--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is what happens when you're making…" description: "\"“Life is what happens when you're making other plans. So does your résumé. It takes on a life of its own if you let it. Some people try to map out thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/regina-brett-3890_dead-end_life-is-what-happens-when-you-re-making_940505.jpg" --- # Life is what happens when you're making other plans. So… ![“Life is what happens when you're making other plans. So does your résumé. It takes on a life of its own if you let it. Some people try to map out their paths and plan every step, but in reality, life hands you something better. A dead end is really a detour to a new route you hadn't planned on…” quote by Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/regina-brett-3890_dead-end_life-is-what-happens-when-you-re-making_940505.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/regina-brett-3890_dead-end_life-is-what-happens-when-you-re-making_940505.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46b/regina-brett-3890_dead-end_life-is-what-happens-when-you-re-making_940505.jpg) > ““Life is what happens when you're making other plans. So does your résumé. It takes on a life of its own if you let it. Some people try to map out their paths and plan every step, but in reality, life hands you something better. A dead end is really a detour to a new route you hadn't planned on taking. Every experience enhances your life now or later.”” [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life unfolds beyond plans; unexpected events shape growth, turning setbacks into new opportunities. **In simple terms:** Life’s surprises create new paths. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected opportunities. Themes adaptability resilience growth uncertainty Mood reflective optimistic Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career changes - travel experiences - creative projects Key Concepts life planning career development personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How do you turn setbacks into growth? - What does “life of its own” mean to you? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on planning can cause rigidity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead end](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-end/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Wise words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-words/) ## Related quotes > [Life is what happens to us while we're planning something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/life-is-what-happens-to-us-while-we-re-planning-something-else/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [I believe that life is a game, that life is a cruel joke, and that life is what happens when you're alive and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-believe-that-life-is-a-game-that-life-is-a-cruel-joke-and-that-life/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Someone once said that life is what happens while we are making other plans. I now know what that means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-bell/someone-once-said-that-life-is-what-happens-while-we-are-making-other/) [Charlie Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-bell/) > [Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/life-is-what-happens-to-you-when-you-re-busy-making-other-plans/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [“Your life is what happens when you're busy trying to become unbusy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/your-life-is-what-happens-when-you-re-busy-trying-to-become-unbusy/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [Life is 5% what happens, and 95% how you react.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/life-is-5-what-happens-and-95-how-you-react/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/life-is-what-happens-while-you-are-busy-making-other-plans/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Life is what happens when you make other plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/life-is-what-happens-when-you-make-other-plans/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [“And that life is what happens when you’re alive, and that you might as well lie back and enjoy it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/and-that-life-is-what-happens-when-you-re-alive-and-that-you-might-as/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What about life? Life is what happens when you’re making other plans. Take”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bryndza/what-about-life-life-is-what-happens-when-you-re-making-other-plans/) [Robert Bryndza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bryndza/) > [“life is what happens while you're waiting for your dreams to come true . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scavola/life-is-what-happens-while-you-re-waiting-for-your-dreams-to-come-true/) scavola > [Ten percent of life is what happens; the other 90 percent is what you do about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuley-boteach/ten-percent-of-life-is-what-happens-the-other-90-percent-is-what-you/) [Shmuley Boteach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuley-boteach/) > [“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-what-happens-to-us-while-we-are-making-other-plans/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is what happens when your cell phone is charging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obviously-me-p/life-is-what-happens-when-your-cell-phone-is-charging/) Obviously Me :p > [Life is what happens to you while you're planning on doing something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/life-is-what-happens-to-you-while-you-re-planning-on-doing-something/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## More by Regina Brett > [“Wouldn't it be great if health-care plans included a list of Buddhist monks among the network providers?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-health-care-plans-included-a-list-of-buddhist/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > ['Star Trek' never grabbed me. Every time I hear about Klingons, I think of those little lint balls that stick to your clothes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/star-trek-never-grabbed-me-every-time-i-hear-about-klingons-i-think/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Eating something fresh out of the oven is like a hug you can taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/eating-something-fresh-out-of-the-oven-is-like-a-hug-you-can-taste/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Choas will come, calm will follow, and then it will start up all over again. The secret is to savor the ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/choas-will-come-calm-will-follow-and-then-it-will-start-up-all-over/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/when-it-comes-to-chocolate-resistance-is-futile/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/get-outside-every-day-miracles-are-waiting-everywhere/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Writer's block.. when one curses the blinking cursor on the blank page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/writer-s-block-when-one-curses-the-blinking-cursor-on-the-blank-page/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [...there were two kinds of women: those who wear nail polish and those who don't. Which do you prefer?...