats-always/)

[Sydney Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-rogers/)

> [I was always good at fixing things growing up. I wanted to work on boats. That was what my dad did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-cole/i-was-always-good-at-fixing-things-growing-up-i-wanted-to-work-on/)

[Finn Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-cole/)

> [“You’re great at fixing things. If anyone could do it, you could. But you can’t do this one. You can’t fix me. I’m broke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lili-st-crow/you-re-great-at-fixing-things-if-anyone-could-do-it-you-could-but-you/)

[Lili St. Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lili-st-crow/)

> [“Have you ever noticed, when things seem to be working against you, that if you focus on fixing things, think about a solution, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everett-peacock/have-you-ever-noticed-when-things-seem-to-be-working-against-you-that/)

Everett Peacock

> [Sometimes in this country, we don't focus a lot on people's experience and their resume. Mitt Romney would be the most experienced executive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artur-davis/sometimes-in-this-country-we-don-t-focus-a-lot-on-people-s-experience/)

[Artur Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artur-davis/)

> [And I specialize in fixing things up and restoring them to their former glory.” She wondered if that talent extended to humans, maybe even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/and-i-specialize-in-fixing-things-up-and-restoring-them-to-their/)

[Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/)

## More by Prentice Mulford

> [Love is an element which though physically unseen is as real as air or water. It is an acting, living, moving force... it moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/love-is-an-element-which-though-physically-unseen-is-as-real-as-air/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [Keep your mind as much as you can from dwelling on your ailment. Think of strength and power and you will draw it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/keep-your-mind-as-much-as-you-can-from-dwelling-on-your-ailment-think/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [There is a supreme power and ruling force which pervades and rules the boundless universe. You are a part of this power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/there-is-a-supreme-power-and-ruling-force-which-pervades-and-rules/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [The arrow always tipped with ill nature and sarcasm is deadliest to him who sends it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/the-arrow-always-tipped-with-ill-nature-and-sarcasm-is-deadliest-to/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [Every regret, every mournful thought, takes so much out of your life. It is force used to pile on more misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/every-regret-every-mournful-thought-takes-so-much-out-of-your-life-it/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [Possibilities and miracles mean the same thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/possibilities-and-miracles-mean-the-same-thing/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [The science of happiness lies in controlling our thought and getting thought from sources of healthy life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/the-science-of-happiness-lies-in-controlling-our-thought-and-getting/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [You may be saying: 'I have failed in life and shall always be a failure.' That is because you are ever looking back, living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/you-may-be-saying-i-have-failed-in-life-and-shall-always-be-a-failure/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [Fear is but another name for lack of power to control our minds, or, in other words, to control the kind of thought we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/fear-is-but-another-name-for-lack-of-power-to-control-our-minds-or-in/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [“Why, human thought is a real element, a real force, darting out like electricity from every man's or woman's mind, injuring or relieving, killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/why-human-thought-is-a-real-element-a-real-force-darting-out-like/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [The man who succeeds must always in mind or imagination live, move, think, and act as if he had gained that success, or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/the-man-who-succeeds-must-always-in-mind-or-imagination-live-move/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [To grieve at any loss, be it of friend or property, weakens mind and body. It is no help to the friend grieved for.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/to-grieve-at-any-loss-be-it-of-friend-or-property-weakens-mind-and/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [Whatever the mind is set upon, or whatever it keeps most in view, that it is bringing to it, and the continual thought or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/whatever-the-mind-is-set-upon-or-whatever-it-keeps-most-in-view-that/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [Our thought is the unseen magnet, ever attracting its correspondence in things seen and tangible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/our-thought-is-the-unseen-magnet-ever-attracting-its-correspondence/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

> [A mighty, eternal and incomprehensible force pushes us all forward. But while all are so being pushed, many linger and look back. Unconsciously, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/a-mighty-eternal-and-incomprehensible-force-pushes-us-all-forward-but/)

[Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

[Explore all 32 Prentice Mulford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/)

