--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I take it not only a day at a time, but a…" description: "\"I take it not only a day at a time, but a moment at a time, and keep it at that pace. If you can be happy right now, then you’ll always be happy, becau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/willie-nelson-1796_always-be-happy_i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a_2507484.png" --- # I take it not only a day at a time, but a moment at a… ![“I take it not only a day at a time, but a moment at a time, and keep it at that pace. If you can be happy right now, then you’ll always be happy, because it’s always in the now” quote by Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/willie-nelson-1796_always-be-happy_i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a_2507484.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/willie-nelson-1796_always-be-happy_i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a_2507484.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/willie-nelson-1796_always-be-happy_i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a_2507484.png) > “I take it not only a day at a time, but a moment at a time, and keep it at that pace. If you can be happy right now, then you’ll always be happy, because it’s always in the now” [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living fully in each present moment creates lasting happiness. **In simple terms:** Focus on now for lasting joy. Key Takeaway Embrace each moment. Themes mindfulness happiness present life positivity Mood calm optimistic inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - daily routine - stress relief - gratitude practice - mindful meditation Key Concepts psychology philosophy well‑being Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate present‑moment awareness? - What habits reinforce immediate joy? A Different Perspective Happiness can be fleeting if not sustained by deeper purpose. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always be happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always-be-happy/) [Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy/) [Happy Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-right/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Ll Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ll-happy-951775/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Pace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pace/) [Pace Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pace-happy-1123034/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I take it not only a day at a time, but a moment at a time, and keep it at that pace. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a-moment-at-a-time-and-keep-it-2/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [As long as I'm still surfing wherever I am, I'll always be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-gilmore/as-long-as-i-m-still-surfing-wherever-i-am-i-ll-always-be-happy/) [Stephanie Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-gilmore/) > [I don't trust the Bee Gee's because there's no way they could always be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-crosby/i-don-t-trust-the-bee-gee-s-because-there-s-no-way-they-could-always/) [Jon Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-crosby/) > [It seems to me that I will always be happy in the place where I am not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/it-seems-to-me-that-i-will-always-be-happy-in-the-place-where-i-am-not/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/happiness-is-always-a-by-product-it-is-probably-a-matter-of-2/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Every man has his secret sorrows...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/every-man-has-his-secret-sorrows/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-you-want-happiness-for-a-year-inherit-a-fortune-if-you-want/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-have-just-one-day-today-and-i-m-going-to-be-happy-in-it/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-milne/don-t-underestimate-the-value-of-doing-nothing/) [A. A. Milne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-milne/) > [We know that we are happy when our mind is peaceful, and unhappy when it is not. It is therefore clear that our happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geshe-kelsang-gyatso/we-know-that-we-are-happy-when-our-mind-is-peaceful-and-unhappy-when/) [Geshe Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geshe-kelsang-gyatso/) > [Let us give ourselves indiscriminately to everything our passions suggest, and we will always be happy...Conscience is not the voice of Nature but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/let-us-give-ourselves-indiscriminately-to-everything-our-passions/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [... in marriage the great thing was love, and that with love one would always be happy, for happiness rests only on oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/in-marriage-the-great-thing-was-love-and-that-with-love-one-would/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Talk to everybody with reverence. Listen to everybody with reverence. Say things with reverence. You will always be happy and graceful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/talk-to-everybody-with-reverence-listen-to-everybody-with-reverence/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [The pleasure which we most rarely experience gives us greatest delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/the-pleasure-which-we-most-rarely-experience-gives-us-greatest-delight/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [My motivation and aspiration is the same, being number one or being number five. So that's the truth. And my goal is the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/my-motivation-and-aspiration-is-the-same-being-number-one-or-being/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) ## More by Willie Nelson > [I am not a pig farmer. The pigs had a great time, but I didn't make any money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-am-not-a-pig-farmer-the-pigs-had-a-great-time-but-i-didn-t-make-any/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Songwriters might write cynical, world-wise lyrics and constantly talk about money, but most of us are downright naive when it comes to business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/songwriters-might-write-cynical-world-wise-lyrics-and-constantly-talk/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/once-you-replace-negative-thoughts-with-positive-ones-you-ll-start/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [My first job was in a Bohemian polka band, the Rejcek family polka band in Abbott. The old man in the band had another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/my-first-job-was-in-a-bohemian-polka-band-the-rejcek-family-polka/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Most of the stuff I've read about me has been true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/most-of-the-stuff-i-ve-read-about-me-has-been-true/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Cruelty is all out of ignorance. If you knew what was in store for you, you wouldn't hurt anybody, because whatever you do comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/cruelty-is-all-out-of-ignorance-if-you-knew-what-was-in-store-for-you/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Americans don't eat horses. They are not raised as food animals and they are treated with chemicals that render them unsafe for consumption. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/americans-don-t-eat-horses-they-are-not-raised-as-food-animals-and/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I was influenced a lot by those around me - there was a lot of singing that went on in the cotton fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-was-influenced-a-lot-by-those-around-me-there-was-a-lot-of-singing/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [“And when I die, put it on my stone. God said, Sucker get your bad ass home. I wasn't Superman. I wasn't Superman”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/and-when-i-die-put-it-on-my-stone-god-said-sucker-get-your-bad-ass/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Great songs stand out wherever they're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/great-songs-stand-out-wherever-they-re-from/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I just enjoy both working and not working. And fortunately, I work enough where I get that out of my system, and then we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-just-enjoy-both-working-and-not-working-and-fortunately-i-work/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Let's get the government stay out of our private lives, once and for all, and stop arresting smokers. Let's take a stand for personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/let-s-get-the-government-stay-out-of-our-private-lives-once-and-for/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [You don't have to be poor to need something or somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/you-don-t-have-to-be-poor-to-need-something-or-somebody/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [If you go to a magic show, you don't want to see logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/if-you-go-to-a-magic-show-you-don-t-want-to-see-logic/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Little things I should have said and done I just never took the time You were always on my mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/little-things-i-should-have-said-and-done-i-just-never-took-the-time/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) [Explore all 207 Willie Nelson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) ## More Always be happy quotes > [My motivation and aspiration is the same, being number one or being number five. So that's the truth. And my goal is the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/my-motivation-and-aspiration-is-the-same-being-number-one-or-being/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) > [The pleasure which we most rarely experience gives us greatest delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/the-pleasure-which-we-most-rarely-experience-gives-us-greatest-delight/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Talk to everybody with reverence. Listen to everybody with reverence. Say things with reverence. You will always be happy and graceful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/talk-to-everybody-with-reverence-listen-to-everybody-with-reverence/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [... in marriage the great thing was love, and that with love one would always be happy, for happiness rests only on oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/in-marriage-the-great-thing-was-love-and-that-with-love-one-would/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Let us give ourselves indiscriminately to everything our passions suggest, and we will always be happy...Conscience is not the voice of Nature but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/let-us-give-ourselves-indiscriminately-to-everything-our-passions/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [We know that we are happy when our mind is peaceful, and unhappy when it is not. It is therefore clear that our happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geshe-kelsang-gyatso/we-know-that-we-are-happy-when-our-mind-is-peaceful-and-unhappy-when/) [Geshe Kelsang Gyatso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geshe-kelsang-gyatso/) > [Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-milne/don-t-underestimate-the-value-of-doing-nothing/) [A. A. Milne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-milne/) > [I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-have-just-one-day-today-and-i-m-going-to-be-happy-in-it/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-you-want-happiness-for-a-year-inherit-a-fortune-if-you-want/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Every man has his secret sorrows...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/every-man-has-his-secret-sorrows/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/happiness-is-always-a-by-product-it-is-probably-a-matter-of-2/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [It seems to me that I will always be happy in the place where I am not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/it-seems-to-me-that-i-will-always-be-happy-in-the-place-where-i-am-not/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [I don't trust the Bee Gee's because there's no way they could always be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-crosby/i-don-t-trust-the-bee-gee-s-because-there-s-no-way-they-could-always/) [Jon Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-crosby/) > [May we always be happy, and may our enemies know it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bristol-palin/may-we-always-be-happy-and-may-our-enemies-know-it/) [Bristol Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bristol-palin/) > [The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/the-best-years-of-your-life-are-the-ones-in-which-you-decide-your-2/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) [Browse all 36 Always be happy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always-be-happy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I take it not only a day at a time, but a moment at a time, and keep it at that pace. If you can be happy right now, then you’ll always be happy, because it’s always in the now", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Willie Nelson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a-moment-at-a-time-and-keep-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always be happy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a-moment-at-a-time-and-keep-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/willie-nelson-1796_always-be-happy_i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a_2507484.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/willie-nelson-1796_always-be-happy_i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a_2507484.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/willie-nelson-1796_always-be-happy_i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a_2507484.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I take it not only a day at a time, but a moment at a time, and keep it at that pace. If you can be happy…” — Willie Nelson", "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": "Willie Nelson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I take it not only a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a-moment-at-a-time-and-keep-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-take-it-not-only-a-day-at-a-time-but-a-moment-at-a-time-and-keep-it/#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 } } ] } ```