--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not so much what happens to us, as…" description: "\"It's not so much what happens to us, as what happens in us that counts.\" — Tim Hansel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/tim-hansel-26432_counts_it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-w_2663212.jpg" --- # It's not so much what happens to us, as what happens in us… ![“It's not so much what happens to us, as what happens in us that counts.” quote by Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/tim-hansel-26432_counts_it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-w_2663212.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/tim-hansel-26432_counts_it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-w_2663212.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/tim-hansel-26432_counts_it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-w_2663212.jpg) > “It's not so much what happens to us, as what happens in us that counts.” [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inner change matters more than external events; personal growth is driven by internal response. **In simple terms:** Internal change matters most. Key Takeaway Focus on inner development. Themes growth mindset resilience inner work Mood inspirational introspective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal crises - career setbacks - relationship challenges Key Concepts psychology self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - What internal shifts could improve your life? - How do you manage external pressures? A Different Perspective External factors still influence outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [It is not what happens to you but what happens in you, that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-what-happens-to-you-but-what-happens-in-you-that-counts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its not what happens that counts... It's how you react.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/its-not-what-happens-that-counts-it-s-how-you-react/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [It is not what happens that determines the major part of your future. What happens, happens to us all. It is what you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/it-is-not-what-happens-that-determines-the-major-part-of-your-future/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [It is what you do about what happens that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/it-is-what-you-do-about-what-happens-that-counts/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [“Aha! #20 It's not what happens to you in life, it's what you do with what happens that counts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-burke/aha-20-it-s-not-what-happens-to-you-in-life-it-s-what-you-do-with/) Barbara Burke > [Travelling is like a novel: it's what happens that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/travelling-is-like-a-novel-it-s-what-happens-that-counts/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [“it is not what happens to you, it is what happens in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sesan-kareem/it-is-not-what-happens-to-you-it-is-what-happens-in-you/) [Sesan Kareem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sesan-kareem/) > [“Meaning is not what happens, but what you do with what happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-fechtor/meaning-is-not-what-happens-but-what-you-do-with-what-happens/) Jessica Fechtor > [“But it is not that you are something which is just watching what happens. “What happens” is just using your organism to watch itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-wilson-watts/but-it-is-not-that-you-are-something-which-is-just-watching-what/) [Alan Wilson Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-wilson-watts/) > [No more expectations, whatever happens, happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-more-expectations-whatever-happens-happens/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everything that happens to me only happens so that I can be benefited to the maximum amount possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everything-that-happens-to-me-only-happens-so-that-i-can-be-benefited/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anything that happens, happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/anything-that-happens-happens/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Whatever happens, happens to you by you, through you; you are the creator, enjoyer and destroyer of all you perceive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/whatever-happens-happens-to-you-by-you-through-you-you-are-the/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [“Experience is not what happens to you its what you do with what happens to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/experience-is-not-what-happens-to-you-its-what-you-do-with-what/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## More by Tim Hansel > [Grace is the central invitation to life and the final word. It's the beckoning nudge and the overwhelming, undeserved mercy that urges us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/grace-is-the-central-invitation-to-life-and-the-final-word-it-s-the/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [God has spoken very boldly about his desire to be a presence in our lives. If I want to heal the ache and loneliness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/god-has-spoken-very-boldly-about-his-desire-to-be-a-presence-in-our/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [Most of us have enough excuses to last a lifetime. The sooner we let go of them and get on with living, the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/most-of-us-have-enough-excuses-to-last-a-lifetime-the-sooner-we-let/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [Pain is inevitable ... misery is optional ... choose joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/pain-is-inevitable-misery-is-optional-choose-joy/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [I believe that pain and suffering can either be a prison or a prism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/i-believe-that-pain-and-suffering-can-either-be-a-prison-or-a-prism/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [Necessity is the author of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/necessity-is-the-author-of-change/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [It takes time to be a good father. It takes effort - trying, failing, and trying again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/it-takes-time-to-be-a-good-father-it-takes-effort-trying-failing-and/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [Life is really fun, if only we gave it a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/life-is-really-fun-if-only-we-gave-it-a-chance/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [There is no better education than your own failures, if you've the eyes to see. We must have the courage to fail. It's evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/there-is-no-better-education-than-your-own-failures-if-you-ve-the/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [The disillusionment with