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/there-were-two-kinds-of-women-those-who-wear-nail-polish-and-those/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [“My life used to be like that game of freeze tag we played as kids. Once tagged, you had to freeze in the situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/my-life-used-to-be-like-that-game-of-freeze-tag-we-played-as-kids/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/if-a-relationship-has-to-be-a-secret-you-shouldn-t-be-in-it/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [My daughter had carried within her a story that kept hurting her: Her dad abandoned her. She started telling herself a new story. Her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/my-daughter-had-carried-within-her-a-story-that-kept-hurting-her-her/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/make-peace-with-your-past-so-it-won-t-screw-up-the-present/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Forgive everyone everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/forgive-everyone-everything/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Going through chemo is like investing money in a retirement account. You feel the hit right now, but later in life you get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/going-through-chemo-is-like-investing-money-in-a-retirement-account/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [When I turned 45, I lay in bed reflecting on all life had taught me. My soul sprang a leak and ideas flowed out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/when-i-turned-45-i-lay-in-bed-reflecting-on-all-life-had-taught-me-my/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) [Explore all 120 Regina Brett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) ## More Dead end quotes > [“Dead-end roads don't mean you've come to your end, just means you need to take a different detour.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/dead-end-roads-don-t-mean-you-ve-come-to-your-end-just-means-you-need/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [Without a destination in mind, every road will be a dead end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhiess-krieg/without-a-destination-in-mind-every-road-will-be-a-dead-end/) [Jhiess Krieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhiess-krieg/) > [As the rain falls and the sun shines, they grow, grow, grow; minds so open, they go through life aware and accepting, seeing light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/as-the-rain-falls-and-the-sun-shines-they-grow-grow-grow-minds-so/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [“To this day I believe a person’s ideal first job is the one that reveals the most about them. Knowing who I was helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-riddle/to-this-day-i-believe-a-person-s-ideal-first-job-is-the-one-that/) [A.G. Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-riddle/) > [“I could not disagree more,” said Ganesh, my father giving me a hidden wink. “If we build toward them they’ll see it as hostile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-carman/i-could-not-disagree-more-said-ganesh-my-father-giving-me-a-hidden/) [Patrick Carman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-carman/) > [An ordinary mistake is one that leads to a dead end, while a profound mistake is one that leads to progress. Anyone can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-wilczek/an-ordinary-mistake-is-one-that-leads-to-a-dead-end-while-a-profound/) [Frank Wilczek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-wilczek/) > [When you reach a CERTAIN point in your life you REALIZE that you want MORE than one night stands, booty-calls, dead end relationships, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ephrem-hardin/when-you-reach-a-certain-point-in-your-life-you-realize-that-you-want/) [Ephrem Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ephrem-hardin/) > [I usually only get a blunt trim. No layers, nothing special, just the dead ends cut off very, very bluntly. For me, that feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-port/i-usually-only-get-a-blunt-trim-no-layers-nothing-special-just-the/) [Whitney Port](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-port/) > [“Like writing, publishing is not easy. No endeavor worth pursuing is. Discomfort and fear are easy outs—and ultimately dead ends. They are responses to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rossandra-white/like-writing-publishing-is-not-easy-no-endeavor-worth-pursuing-is/) Rossandra White > [Of course it hurt that we could never love each other in a physical way. We would have been far more happy if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/of-course-it-hurt-that-we-could-never-love-each-other-in-a-physical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You're a maze, all high edges and endless loops. I can't find a way out, can't see where I've been. It's all running, lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-demetrios/you-re-a-maze-all-high-edges-and-endless-loops-i-can-t-find-a-way-out/) [Heather Demetrios](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-demetrios/) > [Just because you’ve come to a dead end, it’s not time to give up. Find a different route and keep pressing forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/just-because-you-ve-come-to-a-dead-end-it-s-not-time-to-give-up-find/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Africa is being raped mainly by Asia, but the second largest market for dead endangered animals is the US. Most don't know this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-bauer-van-straten/africa-is-being-raped-mainly-by-asia-but-the-second-largest-market/) [Kristin Bauer van Straten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-bauer-van-straten/) > [Sometimes talking to a person does not work,they still going to do what they wanna do,until the dead end road,caught them by surprise...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/sometimes-talking-to-a-person-does-not-work-they-still-going-to-do/) FrenchQueen > [We didn't go down that road for nothing! We had to try but when all said and done tat road was a DEAD END.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/we-didn-t-go-down-that-road-for-nothing-we-had-to-try-but-when-all/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) [Browse all 319 Dead end quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-end/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Life is what happens when you're making other plans. So does your résumé. It takes on a life of its own if you let it. Some people try to map out their paths and plan every step, but in reality, life hands you something better. A dead end is really a detour to a new route you hadn't planned on taking. 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