--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Regardless of how badly we may want the…" description: "\"“Regardless of how badly we may want the future to come, we cannot rush ahead and live in a time that does not yet exist. The future is not real; it is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/regina-cates-22209_future_regardless-of-how-badly-we-may-want-the_3118135.jpg" --- # Regardless of how badly we may want the future to come, we… ![“Regardless of how badly we may want the future to come, we cannot rush ahead and live in a time that does not yet exist. The future is not real; it is only the next moment's present, over and over, infinitely.” quote by Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/regina-cates-22209_future_regardless-of-how-badly-we-may-want-the_3118135.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/regina-cates-22209_future_regardless-of-how-badly-we-may-want-the_3118135.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/regina-cates-22209_future_regardless-of-how-badly-we-may-want-the_3118135.jpg) > ““Regardless of how badly we may want the future to come, we cannot rush ahead and live in a time that does not yet exist. The future is not real; it is only the next moment's present, over and over, infinitely.”” [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We cannot force the future; we must live in the present moment as it unfolds. **In simple terms:** Live in the now, not a imagined future. Key Takeaway Accept present, act mindfully. Themes patience mindfulness time acceptance Mood reflective calm Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - decision making - stress management - goal setting - creative work Key Concepts temporal perception psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on now change your goals? - What habits keep you stuck in future fantasies? A Different Perspective Future cannot be rushed; planning without present action is futile. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“In a true emergency, the mind stops; you become totally present in the Now, and something infinitely more powerful takes over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/in-a-true-emergency-the-mind-stops-you-become-totally-present-in-the/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“ \*One clue that there’s something not quite real about sequential time the way you experience it is the various paradoxes of time supposedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/one-clue-that-there-s-something-not-quite-real-about-sequential-time/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Future will always remember the heroes, its because of them there exist a future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/future-will-always-remember-the-heroes-its-because-of-them-there/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I have a mantra that kind of explains my feelings on this subject, which is, "The past is the present is the future." 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Dont stress over future, it has yet to come, live in present & strive to make it beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/dont-cry-over-past-it-has-gone-dont-stress-over-future-it-has-yet-to/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) ## More by Regina Cates > [“If we are going to create lives of love, compassion, and purpose, we have the charge to question what we believe. It is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/if-we-are-going-to-create-lives-of-love-compassion-and-purpose-we/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [“Treat other people as you want to be treated. And remember, that does not mean waiting for them to do it first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/treat-other-people-as-you-want-to-be-treated-and-remember-that-does/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [“Living a fulfilled life requires us to patiently surrender to the truth: Life is only real now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/living-a-fulfilled-life-requires-us-to-patiently-surrender-to-the/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [“Keep moving forward in faith, and patiently watch for the opening of a new door. Then courageously walk through. Have faith that the optimistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/keep-moving-forward-in-faith-and-patiently-watch-for-the-opening-of-a/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [“Crossing your heart is promising to keep your word. When you are facing life's challenges, you have to have heart in order to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/crossing-your-heart-is-promising-to-keep-your-word-when-you-are/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [“Patient people like to be around calm people. Compassionate people seek out those with big hearts. Honest people like truthful people. Selfdisciplined people relate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/patient-people-like-to-be-around-calm-people-compassionate-people/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [“There are 1,440 minutes in each day. Each minute is dear. Once it is spent, there is no way to receive a refund. 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People may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/you-and-i-cannot-control-or-change-anyone-else-but-ourselves-how/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [“Faith inspires us to accept those situations we cannot change. And in the situations where we do have control, self-confidence supports our actively creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/faith-inspires-us-to-accept-those-situations-we-cannot-change-and-in/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [“Going against what we recognize is true for us results in regret, disappointment, and suffering. One reason for our existence is to contribute something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/going-against-what-we-recognize-is-true-for-us-results-in-regret/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) [Explore all 28 Regina Cates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) ## More Future quotes > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. 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Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/we-have-no-idea-now-of-who-or-what-the-inhabitants-of-our-future/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. 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You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) [Browse all 12,349 Future quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Regardless of how badly we may want the future to come, we cannot rush ahead and live in a time that does not yet exist. 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