## More Fixing quotes

> [There are certain early plays of mine that I really don't like, but I can't imagine going back and fixing them. I would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-baker/there-are-certain-early-plays-of-mine-that-i-really-don-t-like-but-i/)

[Annie Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-baker/)

> [Worry is different from fear. If fear is like a raging fever, worry is a low-grade temperature. It nags at us, simmers in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-lawson-sittser/worry-is-different-from-fear-if-fear-is-like-a-raging-fever-worry-is/)

[Gerald Lawson Sittser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-lawson-sittser/)

> [I caught a glimpse of happiness, and saw it was a bird on a branch, fixing to take wing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-peck/i-caught-a-glimpse-of-happiness-and-saw-it-was-a-bird-on-a-branch/)

[Richard Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-peck/)

> [“Smile. Smile until all that's left are the pieces of your broken heart that are slowly fixing itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammiel-josiah-osia-monterde/smile-smile-until-all-that-s-left-are-the-pieces-of-your-broken-heart/)

Ammiel Josiah Osia Monterde

> [Though social eugenics was discredited long ago, we still often think of the genome in quasi-eugenic terms. When we read about the latest discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-wolf/though-social-eugenics-was-discredited-long-ago-we-still-often-think/)

[Gary Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-wolf/)

> [stop fixing your bodies and start fixing the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/stop-fixing-your-bodies-and-start-fixing-the-world/)

[Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/)

> [One of the reasons I've never done intensive psychotherapy or any of that stuff is that if there's anything in me that needs fixing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/one-of-the-reasons-i-ve-never-done-intensive-psychotherapy-or-any-of/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/ours-is-not-the-task-of-fixing-the-entire-world-all-at-once-but-of/)

[Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/)

> [Of course I will look at anything, but I have not got the time or the patience to keep on looking at art that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/of-course-i-will-look-at-anything-but-i-have-not-got-the-time-or-the/)

[Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/)

> [ \[The American people\] would rather invest in themselves than listen to a bunch of people in Washington who do not have a record of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-american-people-would-rather-invest-in-themselves-than-listen-to/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Psychology is much bigger than just medicine, or fixing unhealthy things. It's about education, work, marriage - it's even about sports. What I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/psychology-is-much-bigger-than-just-medicine-or-fixing-unhealthy/)

[Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/)

> [Good planning avoids the need for fixing up a project that plowed ahead without thought... about potential pitfalls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/good-planning-avoids-the-need-for-fixing-up-a-project-that-plowed/)

[Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/)

> [Once I get the horse where he’s responding and working for ya and has a good frame of mind and a good attitude, it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/once-i-get-the-horse-where-he-s-responding-and-working-for-ya-and-has/)

[Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/)

> [ The designer \[...\] has a passion for doing something that fits somebody's needs, but that is not just a simple fix. The designer has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-kelley/the-designer-has-a-passion-for-doing-something-that-fits-somebody-s/)

[David E. Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-kelley/)

> [Reforming public education, cutting property taxes, fixing adult and child protective services and funding our budget can all occur when Democrats and Republicans engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/reforming-public-education-cutting-property-taxes-fixing-adult-and/)

[Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/)

Browse all 364 Fixing quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our thoughts, or in other words, our state of mind, is ever at work 'fixing up' things good or bad in advance.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Prentice Mulford"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state-of-mind-is-ever-at-work/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fixing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state-of-mind-is-ever-at-work/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/prentice-mulford-19880_fixing_our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state_1791748.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/prentice-mulford-19880_fixing_our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state_1791748.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/prentice-mulford-19880_fixing_our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state_1791748.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our thoughts, or in other words, our state of mind, is ever at work 'fixing up' things good or bad in advance.” — Prentice Mulford",
                "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": "Prentice Mulford",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our thoughts, or in other words,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state-of-mind-is-ever-at-work/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/our-thoughts-or-in-other-words-our-state-of-mind-is-ever-at-work/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
