--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life's most profound moments were…" description: "\"“Life's most profound moments were, paradoxically, its most common ones: first breaths, and last.”\" — Therese Fowler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/therese-fowler-30284_life_life-s-most-profound-moments-were-parado_2239758.jpg" --- # Life's most profound moments were, paradoxically, its most… ![“Life's most profound moments were, paradoxically, its most common ones: first breaths, and last.” quote by Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/therese-fowler-30284_life_life-s-most-profound-moments-were-parado_2239758.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/therese-fowler-30284_life_life-s-most-profound-moments-were-parado_2239758.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/therese-fowler-30284_life_life-s-most-profound-moments-were-parado_2239758.jpg) > ““Life's most profound moments were, paradoxically, its most common ones: first breaths, and last.”” [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The most significant moments are often the simplest, like birth and death, highlighting life's paradox of depth in everyday events. **In simple terms:** Great moments are simple and common. Key Takeaway Appreciate everyday experiences as profound. Themes life paradox moments birth death Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - Meditation - journaling - celebrating milestones - teaching philosophy Key Concepts Existential reflection mindfulness human experience Questions to Reflect On - What everyday moments feel profound to you? - How can you honor both beginnings and endings? A Different Perspective Focusing only on grand events can overlook subtle significance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire. It was given to us to learn at the outset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/through-our-great-good-fortune-in-our-youth-our-hearts-were-touched/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Simplicity is always the secret, to a profound truth, to doing things, to writing, to painting. 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Like the last breath of that moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-definitely-consider-poses-the-whole-album-in-fact-to-be-kind-of-a/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [ Beneath everything else, North and West, there ran a profound, unvoiced, almost subconscious conviction that the \[American\] nation was going to go on growing-in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/beneath-everything-else-north-and-west-there-ran-a-profound-unvoiced/) [Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/) > [“The days may last forever, but the years pass by in a blink; the secret to survival is actually remembering to take a deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-smokler/the-days-may-last-forever-but-the-years-pass-by-in-a-blink-the-secret/) [Jill Smokler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-smokler/) ## More by Therese Fowler > [No writing effort is ever wasted. At the very least, it's practice, and a writer never knows when he or she might usefully cannibalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/no-writing-effort-is-ever-wasted-at-the-very-least-it-s-practice-and/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [The distinctions of what makes a book one genre or another can sometimes be a bit muddy, but generally it's a matter of projecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/the-distinctions-of-what-makes-a-book-one-genre-or-another-can/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [As with many teens, my first jobs included babysitting and mopping floors at McDonald's. Since then, I've held jobs a diverse as selling used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/as-with-many-teens-my-first-jobs-included-babysitting-and-mopping/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [Predictability is boring! I want a book to take me someplace I haven't been before, show me sights I haven't seen, make me ponder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/predictability-is-boring-i-want-a-book-to-take-me-someplace-i-haven-t/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [There are as many routes to writing success as there are writers who got there. My advice, however, applies across the board: read widely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/there-are-as-many-routes-to-writing-success-as-there-are-writers-who/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [My stories seem to always in some way explore mistakes and misapprehensions and the possibility of redemption - though that redemption doesn't always occur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/my-stories-seem-to-always-in-some-way-explore-mistakes-and/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [“If only. Were there sadder words than these?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/if-only-were-there-sadder-words-than-these/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [My husband and I have, in some ways, a non-traditional relationship - especially when it comes to domestic duties. He does most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/my-husband-and-i-have-in-some-ways-a-non-traditional-relationship/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [It's 2010. I'm forty-three years old. I've just turned in the final draft of what will be my third novel when I decide I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/it-s-2010-i-m-forty-three-years-old-i-ve-just-turned-in-the-final/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [Conventional wisdom tells us to avoid taking unalterable action while at a low point in life. I have never been conventional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/conventional-wisdom-tells-us-to-avoid-taking-unalterable-action-while/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [The history of storytelling isn't one of simply entertaining the masses but of also advising, instructing, challenging the status