--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That never would have happened if I…" description: "\"“That never would have happened if I hadn’t stopped dreaming of becoming her and gotten busy becoming myself.”\" — Shonda Rhimes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/shonda-rhimes-1866_quote_that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn_2044948.jpg" --- # That never would have happened if I hadn’t stopped… ![“That never would have happened if I hadn’t stopped dreaming of becoming her and gotten busy becoming myself.” quote by Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/shonda-rhimes-1866_quote_that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn_2044948.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/shonda-rhimes-1866_quote_that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn_2044948.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/shonda-rhimes-1866_quote_that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn_2044948.jpg) > ““That never would have happened if I hadn’t stopped dreaming of becoming her and gotten busy becoming myself.”” [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing dreams requires stopping idealization and embracing personal growth, turning aspirations into self‑actualization. **In simple terms:** Stop dreaming, become yourself. Key Takeaway Focus on becoming your own success. Themes self‑growth determination identity Mood hopeful empowering Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career change - personal branding - skill acquisition - self‑reflection Key Concepts personal development goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How did you transition from dreaming to doing? - What self‑changes were crucial? A Different Perspective Dreams may shift; flexibility needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dreaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreaming/) [Dreaming Gotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreaming-gotten-3824321/) [Hadn Stopped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hadn-stopped-3223943/) [Happened Hadn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened-hadn-1460969/) [Stopped Dreaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stopped-dreaming-1104343/) ## Related quotes > [“Nothing else you want to do after all your dreams come true. You've become numb. You shouldn't have ever stopped dreaming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/nothing-else-you-want-to-do-after-all-your-dreams-come-true-you-ve/) [Toba Beta \[Betelgeuse Incident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/) > [“He hadn't stopped wanting love. He had simply, somehow, stopped looking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-hadn-t-stopped-wanting-love-he-had-simply-somehow-stopped-looking-2/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Since keeping a distance hadn't stopped him from thinking about her, he'd abandoned his campaign of avoidance for a new tack-spend as much time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-harlen/since-keeping-a-distance-hadn-t-stopped-him-from-thinking-about-her/) [Brenda Harlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-harlen/) > [“He hadn’t stopped wanting love. He had simply, somehow, stopped looking. He wondered if you could be exhausted without knowing it, if hope could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-hadn-t-stopped-wanting-love-he-had-simply-somehow-stopped-looking/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Kahaa Toh Tha' just happened. We hadn't planned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vatsal-sheth/kahaa-toh-tha-just-happened-we-hadn-t-planned/) [Vatsal Sheth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vatsal-sheth/) > [“Fuck. This was bad. It had happened, hadn't it? The thing she thought would never happen, the thing she was always so careful not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/fuck-this-was-bad-it-had-happened-hadn-t-it-the-thing-she-thought/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [“You don't know what would have happened if I hadn't pushed. Nobody knows. I did it the way I did it, and it worked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-don-t-know-what-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn-t-pushed-nobody/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t heard her coming.” “Screw you,” I growled, and grabbed his collar to drag him out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-allison-moulton/imagine-what-would-have-happened-if-you-hadn-t-heard-her-coming-screw/) [Courtney Allison Moulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-allison-moulton/) > [It's funny how you can look back in life and there are all these 'if's' - if this hadn't happened would I have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/it-s-funny-how-you-can-look-back-in-life-and-there-are-all-these-if-s/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [“So it's not even a decision, really. You stay. It's only later - years later - that you begin to wonder what might've happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/so-it-s-not-even-a-decision-really-you-stay-it-s-only-later-years/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU HADN'T SAVED HIM? "Yes! The sun would have risen just the same, yes?" NO "Oh, come on. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/what-would-have-happened-if-you-hadn-t-saved-him-yes-the-sun-would/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't been able to hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-don-t-know-what-would-have-happened-to-me-if-i-hadn-t-been-able-to/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [“I've stopped dreaming to believing in God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evans-biya/i-ve-stopped-dreaming-to-believing-in-god/) [Evans Biya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evans-biya/) > [“i just stopped from dreaming and woke up, just like a dream to be loved back is just a dream you have to accept,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinnul-jr/i-just-stopped-from-dreaming-and-woke-up-just-like-a-dream-to-be/) [Jinnul Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinnul-jr/) > [We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we're too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-brooks/we-should-be-dreaming-we-grew-up-as-kids-having-dreams-but-now-we-re/) [Herb Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-brooks/) ## More by Shonda Rhimes > [My philosophy was always try to look like Whitney Houston at all times. That did not work out so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-philosophy-was-always-try-to-look-like-whitney-houston-at-all/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [“Being numb no longer suits me. It’s ill-fitting and I’m antsy about it. I find myself snapping back at people more. Or writing little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/being-numb-no-longer-suits-me-it-s-ill-fitting-and-i-m-antsy-about-it/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [You don't necessarily have to watch something for 14 seasons. It's not necessarily the way everything's supposed to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/you-don-t-necessarily-have-to-watch-something-for-14-seasons-it-s-not/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [We all think we’re going to be great and we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren’t met. But sometimes our expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/we-all-think-we-re-going-to-be-great-and-we-feel-a-little-bit-robbed/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [My worst trait is that I'm an introvert. When I've led stuff, the hardest thing for me to overcome has been my natural desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-worst-trait-is-that-i-m-an-introvert-when-i-ve-led-stuff-the/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [There are stories to be told that are still untold and characters to be portrayed that haven't been portrayed correctly. So there's work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/there-are-stories-to-be-told-that-are-still-untold-and-characters-to/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [I say it in the writers' room all the time: My black is not your black. What's terrifying is that, just the same