--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cant change the past, but you can…" description: "\"“You cant change the past, but you can change the future”\" — Reggie Dabbs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/reggie-dabbs-272081_change_you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-cha_2841861.jpg" --- # You cant change the past, but you can change the future ![“You cant change the past, but you can change the future” quote by Reggie Dabbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/reggie-dabbs-272081_change_you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-cha_2841861.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/reggie-dabbs-272081_change_you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-cha_2841861.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/reggie-dabbs-272081_change_you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-cha_2841861.jpg) > ““You cant change the past, but you can change the future”” Reggie Dabbs This quote is also attributed to [Karina Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-barton/) in other sources. Attributions for famous quotes are often disputed. ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. You cannot alter what has already happened, but you can influence what will come next. **In simple terms:** Past cannot be changed, future can be shaped. Key Takeaway Focus on actions that shape tomorrow. Themes change future time life Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal goals - career planning - relationship decisions Key Concepts agency causality responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What can you do today to affect tomorrow? - How does accepting the past empower future choices? A Different Perspective Past may limit options, but change requires effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You can not change the past but you can change the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/you-can-not-change-the-past-but-you-can-change-the-future/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [You can't change the past, but you can change the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-barton/you-can-t-change-the-past-but-you-can-change-the-future/) [Karina Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-barton/) > [We can't change Our PAST But We can change out FUTURE By Giving some time to it in The PRESENT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/we-can-t-change-our-past-but-we-can-change-out-future-by-giving-some/) Unkown > [“you can not change the past but you can always change the future”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-cloyde-me/you-can-not-change-the-past-but-you-can-always-change-the-future/) Kaitlyn Cloyde me > [You can't change the past but you can change the future so move forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savannah-smith/you-can-t-change-the-past-but-you-can-change-the-future-so-move/) [Savannah Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savannah-smith/) > [If you forgive.You cant change the past..but you can change the future..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/if-you-forgive-you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-change-the-future/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [“PRINCIPLE #2: YOU CREATE YOUR OWN LIFE Whatever your history and circumstances, you should never feel locked in by what has happened to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/principle-2-you-create-your-own-life-whatever-your-history-and/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [You cant change the past. You cant even change the future, in the sense that you can only change the present one moment at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/you-cant-change-the-past-you-cant-even-change-the-future-in-the-sense/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [You can't change the past so change something you can. the future!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-merryn/you-can-t-change-the-past-so-change-something-you-can-the-future/) [Erin Merryn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-merryn/) > [You can't change your past but, you can change your future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-change-your-past-but-you-can-change-your-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We can never alter our past but we can always change our future!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/we-can-never-alter-our-past-but-we-can-always-change-our-future/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [“The past can never change but future is still in your power”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azhar-sabri/the-past-can-never-change-but-future-is-still-in-your-power/) [Azhar Sabri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azhar-sabri/) > [“Your minds PERCEPTION of the past will change your future vision, and either prevent or propel forward progress in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-goodrich/your-minds-perception-of-the-past-will-change-your-future-vision-and/) Joe Goodrich > [“We can’t change what happened to us in our past, but we can change the future through our present practice. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-scrone/we-can-t-change-what-happened-to-us-in-our-past-but-we-can-change-the/) Brian Scrone > [Your past is Your past You can't change it but your future is forever you decide what you want out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/your-past-is-your-past-you-can-t-change-it-but-your-future-is-forever/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [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/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [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/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You cant change the past, but you can change the future”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Reggie Dabbs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-dabbs/you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-change-the-future/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-dabbs/you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-change-the-future/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/reggie-dabbs-272081_change_you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-cha_2841861.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/reggie-dabbs-272081_change_you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-cha_2841861.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/reggie-dabbs-272081_change_you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-cha_2841861.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You cant change the past, but you can change the future” — Reggie Dabbs", "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": "Reggie Dabbs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-dabbs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You cant change the past, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-dabbs/you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-change-the-future/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-dabbs/you-cant-change-the-past-but-you-can-change-the-future/#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 } } ] } ```