quo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/the-history-of-storytelling-isn-t-one-of-simply-entertaining-the/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [At 19, I went to live in the Philippines for three years as a U.S. Air Force 'dependent spouse.' I lived off-base in Angeles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/at-19-i-went-to-live-in-the-philippines-for-three-years-as-a-u-s-air/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [I went looking for some preliminary information, and very quickly was struck by the sort of way the surface-level knowledge about Zelda doesn't begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/i-went-looking-for-some-preliminary-information-and-very-quickly-was/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [Point-of-view is a matter that readers rarely pay attention to, yet it's one of the most important story decisions an author makes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/point-of-view-is-a-matter-that-readers-rarely-pay-attention-to-yet-it/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) > [My creative workday starts with strong breakfast tea and a few minutes of journaling, both of which help me get my head in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/my-creative-workday-starts-with-strong-breakfast-tea-and-a-few/) [Therese Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) [Explore all 17 Therese Fowler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/) ## More Breath quotes > [“The days may last forever, but the years pass by in a blink; the secret to survival is actually remembering to take a deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-smokler/the-days-may-last-forever-but-the-years-pass-by-in-a-blink-the-secret/) [Jill Smokler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-smokler/) > [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [Take a deep breath. It,s just a bad day not a bad life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-a-deep-breath-it-s-just-a-bad-day-not-a-bad-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I stopped loving you today, But OMG..., Seeing your Body takes my breath away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becka-miller/i-stopped-loving-you-today-but-omg-seeing-your-body-takes-my-breath/) [Becka Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becka-miller/) > [So we must do our very best Whatever life may bring And look beyond the winter chill To smell the breath of spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-we-must-do-our-very-best-whatever-life-may-bring-and-look-beyond/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Poetry should be vital--either stirring our blood by its divine movements or snatching our breath by its divine perfection. To do both is supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/poetry-should-be-vital-either-stirring-our-blood-by-its-divine/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [“The first step in awareness is to be watchful of your body. Slowly,slowly one becomes alert about each gesture,each movement. And as you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-first-step-in-awareness-is-to-be-watchful-of-your-body-slowly/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [Tic Tacs are the maracas of breath mints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/tic-tacs-are-the-maracas-of-breath-mints/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [“To control your life, control your mind. To control your mind, control your breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/to-control-your-life-control-your-mind-to-control-your-mind-control/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“He’s sitting so close, I can feel his breath on my cheek. My stomach flip-flops again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-s-sitting-so-close-i-can-feel-his-breath-on-my-cheek-my-stomach/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My heart is your heart," she whispers, and wow that takes my breath away, this line from my childhood that she always used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annabel-pitcher/my-heart-is-your-heart-she-whispers-and-wow-that-takes-my-breath-away/) [Annabel Pitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annabel-pitcher/) > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“Being able to be myself was like being able to exhale for the first time after holding my breath for years. It’s only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/404-ink/being-able-to-be-myself-was-like-being-able-to-exhale-for-the-first/) 404 Ink [Browse all 1,839 Breath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Life's most profound moments were, paradoxically, its most common ones: first breaths, and last.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Therese Fowler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/life-s-most-profound-moments-were-paradoxically-its-most-common-ones/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breath" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/life-s-most-profound-moments-were-paradoxically-its-most-common-ones/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/therese-fowler-30284_life_life-s-most-profound-moments-were-parado_2239758.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/therese-fowler-30284_life_life-s-most-profound-moments-were-parado_2239758.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/therese-fowler-30284_life_life-s-most-profound-moments-were-parado_2239758.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life's most profound moments were, paradoxically, its most common ones: first breaths, and last.” — Therese Fowler", "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": "Therese Fowler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-fowler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Life's most profound moments were, paradoxically,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/life-s-most-profound-moments-were-paradoxically-its-most-common-ones/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-fowler/life-s-most-profound-moments-were-paradoxically-its-most-common-ones/#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 } } ] } ```