--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To succeed in life, you need three…" description: "\"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.\" — Reba McEntire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/reba-mcentire-4189_backbone_to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things_421824.jpg" --- # To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a… ![“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.” quote by Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/reba-mcentire-4189_backbone_to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things_421824.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/reba-mcentire-4189_backbone_to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things_421824.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/reba-mcentire-4189_backbone_to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things_421824.jpg) > “To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.” [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success requires a wishbone (hope), backbone (strength), and funny bone (humor). **In simple terms:** Success needs hope, strength, and humor. Key Takeaway Balance optimism, resilience, and humor. Themes success humor strength Mood optimistic lighthearted Type advice motivational When to use this quote - business - personal goals - team leadership Key Concepts psychology of achievement well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What gives you hope? - How do you stay resilient? A Different Perspective Humor alone won’t solve problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backbone/) [Funny Bone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-bone-251485/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Succeed Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed-life-251482/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Things Wishbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-wishbone-251484/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Three things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-things/) [Wishbone Backbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishbone-backbone-251483/) ## Related quotes > [To succeed in your life, you need these three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/to-succeed-in-your-life-you-need-these-three-things-a-wishbone-a/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a-3/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.”—Reba McEntire”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a-2/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [“To succeed in life, you need three things: A Wishbone, A Back Bone, and a Funny Bone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-back-bone-and-a/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [“To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-thrive-in-life-you-need-three-bones-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [If you want to succeed in life...you must pick 3 bones to carry with you at all times: a wish bone, a backbone, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/if-you-want-to-succeed-in-life-you-must-pick-3-bones-to-carry-with/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [We like them big ... but we'll settle for players with three kinds of bones - a funnybone, a wishbone and a backbone. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duffy-daugherty/we-like-them-big-but-we-ll-settle-for-players-with-three-kinds-of/) [Duffy Daugherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duffy-daugherty/) > [“Some people develop a wishbone where their backbone should be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/some-people-develop-a-wishbone-where-their-backbone-should-be/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Never grow a wishbone where your backbone ought to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clementine-paddleford/never-grow-a-wishbone-where-your-backbone-ought-to-be/) [Clementine Paddleford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clementine-paddleford/) > [Many a man has failed because he had his wishbone where his backbone should have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/many-a-man-has-failed-because-he-had-his-wishbone-where-his-backbone/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/stop-wearing-your-wishbone-where-your-backbone-ought-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.” This”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/you-gotta-stop-wearing-your-wishbone-where-your-backbone-oughtta-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/you-re-wishin-too-much-baby-you-gotta-stop-wearing-your-wishbone/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“P.S. You know who does have a funny bone in her body? Your mom every night for a dollar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/p-s-you-know-who-does-have-a-funny-bone-in-her-body-your-mom-every/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [You see, dear, it is not true that woman was made from man's rib; she was really made from his funny bone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-matthew-barrie/you-see-dear-it-is-not-true-that-woman-was-made-from-man-s-rib-she/) [James Matthew Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-matthew-barrie/) ## More by Reba McEntire > [I use all my skills that I can muster up, but the fun thing is that I find some untapped skills every once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-use-all-my-skills-that-i-can-muster-up-but-the-fun-thing-is-that-i/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [For me, singing sad songs often has a way of healing a situation. It gets the hurt out in the open into the light,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/for-me-singing-sad-songs-often-has-a-way-of-healing-a-situation-it/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak, but he is strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/jesus-loves-me-this-i-know-for-the-bible-tells-me-so-little-ones-to/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I think it's the way I talk. I think they thought I was too country. And I'm not ashamed of that by any means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-think-it-s-the-way-i-talk-i-think-they-thought-i-was-too-country/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I'm open to any kind of situation in a song as long as it touches my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-m-open-to-any-kind-of-situation-in-a-song-as-long-as-it-touches-my/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [So, I think it has to do with the product and what you take to the public. If they like it, they're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/so-i-think-it-has-to-do-with-the-product-and-what-you-take-to-the/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I grew up in southeastern Oklahoma on a working cattle ranch, and it was always very romantic to me: The West, the cowboy, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-grew-up-in-southeastern-oklahoma-on-a-working-cattle-ranch-and-it/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [A