--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are often wonderful things about…" description: "\"“There are often wonderful things about the past that we miss, and there are exciting possibilities in the future that we long for. Yet it is possible ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/ramon-presson-26328_time_there-are-often-wonderful-things-about-t_1740883.jpg" --- # There are often wonderful things about the past that we… ![“There are often wonderful things about the past that we miss, and there are exciting possibilities in the future that we long for. Yet it is possible to get stuck lamenting over what is no more, wanting what might be, or resenting what may never be. Discontentment holds today’s joy hostage with a…” quote by Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/ramon-presson-26328_time_there-are-often-wonderful-things-about-t_1740883.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/ramon-presson-26328_time_there-are-often-wonderful-things-about-t_1740883.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/ramon-presson-26328_time_there-are-often-wonderful-things-about-t_1740883.jpg) > ““There are often wonderful things about the past that we miss, and there are exciting possibilities in the future that we long for. Yet it is possible to get stuck lamenting over what is no more, wanting what might be, or resenting what may never be. Discontentment holds today’s joy hostage with a list of demands of how things should be.”” [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reflects on how dwelling on past regrets and future fantasies creates discontent, stealing present joy. **In simple terms:** Living in past or future steals today’s happiness. Key Takeaway Focus on present, let go of regrets and fantasies. Themes mindfulness contentment present life balance Mood reflective thoughtful calm Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - therapy - coaching - mindfulness practice - daily gratitude Key Concepts psychology philosophy emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - What are you missing today because of past or future thoughts? - How can you cultivate gratitude for now? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on present may ignore valuable lessons from past or future planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discontentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discontentment/) [Discontentment Holds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discontentment-holds-1197319/) [Lamenting Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lamenting-wanting-1518902/) [Resenting Discontentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resenting-discontentment-1518901/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanting/) [Wonderful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful-things/) ## Related quotes > [“Discontentment holds today’s joy hostage with a list of demands of how things should be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/discontentment-holds-today-s-joy-hostage-with-a-list-of-demands-of/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [I will be able to love above all discontentment. To give even when I am stripped of everything. To dry tears even when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-will-be-able-to-love-above-all-discontentment-to-give-even-when-i/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [We can start by living by the Spirit while we stop following the heart of discontentment and doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-can-start-by-living-by-the-spirit-while-we-stop-following-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It was not desirable for the proles to have strong political feelings. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-was-not-desirable-for-the-proles-to-have-strong-political-feelings/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Discontentment happens when I don’t have what I want. Contentment happens when I realize that I have so much more than I deserve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-altrogge/discontentment-happens-when-i-don-t-have-what-i-want-contentment/) [Stephen Altrogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-altrogge/) > [But I am all for love, and I am against marriage, particularly the arranged kind, because the arranged marriage gives you satisfaction. And love?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/but-i-am-all-for-love-and-i-am-against-marriage-particularly-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“When a man is discontented with himself, it has one advantage however, that it puts him into an excellent frame of mind for making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-sterne/when-a-man-is-discontented-with-himself-it-has-one-advantage-however/) [Lawrence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-sterne/) > [“Real happiness, however, comes from who we are—from who we’ve become. Real happiness comes from within. Likewise, discontentment is also a result of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-fields-millburn/real-happiness-however-comes-from-who-we-are-from-who-we-ve-become/) [Joshua Fields Millburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-fields-millburn/) > [I've always been dissatisfied, I know that. But lately I find that I reek of discontentment. It fills my throat, and it floods my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-ve-always-been-dissatisfied-i-know-that-but-lately-i-find-that-i/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“The deep rumbling of discontent that we hear today is the thunder of disinherited masses rising from dungeons of oppression to the bright hills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/the-deep-rumbling-of-discontent-that-we-hear-today-is-the-thunder-of/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“How can one explain this trend towards a more colorless and shallow life? Well, the work was easier, if less healthy, and it brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-junger/how-can-one-explain-this-trend-towards-a-more-colorless-and-shallow/) [Ernst Jünger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-junger/) > [“The reality is that stuff does not bring happiness. Instead, buying more than we need breeds nothing but discontentment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-soukup/the-reality-is-that-stuff-does-not-bring-happiness-instead-buying/) [Ruth Soukup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-soukup/) > [“So much of me longs to run after him and cry, 'Yes, yes, yes!' A few hours ago, when I wrote I could never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodie-smith/so-much-of-me-longs-to-run-after-him-and-cry-yes-yes-yes-a-few-hours/) [Dodie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodie-smith/) > [If we are to say no to covetousness, we must learn to say yes to contentment. This involves learning to be content with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/if-we-are-to-say-no-to-covetousness-we-must-learn-to-say-yes-to/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [Without discontentment, without revolt, you can never attain harmony. It is a necessary stage, which must be gone through by everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/without-discontentment-without-revolt-you-can-never-attain-harmony-it/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) ## More by Ramon Presson > [“grief. Whatever our loss and however deep our grief, eventually we come to some kind of crossroads that requires us to make a tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/grief-whatever-our-loss-and-however-deep-our-grief-eventually-we-come/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“When life sucks, you have to have friends. They’re one of God’s most important tools for reaching us and reminding us what is true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/when-life-sucks-you-have-to-have-friends-they-re-one-of-god-s-most/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“The expectation that we “get over” or “move on” from a profound loss or crisis is not only unrealistic, but it may even be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/the-expectation-that-we-get-over-or-move-on-from-a-profound-loss-or/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“We don’t always have a lot of control over our circumstances. Nobody purposely chooses financial ruin or chronic illness. But we can choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/we-don-t-always-have-a-lot-of-control-over-our-circumstances-nobody/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“Not