--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... life wasn't full of problems, it was…" description: "\"“... life wasn't full of problems, it was rich with decisions.”\" — Shirley Rousseau Murphy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/shirley-rousseau-murphy-44289_decision-making_life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich_315170.jpg" --- # ... life wasn't full of problems, it was rich with… ![“... life wasn't full of problems, it was rich with decisions.” quote by Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/shirley-rousseau-murphy-44289_decision-making_life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich_315170.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/shirley-rousseau-murphy-44289_decision-making_life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich_315170.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/shirley-rousseau-murphy-44289_decision-making_life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich_315170.jpg) > ““... life wasn't full of problems, it was rich with decisions.”” [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is defined not by the presence of problems but by the choices we make in response to them. **In simple terms:** Life is about decisions, not problems. Key Takeaway Focus on making thoughtful choices. Themes decision-making agency problem-solving life philosophy Mood inspirational reflective empowering Type self-help philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - personal relationships - ethical dilemmas - daily routines Key Concepts choice theory existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What decisions shape your current path? - How can reframing problems as decisions empower you? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on problems can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Decisions-in-life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions-in-life-2/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-philosophy/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Problems in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [Broke people talk about people and problems. Rich people talk about ideas and goals. Your conversation chooses your destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hardy/broke-people-talk-about-people-and-problems-rich-people-talk-about/) [Darren Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hardy/) > [Rich people do not back away from problems, do not avoid problems, and do not complain about problems. Rich people are financial warriors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/rich-people-do-not-back-away-from-problems-do-not-avoid-problems-and/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [I got 99 problems and being rich could solve at least 101 of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pretty-ladii/i-got-99-problems-and-being-rich-could-solve-at-least-101-of-them/) [Pretty Ladii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pretty-ladii/) > [“The focus on the ‘problems’ of the rich was more profitable and less distressing than trying to tackle the insurmountable troubles of the poor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/the-focus-on-the-problems-of-the-rich-was-more-profitable-and-less/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [“Imagine a world full of people who take their choices seriously, carefully weighing the options presented to them. I wonder where we would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-fraseur/imagine-a-world-full-of-people-who-take-their-choices-seriously/) [Spencer Fraseur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-fraseur/) > [“We never know where life is going to lead, Ethan. What so many small decisions are going to add up to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-standish/we-never-know-where-life-is-going-to-lead-ethan-what-so-many-small/) Ali Standish > [“And i often thought about life with great discernment, that I aught not run headlong into love. I contemplated how we are born with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonie-anderson/and-i-often-thought-about-life-with-great-discernment-that-i-aught/) Leonie Anderson > [“Courage to dare, Strength to act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/courage-to-dare-strength-to-act/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“We often trick ourselves into thinking that we possess enough knowledge or control over any given situation to make correct choices. Maybe that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-fraseur/we-often-trick-ourselves-into-thinking-that-we-possess-enough/) [Spencer Fraseur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-fraseur/) > [“Regardless of what you lose or the challenges you face, you will never lose your power to make decisions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana-ph-d-mba/regardless-of-what-you-lose-or-the-challenges-you-face-you-will-never/) [Dr. Jacinta Mpalyenkana, Ph.D, MBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana-ph-d-mba/) > [“The goal shouldn’t be to make the perfect decision every time but to make less bad decisions than everyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-fraseur/the-goal-shouldn-t-be-to-make-the-perfect-decision-every-time-but-to/) [Spencer Fraseur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-fraseur/) > [“Some choices are better than others and we, as mortal humans, cannot be expected to always choose the best ones. What we can control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-fraseur/some-choices-are-better-than-others-and-we-as-mortal-humans-cannot-be/) [Spencer Fraseur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-fraseur/) > [“Even in an age where the answer to almost all of life’s questions is a simple Google search away, we often don’t take the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-fraseur/even-in-an-age-where-the-answer-to-almost-all-of-life-s-questions-is/) [Spencer Fraseur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-fraseur/) > [“when you face disappointments and trials in life, your response dictates the character that will be created in you as a result.