--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Change what you can, accept what you…" description: "\"Change what you can, accept what you can't, and be smart enough to know the difference\" — Wally Lamb" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/wally-lamb-1817_accept_change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can_2280879.png" --- # Change what you can, accept what you can't, and be smart… ![“Change what you can, accept what you can't, and be smart enough to know the difference” quote by Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/wally-lamb-1817_accept_change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can_2280879.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/wally-lamb-1817_accept_change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can_2280879.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/wally-lamb-1817_accept_change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can_2280879.png) > “Change what you can, accept what you can't, and be smart enough to know the difference” [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adjust what you can control, accept what you cannot, and discern the difference wisely. **In simple terms:** Focus on controllable, accept the rest. Key Takeaway Act on changeable, accept limits. Themes acceptance agency wisdom Mood calm reflective Type philosophical self‑help When to use this quote - stress management - leadership - personal growth - conflict resolution Key Concepts control theory mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What can you change now? - How do you know when to accept? A Different Perspective Accepting can lead to complacency if not balanced with effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept/) [Accept Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-smart-5322660/) [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Being smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-smart/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Accept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-accept-501667/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Know Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-difference/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-know-618711/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“Change what you can, accept what you can’t, and be smart enough to know the difference. Viveca comes downstairs first and heads into the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can-t-and-be-smart-enough-to-know/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [You should be smart enough to know that you don't know everything. But you have to believe in yourself. I certainly do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-kruger/you-should-be-smart-enough-to-know-that-you-don-t-know-everything-but/) [Diane Kruger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-kruger/) > [Try to change what you can and accept all the things that you cannot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-cook/try-to-change-what-you-can-and-accept-all-the-things-that-you-cannot/) [Stephanie Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-cook/) > [You Have Only Two Options In Life... 1. CHANGE Or 2. ACCEPT So, Try To Change What You Can't Accept And Accept What You Can't Change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/you-have-only-two-options-in-life-1-change-or-2-accept-so-try-to/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [Accept what you cannot change and change what you cannot accept this is one of the simplest ways to be happy in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/accept-what-you-cannot-change-and-change-what-you-cannot-accept-this/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Don't ever Let anyone change who you are... If they can't accept you for who you are. They are not worth your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/don-t-ever-let-anyone-change-who-you-are-if-they-can-t-accept-you-for/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [I'm just smart enough to know what it is I don't know and try to learn as I go along and accept that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-d-moore/i-m-just-smart-enough-to-know-what-it-is-i-don-t-know-and-try-to/) [Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/) > [Accept what you can't change. Change what you can't accept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accept-what-you-can-t-change-change-what-you-can-t-accept/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is what I was born with,this is how I look, and this is what I have. I will change what I can, accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-o-n-e-hamachek/this-is-what-i-was-born-with-this-is-how-i-look-and-this-is-what-i/) [D O N E HAMACHEK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-o-n-e-hamachek/) > [Don't try to change me, accept me for who I am. You can either love me or hate me but I can only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-try-to-change-me-accept-me-for-who-i-am-you-can-either-love-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never change for someone. If they can't accept you for who you are at your worst, they don't deserve to see you at your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-change-for-someone-if-they-can-t-accept-you-for-who-you-are-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [True friends help you to change of what you can't accept,and they also give courage to accept of what you can't change..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reavelle-valdoria/true-friends-help-you-to-change-of-what-you-can-t-accept-and-they/) [Reavelle Valdoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reavelle-valdoria/) > [“Change what you can and accept what you can't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/change-what-you-can-and-accept-what-you-can-t/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [I wont change for you. If you cant accept me for who I am then don't tell me you like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wont-change-for-you-if-you-cant-accept-me-for-who-i-am-then-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If he needs you to change for him to accept you , then maybe he's not worth it .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoee/if-he-needs-you-to-change-for-him-to-accept-you-then-maybe-he-s-not/) [Zoee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoee/) ## More by Wally Lamb > [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [I like to write first-person because I like to become the character I'm writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/i-like-to-write-first-person-because-i-like-to-become-the-character-i/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [But I think this: that whatever prices I've paid, whatever sorrows I shoulder, well, I have blessings, too. Not just my family now, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/but-i-think-this-that-whatever-prices-i-ve-paid-whatever-sorrows-i/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“why would white dudes want to change things when they held all the cards?