everyone has experienced divorce, the death of a child, or a cancer diagnosis, but everyone has experienced pain. Sometimes pain is worn on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/not-everyone-has-experienced-divorce-the-death-of-a-child-or-a-cancer/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“anything of value to their surroundings. After all, they’re just passing through. This mentality is like viewing life as a rental car. No one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/anything-of-value-to-their-surroundings-after-all-they-re-just/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“Only someone who has been present with you in the journey of your setbacks can fully appreciate the significance of your breakthroughs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/only-someone-who-has-been-present-with-you-in-the-journey-of-your/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“Writers and producers know that audiences crave resolution and feel-good endings. We all do. But life is messy. And while God promises to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/writers-and-producers-know-that-audiences-crave-resolution-and-feel/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“confined by a my-life-sucks attitude. If we always see our present circumstances as our definitive frame of reference, we’re in trouble. Our daily bread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/confined-by-a-my-life-sucks-attitude-if-we-always-see-our-present/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“When Jesus said to his followers “take up your cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23) he didn’t say “carry the cross life hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/when-jesus-said-to-his-followers-take-up-your-cross-daily-and-follow/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“Christian psychologist Larry Crabb makes the following challenging assessment: We treat personal discomfort as the central evil from which we need to be saved.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/christian-psychologist-larry-crabb-makes-the-following-challenging/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“Though they never put it in these specific terms, the early Christians’ actions and reactions indicate that they fully understood and truly believed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/though-they-never-put-it-in-these-specific-terms-the-early-christians/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“If you insist that your life just plain sucks, you need to ask yourself what you are overlooking or wasting. Can you see anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/if-you-insist-that-your-life-just-plain-sucks-you-need-to-ask/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“What if being a special instrument means actually becoming a less visible instrument? Significant work is often unrecognized and unrewarded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/what-if-being-a-special-instrument-means-actually-becoming-a-less/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“In church, instead of singing (without really believing) the words of the hymn “Trust and Obey,” perhaps we should collectively sing to God the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/in-church-instead-of-singing-without-really-believing-the-words-of/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) [Explore all 22 Ramon Presson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) ## More Discontentment quotes > [Without discontentment, without revolt, you can never attain harmony. It is a necessary stage, which must be gone through by everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/without-discontentment-without-revolt-you-can-never-attain-harmony-it/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [If we are to say no to covetousness, we must learn to say yes to contentment. This involves learning to be content with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/if-we-are-to-say-no-to-covetousness-we-must-learn-to-say-yes-to/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [“So much of me longs to run after him and cry, 'Yes, yes, yes!' A few hours ago, when I wrote I could never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodie-smith/so-much-of-me-longs-to-run-after-him-and-cry-yes-yes-yes-a-few-hours/) [Dodie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodie-smith/) > [“The reality is that stuff does not bring happiness. Instead, buying more than we need breeds nothing but discontentment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-soukup/the-reality-is-that-stuff-does-not-bring-happiness-instead-buying/) [Ruth Soukup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-soukup/) > [“How can one explain this trend towards a more colorless and shallow life? Well, the work was easier, if less healthy, and it brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-junger/how-can-one-explain-this-trend-towards-a-more-colorless-and-shallow/) [Ernst Jünger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-junger/) > [“The deep rumbling of discontent that we hear today is the thunder of disinherited masses rising from dungeons of oppression to the bright hills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/the-deep-rumbling-of-discontent-that-we-hear-today-is-the-thunder-of/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [I've always been dissatisfied, I know that. But lately I find that I reek of discontentment. It fills my throat, and it floods my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-ve-always-been-dissatisfied-i-know-that-but-lately-i-find-that-i/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“Real happiness, however, comes from who we are—from who we’ve become. Real happiness comes from within. Likewise, discontentment is also a result of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-fields-millburn/real-happiness-however-comes-from-who-we-are-from-who-we-ve-become/) [Joshua Fields Millburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-fields-millburn/) > [“When a man is discontented with himself, it has one advantage however, that it puts him into an excellent frame of mind for making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-sterne/when-a-man-is-discontented-with-himself-it-has-one-advantage-however/) [Lawrence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-sterne/) > [But I am all for love, and I am against marriage, particularly the arranged kind, because the arranged marriage gives you satisfaction. And love?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/but-i-am-all-for-love-and-i-am-against-marriage-particularly-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Discontentment happens when I don’t have what I want. Contentment happens when I realize that I have so much more than I deserve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-altrogge/discontentment-happens-when-i-don-t-have-what-i-want-contentment/) [Stephen Altrogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-altrogge/) > [“It was not desirable for the proles to have strong political feelings. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-was-not-desirable-for-the-proles-to-have-strong-political-feelings/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We can start by living by the Spirit while we stop following the heart of discontentment and doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-can-start-by-living-by-the-spirit-while-we-stop-following-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I will be able to love above all discontentment. To give even when I am stripped of everything. To dry tears even when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-will-be-able-to-love-above-all-discontentment-to-give-even-when-i/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Millions upon millions will attain your ceremony, but don't think all of them are in a ceremonius mood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/millions-upon-millions-will-attain-your-ceremony-but-don-t-think-all/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) [Browse all 42 Discontentment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discontentment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are often wonderful things about the past that we miss, and there are exciting possibilities in the future that we long for. Yet it is possible to get stuck lamenting over what is no more, wanting what might be, or resenting what may never be. 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