way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-say-it-in-the-writers-room-all-the-time-my-black-is-not-your-black/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [I don't think of myself as a television producer. Obviously, that's crazy. Because I should. That's what I do. But I don't actually see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-television-producer-obviously-that-s/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [My father used to say to me, 'The only limit to your success is your own imagination.' I actually believed that - like, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-father-used-to-say-to-me-the-only-limit-to-your-success-is-your/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [I don't identify with her, but I highly admire Eleanor Roosevelt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-identify-with-her-but-i-highly-admire-eleanor-roosevelt/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning for the future, trying to predict the future, as if figuring it out will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/we-spend-our-whole-lives-worrying-about-the-future-planning-for-the/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [What I found fascinating for me was, I've never gotten so much approval and accolades and warmth and congratulations as when I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/what-i-found-fascinating-for-me-was-i-ve-never-gotten-so-much/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [“Look. I will not be told what size to be. I do not care about anyone else’s judgment about my body. I am not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/look-i-will-not-be-told-what-size-to-be-i-do-not-care-about-anyone/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [My parents created a world in which the only ­barrier to your success is your own imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-parents-created-a-world-in-which-the-only-barrier-to-your-success/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [There have to be practical steps. There's no point in holding out for a magic door because there are no magic doors. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/there-have-to-be-practical-steps-there-s-no-point-in-holding-out-for/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) [Explore all 194 Shonda Rhimes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) ## More Dreaming quotes > [When I am creating art, I have absolutely no social responsibility. It's like dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cronenberg/when-i-am-creating-art-i-have-absolutely-no-social-responsibility-it/) [David Cronenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cronenberg/) > [He's the first thing I think of when I wake up. the only thing I think of when Im awake. and the last thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/treasure-2/he-s-the-first-thing-i-think-of-when-i-wake-up-the-only-thing-i-think/) [Treasure^^](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/treasure-2/) > [U R D 1st Thing I Think About Wen I Wake Up Just Thinking Of U Put D Biggest Smiles On My Face Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhatsprincess/u-r-d-1st-thing-i-think-about-wen-i-wake-up-just-thinking-of-u-put-d/) [ZhatsPrincess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhatsprincess/) > [The important part of dreaming is what you do when you wake up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dal-lamagna/the-important-part-of-dreaming-is-what-you-do-when-you-wake-up/) [Dal LaMagna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dal-lamagna/) > [Courageous dreaming allows you to create from the source, the quantum soup of the universe where everything exists in a latent or potential state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/courageous-dreaming-allows-you-to-create-from-the-source-the-quantum/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [I went to sleep dreaming of Malawi, and all the things made possible when your dreams are powered by your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kamkwamba/i-went-to-sleep-dreaming-of-malawi-and-all-the-things-made-possible/) [William Kamkwamba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kamkwamba/) > [“Her silent singing wrapped around the story she was telling herself, which she extended further every night on the deck. (Averill often told herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/her-silent-singing-wrapped-around-the-story-she-was-telling-herself/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“Dreams are part of our human survival kit, part of what has kept us going, and evolving on this planet. Across history most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moss/dreams-are-part-of-our-human-survival-kit-part-of-what-has-kept-us/) [Robert Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moss/) > [Sometimes I close my eyes; sometimes I let my hunger rise. I think of all you are - you are the love of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemis-khan/sometimes-i-close-my-eyes-sometimes-i-let-my-hunger-rise-i-think-of/) [Kemis Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemis-khan/) > [Dreaming by the river, I dedicated my imagination to water, to clear, green water, the water that makes the meadows green.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/dreaming-by-the-river-i-dedicated-my-imagination-to-water-to-clear/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [“I had a dream about you last night... you kept meowing at people and licking yourself it was not unlike you normally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-mckay/i-had-a-dream-about-you-last-night-you-kept-meowing-at-people-and/) [Nicole McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-mckay/) > [If I go to sleep with you on my mind, will I wake up in your arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taty-the-great/if-i-go-to-sleep-with-you-on-my-mind-will-i-wake-up-in-your-arms/) [Taty The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taty-the-great/) > [Be bold in your caring, and be bold in your dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/be-bold-in-your-caring-and-be-bold-in-your-dreaming/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [Of course when I started, it's not because I was such a brilliant actress. I didn't know I was good. I thought I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-bouquet/of-course-when-i-started-it-s-not-because-i-was-such-a-brilliant/) [Carole Bouquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-bouquet/) > [While sleep is clearly vital to emotional well-being, what is it, exactly, about sleep that is so necessary? As it turns out, mood disorders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/while-sleep-is-clearly-vital-to-emotional-well-being-what-is-it/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) [Browse all 1,667 Dreaming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreaming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That never would have happened if I hadn’t stopped dreaming of becoming her and gotten busy becoming myself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shonda Rhimes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn-t-stopped-dreaming-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dreaming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn-t-stopped-dreaming-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/shonda-rhimes-1866_quote_that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn_2044948.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/shonda-rhimes-1866_quote_that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn_2044948.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/shonda-rhimes-1866_quote_that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn_2044948.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That never would have happened if I hadn’t stopped dreaming of becoming her and gotten busy becoming myself.” — Shonda Rhimes", "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": "Shonda Rhimes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“That never would have happened if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn-t-stopped-dreaming-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/that-never-would-have-happened-if-i-hadn-t-stopped-dreaming-of/#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 } } ] } ```