good song has to have a great melody, and the lyrics have to touch my heart. Now, if it's just a little toe-tapper,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/a-good-song-has-to-have-a-great-melody-and-the-lyrics-have-to-touch/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [My goals have changed throughout my life. At one time it was winning awards, selling out concert dates, selling more albums than anyone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/my-goals-have-changed-throughout-my-life-at-one-time-it-was-winning/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I can't imagine living a life without God in my life. He is my best friend, He's my buddy, He's the one that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-can-t-imagine-living-a-life-without-god-in-my-life-he-is-my-best/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [Fame is a mind - a way of thinking about things. It's all in your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/fame-is-a-mind-a-way-of-thinking-about-things-it-s-all-in-your-mind/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [My family, you know, are all still, you know, very close. We're all still very close. Mom and Daddy are still alive. So, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/my-family-you-know-are-all-still-you-know-very-close-we-re-all-still/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I think it's a wonderful time for a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-think-it-s-a-wonderful-time-for-a-woman/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [Never have doubted it, even when the plane crash happened. I wasn't mad at God. I just knew that there was a reason that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/never-have-doubted-it-even-when-the-plane-crash-happened-i-wasn-t-mad/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I was one of the very first people to ever do a video in country music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-was-one-of-the-very-first-people-to-ever-do-a-video-in-country-music/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) [Explore all 115 Reba McEntire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) ## More Backbone quotes > [“The Lord gave you a backbone because He wanted you to use it. So use it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-wilgus/the-lord-gave-you-a-backbone-because-he-wanted-you-to-use-it-so-use-it/) [Nick Wilgus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-wilgus/) > [Making money isn't the backbone of our guiding purpose; it is the by-product of our guiding purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/making-money-isn-t-the-backbone-of-our-guiding-purpose-it-is-the-by/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Truth of life is that in difficult times, my family was my backbone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-koirala/truth-of-life-is-that-in-difficult-times-my-family-was-my-backbone/) [Manisha Koirala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-koirala/) > [Gaming is the backbone of Nevada's economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-guinn/gaming-is-the-backbone-of-nevada-s-economy/) [Kenny Guinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-guinn/) > [A true leader must have enough backbone to stand alone - even when the crowd wants to take the easy road home. A true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-ludy/a-true-leader-must-have-enough-backbone-to-stand-alone-even-when-the/) [Leslie Ludy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-ludy/) > [General Petraeus is a man that has the backbone that somebody like President-elect Trump would love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/general-petraeus-is-a-man-that-has-the-backbone-that-somebody-like/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [My Christian faith is my backbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-grylls/my-christian-faith-is-my-backbone/) [Bear Grylls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-grylls/) > [“Better to get spine broken than bend it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/better-to-get-spine-broken-than-bend-it/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The backbone of our nation's domestic defense against terrorist attacks will continue to be the men and women in local law enforcement and emergency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saxby-chambliss/the-backbone-of-our-nation-s-domestic-defense-against-terrorist/) [Saxby Chambliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saxby-chambliss/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I don't have any contempt for the men who have to have jobs and have to commute and have to pay the mortgage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloan-wilson/i-don-t-have-any-contempt-for-the-men-who-have-to-have-jobs-and-have/) [Sloan Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloan-wilson/) > [News is the backbone of our network; the main commodity and the main successes of Al Jazeera came out of our involvement in covering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/news-is-the-backbone-of-our-network-the-main-commodity-and-the-main/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [He was a tool of the boss, without brains or backbone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/he-was-a-tool-of-the-boss-without-brains-or-backbone/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Inflationism is a dreadful cancer that is gnawing at the backbone of the civilized order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-f-sennholz/inflationism-is-a-dreadful-cancer-that-is-gnawing-at-the-backbone-of/) [Hans F. Sennholz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-f-sennholz/) > [To succeed, we must have the will to succeed, we must have stamina, determination, backbone, perseverance, self-reliance, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/to-succeed-we-must-have-the-will-to-succeed-we-must-have-stamina/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) [Browse all 318 Backbone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backbone/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Reba McEntire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Backbone" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/reba-mcentire-4189_backbone_to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things_421824.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/reba-mcentire-4189_backbone_to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things_421824.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/reba-mcentire-4189_backbone_to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things_421824.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.” — Reba McEntire", "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": "Reba McEntire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To succeed in life, you need...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a/#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 } } ] } ```