--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But things were racing too fast to linger…" description: "\"“But things were racing too fast to linger over the past or future. There was only now.”\" — William Landay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/william-landay-7878_past-future_but-things-were-racing-too-fast-to-linge_1073613.png" --- # But things were racing too fast to linger over the past or… ![“But things were racing too fast to linger over the past or future. There was only now.” quote by William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/william-landay-7878_past-future_but-things-were-racing-too-fast-to-linge_1073613.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/william-landay-7878_past-future_but-things-were-racing-too-fast-to-linge_1073613.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/william-landay-7878_past-future_but-things-were-racing-too-fast-to-linge_1073613.png) > ““But things were racing too fast to linger over the past or future. There was only now.”” [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Urgency of the present outweighs past or future concerns. **In simple terms:** Live in the now. Key Takeaway Prioritize present actions. Themes mindfulness time urgency Mood contemplative urgent Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - decision making - stress management - creative work Key Concepts Existentialism present focus Questions to Reflect On - What does “now” mean to you? - How do you balance past lessons with present focus? A Different Perspective Neglecting past lessons can repeat mistakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“As you may have noticed, things are racing along in technology space (where no one can hear you scream).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-maxfield/as-you-may-have-noticed-things-are-racing-along-in-technology-space/) Clive Maxfield > [Turning back the clock is for fools whose memories linger in the Past, afraid to face the present, without knowing what the future contains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubhz/turning-back-the-clock-is-for-fools-whose-memories-linger-in-the-past/) [Shubhz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubhz/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. 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Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [You cannot find yourself in the past or future.The only place where you can find yourself is in the Now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-malabago/you-cannot-find-yourself-in-the-past-or-future-the-only-place-where/) [Regina Malabago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-malabago/) > [Capitalism is not the system of the past; it is the system of the future -- if mankind is to have a future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/capitalism-is-not-the-system-of-the-past-it-is-the-system-of-the/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## More by William Landay > [“no one worth knowing can be quite known, no one worth possessing can be quite possessed—but”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/no-one-worth-knowing-can-be-quite-known-no-one-worth-possessing-can/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“I do not believe in the court system, at least I do not think it is especially good at finding the truth. 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There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To live in the past or in the future may be less satisfying than to live in the present, but it can never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/to-live-in-the-past-or-in-the-future-may-be-less-satisfying-than-to/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [You cannot find yourself in the past or future.The only place where you can find yourself is in the Now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-malabago/you-cannot-find-yourself-in-the-past-or-future-the-only-place-where/) [Regina Malabago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-malabago/) > [“You see, the future is a kind of stew, a soup, a vichyssoise of the present and the past. That's how you get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-see-the-future-is-a-kind-of-stew-a-soup-a-vichyssoise-of-the/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/) [Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/) > [Capitalism is not the system of the past; it is the system of the future -- if mankind is to have a future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/capitalism-is-not-the-system-of-the-past-it-is-the-system-of-the/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“I stood in the middle between my past and my future, and the symbolism wasn't lost on me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-suzanne/i-stood-in-the-middle-between-my-past-and-my-future-and-the-symbolism/) [Lisa Suzanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-suzanne/) > [The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-increase-of-disorder-or-entropy-is-what-distinguishes-the-past/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“Inhale the present, exhale the past and the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/inhale-the-present-exhale-the-past-and-the-future/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [“It has been argued that we have reason to know that the future will resemble the past, because what was the future has constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/it-has-been-argued-that-we-have-reason-to-know-that-the-future-will/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [When we yield to discouragement it is usually because we give too much thought to the past and to the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/when-we-yield-to-discouragement-it-is-usually-because-we-give-too/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) > [Knowledge owns the past and future, as long as we've the information we've power over the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/knowledge-owns-the-past-and-future-as-long-as-we-ve-the-information/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [I'm not good at future planning. I don't plan at all. I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. I don't have a day planner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heath-ledger/i-m-not-good-at-future-planning-i-don-t-plan-at-all-i-don-t-know-what/) [Heath Ledger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heath-ledger/) Browse all 476 Past future quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But things were racing too fast to linger over the past or future. 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