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-fraseur/when-you-face-disappointments-and-trials-in-life-your-response/) [Spencer Fraseur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-fraseur/) > [“We are all skyscrapers, continually adding rooms and floors to who we are. Once one floor is done, the next begins and the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-fraseur/we-are-all-skyscrapers-continually-adding-rooms-and-floors-to-who-we/) [Spencer Fraseur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-fraseur/) ## More by Shirley Rousseau Murphy > [“May the stars shine bright above you, May the sun warm you, And the world hold you softly. May your thoughts and needs be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/may-the-stars-shine-bright-above-you-may-the-sun-warm-you-and-the/) [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) > [“Life, the tomcat thought with uncommon sentiment, is not only challenging, wild sometimes, it can be tender, too. Warm and tender and good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/life-the-tomcat-thought-with-uncommon-sentiment-is-not-only/) [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) > [“You prepare as best you can for the bad times- then live every moment with joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/you-prepare-as-best-you-can-for-the-bad-times-then-live-every-moment/) [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) > [ “\[At the scene of a murder\] The cats' bloodthirst was normal; it was the way God had made them. They were hunters, they killed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/at-the-scene-of-a-murder-the-cats-bloodthirst-was-normal-it-was-the/) [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) > [“Sometimes she could swear that she saw, in Joe Grey's eyes, a judgment far too perceptive, a watchfulness too aware and intense for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/sometimes-she-could-swear-that-she-saw-in-joe-grey-s-eyes-a-judgment/) [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) > [“I hope people don't take kittens on a whim, like they would a toy, then not care for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/i-hope-people-don-t-take-kittens-on-a-whim-like-they-would-a-toy-then/) [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) > [“May the stars shine bright above you, May the sun warm you, And the world hold you softly. May your thoughts and needs be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/may-the-stars-shine-bright-above-you-may-the-sun-warm-you-and-the-2/) [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) > [“I have continued to come here for that kind of aloneness, so very different from being lonely with someone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/i-have-continued-to-come-here-for-that-kind-of-aloneness-so-very/) [Shirley Rousseau Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) [Explore all 9 Shirley Rousseau Murphy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/) ## More Decision making quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [My best business decision was to be independent as a musician and artist. My worst was compromising on certain aspects of a deal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/my-best-business-decision-was-to-be-independent-as-a-musician-and/) [Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/) > [“Making a decision takes a moment, living a decision takes a life-time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherif-a-el-mawardy/making-a-decision-takes-a-moment-living-a-decision-takes-a-life-time/) [Sherif A. El-Mawardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherif-a-el-mawardy/) > [Cheshvan starts tonight," Rixon said, "What are you doing arsing around in a graveyard?" "Thinking." "Thinking?" "A process by which I use my brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/cheshvan-starts-tonight-rixon-said-what-are-you-doing-arsing-around/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [The right decision is the wrong decision if it's made too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-right-decision-is-the-wrong-decision-if-it-s-made-too-late/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [“The decisions we take reflects our belief and our charachter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajnish-borah/the-decisions-we-take-reflects-our-belief-and-our-charachter/) Rajnish Borah > [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) [Browse all 4,912 Decision making quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“... life wasn't full of problems, it was rich with decisions.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shirley Rousseau Murphy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich-with-decisions/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decision making" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich-with-decisions/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/shirley-rousseau-murphy-44289_decision-making_life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich_315170.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/shirley-rousseau-murphy-44289_decision-making_life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich_315170.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/shirley-rousseau-murphy-44289_decision-making_life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich_315170.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“... life wasn't full of problems, it was rich with decisions.” — Shirley Rousseau Murphy", "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": "Shirley Rousseau Murphy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-rousseau-murphy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“... life wasn't full of problems,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich-with-decisions/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-rousseau-murphy/life-wasn-t-full-of-problems-it-was-rich-with-decisions/#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 } } ] } ```