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/why-would-white-dudes-want-to-change-things-when-they-held-all-the/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“And in taking on the subject of themselves-making themselves vulnerable to the unseen reader-they have exchanged powerlessness for for the power that comes with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/and-in-taking-on-the-subject-of-themselves-making-themselves/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“People had always amazed him, he began. But they amazed him more since the sickness. For as long as the two of them had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/people-had-always-amazed-him-he-began-but-they-amazed-him-more-since/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“So I got my stuff and the girl at the register puts these other things in my bag, too. Little free samples: gum and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/so-i-got-my-stuff-and-the-girl-at-the-register-puts-these-other/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [What if I don’t like adventure? Then cultivate a taste for it. Take a chance. That’s how you grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/what-if-i-don-t-like-adventure-then-cultivate-a-taste-for-it-take-a/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“Guess what?' I said. 'I have a psychic.' His head tilted questioningly, birdlike. A sidekick?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/guess-what-i-said-i-have-a-psychic-his-head-tilted-questioningly/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [The evidence of God exists in the roundness of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/the-evidence-of-god-exists-in-the-roundness-of-things/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [Life is a whoopee cushion, a chair pulled away just as you were taking a seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/life-is-a-whoopee-cushion-a-chair-pulled-away-just-as-you-were-taking/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“What I remembered about those seesaw rides was the way Thomas would get mad at me, midride, and evacuate. Send me crashing back down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/what-i-remembered-about-those-seesaw-rides-was-the-way-thomas-would/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“I didn't respond to him. Couldn't speak at all. Couldn't look at his self-mutilation--not even the clean, bandaged version of it. Instead, I looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/i-didn-t-respond-to-him-couldn-t-speak-at-all-couldn-t-look-at-his/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [I write to find out what the story means to me, that is what I try to do especially with the first draft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/i-write-to-find-out-what-the-story-means-to-me-that-is-what-i-try-to/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“As anxious and limited as that love might have been, it had been love nonetheless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/as-anxious-and-limited-as-that-love-might-have-been-it-had-been-love/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) [Explore all 204 Wally Lamb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) ## More Accept quotes > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [The fans can accept a poor performance, but they won't take it when you choose not to put in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/the-fans-can-accept-a-poor-performance-but-they-won-t-take-it-when/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [“See, I know what they think about me. That I’m some project. And, yeah, I’ll accept their help. But I’m gonna pay my way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/see-i-know-what-they-think-about-me-that-i-m-some-project-and-yeah-i/) [Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/) > [If you're disabled or different from what general society deems normal, it's fine. There will always be people who won't accept you, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-simmonds/if-you-re-disabled-or-different-from-what-general-society-deems/) [Millicent Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-simmonds/) > [Things don't go on forever, and the quicker you accept that change is inevitable, the happier you're gonna be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/things-don-t-go-on-forever-and-the-quicker-you-accept-that-change-is/) [Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/) > [It's very important to me that people accept me as a transgendered female. But it's ridiculous to a lot of people and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-arquette/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-accept-me-as-a-transgendered/) [Alexis Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-arquette/) > [I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-always-taken-care-of-myself-and-i-m-a-non-conformist-so-i-don-t/) [Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/) > [Not harder than it should be, no. We're about the business, we're about the work. It's all about the work, always. We have fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/not-harder-than-it-should-be-no-we-re-about-the-business-we-re-about/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [I wish I could just accept that I'm not that good and not be shy about the fact that I'm not that professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-wish-i-could-just-accept-that-i-m-not-that-good-and-not-be-shy/) [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/) > [I cannot accept being silent in the face of injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/i-cannot-accept-being-silent-in-the-face-of-injustice/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [“I hope there is less stigma and judgment against working moms and childless career women. All should be acceptable positions and society should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chan-heng-chee/i-hope-there-is-less-stigma-and-judgment-against-working-moms-and/) [Chan Heng Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chan-heng-chee/) > [“Of course I can accept you for who you are. You are someone I need to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-glasbergen/of-course-i-can-accept-you-for-who-you-are-you-are-someone-i-need-to/) [Randy Glasbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-glasbergen/) > [I can't be that kind of person others want me to be.I know I can't please everybody for just being me But I'm glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/i-can-t-be-that-kind-of-person-others-want-me-to-be-i-know-i-can-t/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [I don't care who you are,Where you from,As long as you love me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mks-vibz/i-don-t-care-who-you-are-where-you-from-as-long-as-you-love-me/) [Mks Vibz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mks-vibz/) [Browse all 2,963 Accept quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Change what you can, accept what you can't, and be smart enough to know the difference", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wally Lamb" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can-t-and-be-smart-enough-to-know-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accept" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can-t-and-be-smart-enough-to-know-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/wally-lamb-1817_accept_change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can_2280879.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/wally-lamb-1817_accept_change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can_2280879.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/wally-lamb-1817_accept_change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can_2280879.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Change what you can, accept what you can't, and be smart enough to know the difference” — Wally Lamb", "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": "Wally Lamb", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Change what you can, accept what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can-t-and-be-smart-enough-to-know-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/change-what-you-can-accept-what-you-can-t-and-be-smart-enough-to-know-2/#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 } } ] } ```