--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...I found myself surrounded by…" description: "\"“...I found myself surrounded by people--starting with my mom, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, and leading to a string of wonderful role models and me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/wes-moore-2818_future_i-found-myself-surrounded-by-people-star_44873.png" --- # ...I found myself surrounded by people--starting with my… ![“...I found myself surrounded by people--starting with my mom, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, and leading to a string of wonderful role models and mentors--who kept pushing me to see more than what was directly in front of me, to see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the…” quote by Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/wes-moore-2818_future_i-found-myself-surrounded-by-people-star_44873.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/wes-moore-2818_future_i-found-myself-surrounded-by-people-star_44873.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/wes-moore-2818_future_i-found-myself-surrounded-by-people-star_44873.png) > ““...I found myself surrounded by people--starting with my mom, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, and leading to a string of wonderful role models and mentors--who kept pushing me to see more than what was directly in front of me, to see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the unexplored possibilities within myself. People who taught me that no accident of birth--not being black or relatively poor, being from Baltimore or the Bronx or fatherless--would ever define or limit me.”” [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker credits a network of supportive mentors for expanding their vision beyond socioeconomic constraints, emphasizing that identity and circumstance need not dictate destiny. **In simple terms:** Mentors broaden horizons despite background. Key Takeaway Support networks enable self‑determination. Themes Resilience Mentorship Social mobility Identity Opportunity Empowerment Mood Inspirational Hopeful Type Personal narrative Motivational When to use this quote - Youth in under‑privileged neighborhoods - First‑generation college students - Career counseling sessions Key Concepts Community influence Self‑belief Overcoming adversity Practical Applications - Leadership development programs - Mentor‑matching platforms Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals cultivate supportive networks when none exist? - What role does personal agency play alongside external mentorship? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Mentors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentors/) [Possibilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibilities/) [Role models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-models/) ## Related quotes > [“Real life doesn't grant us many of the more than useful possibilities people can come out with in fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilo-gomes-jr/real-life-doesn-t-grant-us-many-of-the-more-than-useful-possibilities/) [Camilo Gomes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilo-gomes-jr/) > [You think you know your possibilities. Then other people come into your life and suddenly there are so many more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-think-you-know-your-possibilities-then-other-people-come-into/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I think that’s a responsibility that I have, to push possibilities, to show people: “This is the level that things could be at.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-think-that-s-a-responsibility-that-i-have-to-push-possibilities-to-2/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [In my previous career as a chief executive of high-tech companies, I experienced firsthand the endless possibilities when people from diverse backgrounds work together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naftali-bennett/in-my-previous-career-as-a-chief-executive-of-high-tech-companies-i/) [Naftali Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naftali-bennett/) > [One of the first things we did was to find role models or mentors at companies that had achieved what we wanted to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-harper/one-of-the-first-things-we-did-was-to-find-role-models-or-mentors-at/) Mitch Harper > [I've found that having role models and mentors who I resonate with is so important - a lot of people have so many questions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-el-kaliouby/i-ve-found-that-having-role-models-and-mentors-who-i-resonate-with-is/) [Rana el Kaliouby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-el-kaliouby/) > [“People can poison people; people can also promote people. People can push people up; people can also pull people down. Don’t just follow people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/people-can-poison-people-people-can-also-promote-people-people-can/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Kids in college often look for mentors and role models to model their careers after, and women don't have the equivalent of a Steve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruchi-sanghvi/kids-in-college-often-look-for-mentors-and-role-models-to-model-their/) [Ruchi Sanghvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruchi-sanghvi/) > [I know I've had many great mentors and role models and guys to look up to; guys I've learned a lot from so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-palmer/i-know-i-ve-had-many-great-mentors-and-role-models-and-guys-to-look/) [Carson Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-palmer/) > [“If I’m surprised at where I’m at, it’s probably because I’m not listening to the reality that listening to the voices that I’ve listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-i-m-surprised-at-where-i-m-at-it-s-probably-because-i-m-not/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Pilar, if anyone, should have understood how awful it was to be surrounded by people who had their own version of the truth. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-leonetti/pilar-if-anyone-should-have-understood-how-awful-it-was-to-be/) Charlotte Leonetti > [I was always surrounded by people that wanted to mentor you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginni-rometty/i-was-always-surrounded-by-people-that-wanted-to-mentor-you/) [Ginni Rometty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginni-rometty/) > [I've been lucky enough to be surrounded by people that were always supporting me, and I never felt pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-windsor/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-be-surrounded-by-people-that-were-always/) [Devon Windsor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-windsor/) > [You can be surrounded by many people but still feel quite lonely if you don't have strong connections and if you feel you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/you-can-be-surrounded-by-many-people-but-still-feel-quite-lonely-if/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [Being surrounded by people who truly love and believe in me, that's happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoyeon-jung/being-surrounded-by-people-who-truly-love-and-believe-in-me-that-s/) [HoYeon Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoyeon-jung/) ## More by Wes Moore > [Maryland will always have the backs of working people and organized labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/maryland-will-always-have-the-backs-of-working-people-and-organized/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [ “...he was telling me that our \[country's\] blood-soaked and atrocity-littered past was important but that the future didn't have to be its slave.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/he-was-telling-me-that-our-country-s-blood-soaked-and-atrocity/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [Economic growth is our North Star. Anyone who suggests we can just cut our way to prosperity isn't being honest. Anyone who suggests we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/economic-growth-is-our-north-star-anyone-who-suggests-we-can-just-cut/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [I vowed we would defy the national politics of hyperpolarization and partisan divides and instead, build bridges of partnership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/i-vowed-we-would-defy-the-national-politics-of-hyperpolarization-and/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [I can tell you countless instances of this country's history of brutality, of inequity, of heartlessness. But if I do that without also talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/i-can-tell-you-countless-instances-of-this-country-s-history-of/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [After taking office, I vowed that the Moore-Miller administration would focus on four key pillars of progress in our first legislative session: elevating service,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/after-taking-office-i-vowed-that-the-moore-miller-administration/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [Investments in health care help us support individuals who have been historically left behind - from people with disabilities to people in poverty to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/investments-in-health-care-help-us-support-individuals-who-have-been/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [When it is time for you to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/when-it-is-time-for-you-to-leave-this-school-leave-your-job-or-even/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [We need to be abundantly clear on this - people living in poverty are the victims, not the perpetrators of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/we-need-to-be-abundantly-clear-on-this-people-living-in-poverty-are/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [“I hear you, but it's not the process you should focus on; it's the joy you will feel after you go through the process.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/i-hear-you-but-it-s-not-the-process-you-should-focus-on-it-s-the-joy/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [When we say we want to take an all-of-the-above approach to public safety, we mean all of the above. As elected officials, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/when-we-say-we-want-to-take-an-all-of-the-above-approach-to-public/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [“search it out. I also try to remind myself that while there is always a big-picture ambition or goal on the horizon, it’s important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/search-it-out-i-also-try-to-remind-myself-that-while-there-is-always/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [“Heroism is simply the idea of living your life with the passion that it deserves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/heroism-is-simply-the-idea-of-living-your-life-with-the-passion-that/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [By keeping the Orioles at Camden Yards for the long run - regardless of ownership structure - we've sent a clear message to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/by-keeping-the-orioles-at-camden-yards-for-the-long-run-regardless-of/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [Crime is a complex socio-economic problem, and it requires a comprehensive and aggressive approach that includes supporting law enforcement, empowering communities, coordinating with local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/crime-is-a-complex-socio-economic-problem-and-it-requires-a/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) [Explore all 148 Wes Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) ## More Future quotes > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [“We have no idea, now, of who or what the inhabitants of our future might be. In that sense, we have no future. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/we-have-no-idea-now-of-who-or-what-the-inhabitants-of-our-future/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. History repeats itself, thus, it's ok to LOOK back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-continue-to-dwell-on-the-past-there-s-no-chance-for-a-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) [Browse all 12,349 Future quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...I found myself surrounded by people--starting with my mom, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, and leading to a string of wonderful role models and mentors--who kept pushing me to see more than what was directly in front of me, to see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the unexplored possibilities within myself. 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