--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I'm not heading toward a place where I…" description: "\"“If I'm not heading toward a place where I can feel joy, then hope in the present has nothing to hold on to.”\" — R. Eric Thomas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/r-eric-thomas-100408_hope_if-i-m-not-heading-toward-a-place-where_888431.jpg" --- # If I'm not heading toward a place where I can feel joy… ![“If I'm not heading toward a place where I can feel joy, then hope in the present has nothing to hold on to.” quote by R. Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/r-eric-thomas-100408_hope_if-i-m-not-heading-toward-a-place-where_888431.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/r-eric-thomas-100408_hope_if-i-m-not-heading-toward-a-place-where_888431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/r-eric-thomas-100408_hope_if-i-m-not-heading-toward-a-place-where_888431.jpg) > ““If I'm not heading toward a place where I can feel joy, then hope in the present has nothing to hold on to.”” R. Eric Thomas ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without moving toward joy, present hope lacks grounding, emphasizing the necessity of purposeful direction for meaningful optimism. **In simple terms:** Hope needs direction toward joy. Key Takeaway Seek joyful purpose. Themes hope purpose joy meaningful living Mood optimistic reflective inspirational Type Hope:1 Joy:1 Feel Joy:0 Place Feel:0 Hope Present:0 Joy Hope:0 When to use this quote - career planning - personal growth - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology philosophy well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What brings you genuine joy? - How can you align daily actions with that joy? A Different Perspective Hope alone may be vague without actionable steps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) ## Related quotes > [Our children are our only hope for the future, but we are their only hope for their present and their future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/our-children-are-our-only-hope-for-the-future-but-we-are-their-only/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [True joy is only hope put out of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-fulke-greville/true-joy-is-only-hope-put-out-of-fear/) [Sir Fulke Greville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-fulke-greville/) > [“I’m serious, now let me know every time you see her cry. The thought brings me great joy. Hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-covington/i-m-serious-now-let-me-know-every-time-you-see-her-cry-the-thought/) [Vicki Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-covington/) > [Joy is something you can experience even when life is not pleasurable. Even in the midst of a long run, when your legs are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-achor/joy-is-something-you-can-experience-even-when-life-is-not-pleasurable/) [Shawn Achor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-achor/) > [When you meditate you feel joy, harmony, peace, stillness, ecstasy, laughter, certainty, courage, strength, awareness and immortality. In the beginning you will feel these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-meditate-you-feel-joy-harmony-peace-stillness-ecstasy/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I find personally that when I go to a place where I can't get in, I feel hostility from whatever it is, a hotel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itzhak-perlman/i-find-personally-that-when-i-go-to-a-place-where-i-can-t-get-in-i/) [Itzhak Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itzhak-perlman/) > [It's hard always to say what it is one likes about a place, for me. I feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/it-s-hard-always-to-say-what-it-is-one-likes-about-a-place-for-me-i/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [I just wanted to go to a place where I would feel happy and I am happy now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-mata/i-just-wanted-to-go-to-a-place-where-i-would-feel-happy-and-i-am/) [Juan Mata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-mata/) > [Home to me is when someone comes up to me and says, "Can I get a selfie?" No. It's where your wife and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/home-to-me-is-when-someone-comes-up-to-me-and-says-can-i-get-a-selfie/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [“You will rot in any place you feel you do not belong to!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-will-rot-in-any-place-you-feel-you-do-not-belong-to/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Paris is the only place where I feel that I lead a life that I can call my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-juliet-buck/paris-is-the-only-place-where-i-feel-that-i-lead-a-life-that-i-can/) [Joan Juliet Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-juliet-buck/) > [People don't realize that lighting can change the whole look of a place and the feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-berk/people-don-t-realize-that-lighting-can-change-the-whole-look-of-a/) [Bobby Berk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-berk/) > [I think the stage is the place where I feel most comfortable and most myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hadwin/i-think-the-stage-is-the-place-where-i-feel-most-comfortable-and-most/) [Courtney Hadwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hadwin/) > [“The whole place had a feel and aura about as warm as a cold sore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/the-whole-place-had-a-feel-and-aura-about-as-warm-as-a-cold-sore/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) ## More by R. Eric Thomas > [“I think it's important to note that that takes work: family doesn't just happen; welcome isn't a neutral state. We have to tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-eric-thomas/i-think-it-s-important-to-note-that-that-takes-work-family-doesn-t/) R. Eric Thomas Explore all 2 R. Eric Thomas quotes ## More Hope quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“What can we do in any hardship? We can hope with prayerful praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-can-we-do-in-any-hardship-we-can-hope-with-prayerful-praise/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [If one truly has lost hope, one would not be on hand to say so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/if-one-truly-has-lost-hope-one-would-not-be-on-hand-to-say-so/) [Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [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/) > [Stop trying to give me hope ... I have no room left for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-f/stop-trying-to-give-me-hope-i-have-no-room-left-for-it/) [Jenn F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-f/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pray, hope, don't worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-don-t-worry/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [I am at a point in my life where everything I have worked for starts to look like a burden, a weight on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-abou-samra/i-am-at-a-point-in-my-life-where-everything-i-have-worked-for-starts/) Simone Abou Samra > [Im really happy that I met you I hope you know that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-nothing/im-really-happy-that-i-met-you-i-hope-you-know-that/) Im Nothing > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) [Browse all 24,868 Hope quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If I'm not heading toward a place where I can feel joy, then hope in the present has nothing to hold on to.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R. 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