our own abilities is, perhaps, one of the most important things that can ever happen to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/the-disillusionment-with-our-own-abilities-is-perhaps-one-of-the-most/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [One of the ways that our faith expresses itself is by our ability to be still, to be present, and not to panic or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/one-of-the-ways-that-our-faith-expresses-itself-is-by-our-ability-to/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [Life becomes precious and more special to us when we look for the little everyday miracles and get excited about the privileges of simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/life-becomes-precious-and-more-special-to-us-when-we-look-for-the/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [“I'm reminded of a conversation between a little girl and her mother as they walked out of church. The mother asked her how she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/i-m-reminded-of-a-conversation-between-a-little-girl-and-her-mother/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. We cannot avoid pain, but we can avoid joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/pain-is-inevitable-but-misery-is-optional-we-cannot-avoid-pain-but-we/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [“Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/pain-is-inevitable-but-misery-is-optional/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) [Explore all 20 Tim Hansel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) ## More Counts quotes > [Experience counts in government even more than in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/experience-counts-in-government-even-more-than-in-business/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [I like to think that my works flow like music. That may be one reason I work in large groups versus one picture of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eggleston/i-like-to-think-that-my-works-flow-like-music-that-may-be-one-reason/) [William Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eggleston/) > [There's nothing wrong with pitch counts. But not when it's spit out by a computer, and the computer does not look at an individual's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-seaver/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-pitch-counts-but-not-when-it-s-spit-out-by/) [Tom Seaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-seaver/) > [If you start out trying to achieve a specific thing - like doing stadium shows or going into the studio and doing an album…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-strait/if-you-start-out-trying-to-achieve-a-specific-thing-like-doing/) [George Strait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-strait/) > [I like to smile a lot before going in the car. I make jokes, even on the grid, and then I can still manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-grosjean/i-like-to-smile-a-lot-before-going-in-the-car-i-make-jokes-even-on/) [Romain Grosjean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-grosjean/) > [Oh, Michael Jackson is Michael Jackson. And no matter if he sold 40 million records off of one record and sold 15 off his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-jackson/oh-michael-jackson-is-michael-jackson-and-no-matter-if-he-sold-40/) [Tito Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-jackson/) > [The Term Paper Artist' represents two models of writing, one of the little boy bouncing his ball, generating stories for the sheer pleasure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/the-term-paper-artist-represents-two-models-of-writing-one-of-the/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [Right now counts forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/right-now-counts-forever/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Looks, health and elegance are what counts. Someone can look wonderful in a sweatsuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oleg-cassini/looks-health-and-elegance-are-what-counts-someone-can-look-wonderful/) [Oleg Cassini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oleg-cassini/) > [Ultimately, it's your talent that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armaan-malik/ultimately-it-s-your-talent-that-counts/) [Armaan Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armaan-malik/) > [In a painting, what counts is the unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-braque/in-a-painting-what-counts-is-the-unexpected/) [Georges Braque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-braque/) > [Germany is not like Ireland or Denmark. It is a country where the domestic market counts much more than the external market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bofinger/germany-is-not-like-ireland-or-denmark-it-is-a-country-where-the/) [Peter Bofinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bofinger/) > [It is not how much you make that counts, but how much money you keep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/it-is-not-how-much-you-make-that-counts-but-how-much-money-you-keep/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [James Salter has been a fighter pilot, a rogue, and a climber. He counts Robert Redford as a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-rodrick/james-salter-has-been-a-fighter-pilot-a-rogue-and-a-climber-he-counts/) [Stephen Rodrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-rodrick/) > [Every writing teacher gives the subliminal message, every time they teach: 'Your life counts for something.' In no other subject that I know of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rosenblatt/every-writing-teacher-gives-the-subliminal-message-every-time-they/) [Roger Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rosenblatt/) Browse all 274 Counts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not so much what happens to us, as what happens in us that counts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tim Hansel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-what-happens-in-us-that-counts/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Counts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-what-happens-in-us-that-counts/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/tim-hansel-26432_counts_it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-w_2663212.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/tim-hansel-26432_counts_it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-w_2663212.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/tim-hansel-26432_counts_it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-w_2663212.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not so much what happens to us, as what happens in us that counts.” — Tim Hansel", "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": "Tim Hansel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's not so much what happens...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-what-happens-in-us-that-counts/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/it-s-not-so-much-what-happens-to-us-as-what-happens-in-us-that-counts/#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 } } ] } ```