--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every beginning, after all, is nothing…" description: "\"“Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel, and the book of events is always open in the middle.”\" — Wislawa Szymborska" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/wislawa-szymborska-4464_beginning_every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but_119512.png" --- # Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel, and… ![“Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel, and the book of events is always open in the middle.” quote by Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/wislawa-szymborska-4464_beginning_every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but_119512.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/wislawa-szymborska-4464_beginning_every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but_119512.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/wislawa-szymborska-4464_beginning_every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but_119512.png) > ““Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel, and the book of events is always open in the middle.”” [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every start is merely a continuation of what preceded it, and life’s narrative remains perpetually unfinished, existing in the present moment. **In simple terms:** Beginnings are continuations; life stays open. Key Takeaway Life is an ongoing, unfinished story. Themes philosophy existence continuity temporal flow Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical musing literary reflection When to use this quote - creative writing - life coaching - mindfulness practice Key Concepts ontological perspective narrative theory Practical Applications - embrace the present as part of a larger story Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing life as unfinished affect decision‑making? - What value lies in recognizing continuities? A Different Perspective May underplay the significance of decisive beginnings that reshape trajectories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Sequel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sequel/) ## Related quotes > [Every beginning is only a sequel, after all, and the book of events is always open halfway through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/every-beginning-is-only-a-sequel-after-all-and-the-book-of-events-is/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [There's so often - in filmmaking, you're backed into something that already has these set parameters, whether it's a sequel or a book that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/there-s-so-often-in-filmmaking-you-re-backed-into-something-that/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I was very fortunate that my first novel captivated the imaginations of so many readers who asked for a sequel. After that, one book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-chiaverini/i-was-very-fortunate-that-my-first-novel-captivated-the-imaginations/) [Jennifer Chiaverini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-chiaverini/) > [Remarkably, governments are beginning to embrace the idea that nothing enhances democracy more than giving voice and information to everybody in the country. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/remarkably-governments-are-beginning-to-embrace-the-idea-that-nothing/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [Even when I was writing the script for 'Don,' I suspected it could lead to a sequel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farhan-akhtar/even-when-i-was-writing-the-script-for-don-i-suspected-it-could-lead/) [Farhan Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farhan-akhtar/) > [There ain't gon be no sequel. This here is in bred evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boondox/there-ain-t-gon-be-no-sequel-this-here-is-in-bred-evil/) [Boondox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boondox/) > [ In a couple of years I think it \[sequel to What We Do\] will come out as a script and we'll shoot that. Or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/in-a-couple-of-years-i-think-it-sequel-to-what-we-do-will-come-out-as/) [Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/) > [The biggest difference in writing a sequel is that now there are expectations. But also - and this is the awesome part - now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-federle/the-biggest-difference-in-writing-a-sequel-is-that-now-there-are/) [Tim Federle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-federle/) > [I was concerned about doing a sequel and repeating myself. That was before I read the script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jobeth-williams/i-was-concerned-about-doing-a-sequel-and-repeating-myself-that-was/) [JoBeth Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jobeth-williams/) > [“In his eyes, those dazzling near-black eyes, more important to me than our love or lust or friendship, was a look of pure trust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-his-eyes-those-dazzling-near-black-eyes-more-important-to-me-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...ending a book with a sequel in such a way that the reader still has faith in the characters and in the writer. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shandy-l-kurth/ending-a-book-with-a-sequel-in-such-a-way-that-the-reader-still-has/) [Shandy L. Kurth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shandy-l-kurth/) > [The challenge in scoring a sequel is, how do you not get bored? The only way around that one is to go, "Okay, let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/the-challenge-in-scoring-a-sequel-is-how-do-you-not-get-bored-the/) [Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/) > [On the sequel, you've lost the element of surprise. Usually, on the first one you may not go very, very deep into character; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/on-the-sequel-you-ve-lost-the-element-of-surprise-usually-on-the/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [“To everyone who thinks writing a sequel should be easy because you've already clreated the universe: Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha! Heh.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/to-everyone-who-thinks-writing-a-sequel-should-be-easy-because-you-ve/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [“Never mind those failures till yesterday. Each new day is a sequel of a wonderful life; gifted with hopes to succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aniruddha-sastikar/never-mind-those-failures-till-yesterday-each-new-day-is-a-sequel-of/) [Aniruddha Sastikar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aniruddha-sastikar/) ## More by Wislawa Szymborska > [I usually write for the individual reader -though I would like to have many such readers. There are some poets who write for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/i-usually-write-for-the-individual-reader-though-i-would-like-to-have/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Out of every hundred people, those who always know better: fifty-two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/out-of-every-hundred-people-those-who-always-know-better-fifty-two/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [I don't know the role I'm playing. I only know it's mine, non-convertible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/i-don-t-know-the-role-i-m-playing-i-only-know-it-s-mine-non/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [This terrifying world is not devoid of charms, of the mornings that make waking up worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/this-terrifying-world-is-not-devoid-of-charms-of-the-mornings-that/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Poetic talent doesn't operate in a vacuum. There is a spirit of Polish poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/poetic-talent-doesn-t-operate-in-a-vacuum-there-is-a-spirit-of-polish/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [All the best have something in common, a regard for reality, an agreement to its primacy over the imagination. Even the richest, most surprising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/all-the-best-have-something-in-common-a-regard-for-reality-an/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Is a decision made in advance really any kind of choice?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/is-a-decision-made-in-advance-really-any-kind-of-choice/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [“Four billion people on this earth but my imagination is still the same. It's bad with large numbers. It's still taken by particularity. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/four-billion-people-on-this-earth-but-my-imagination-is-still-the/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Most of the earth's inhabitants work to get by. They work because they have to. They didn't pick this or that kind of job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/most-of-the-earth-s-inhabitants-work-to-get-by-they-work-because-they/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [God was finally going to believe in a man both good and strong, but good and strong are still two different men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/god-was-finally-going-to-believe-in-a-man-both-good-and-strong-but/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Carry on, then, if only for the moment that it takes a tiny galaxy to blink!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/carry-on-then-if-only-for-the-moment-that-it-takes-a-tiny-galaxy-to/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Keep up the good work, if only for a while, if only for the twinkling of a tiny galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/keep-up-the-good-work-if-only-for-a-while-if-only-for-the-twinkling/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [I'm working on the world, revised, improved edition, featuring fun for fools blues for brooders, combs for bald pates, tricks for old dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/i-m-working-on-the-world-revised-improved-edition-featuring-fun-for/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Any knowledge that doesn't lead to new questions quickly dies out: it fails to maintain the temperature required for sustaining life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/any-knowledge-that-doesn-t-lead-to-new-questions-quickly-dies-out-it/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [“They're both convinced that a sudden passion joined them. Such certainty is beautiful, but uncertainty is more beautiful still. Since they'd never met before,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/they-re-both-convinced-that-a-sudden-passion-joined-them-such/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) [Explore all 109 Wislawa Szymborska quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) ## More Beginning quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) Adam Imad > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) Manae Poet Of Carisis > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) Jacklyn H Lucas [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel, and the book of events is always open in the middle.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wislawa Szymborska" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but-a-sequel-and-the-book-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beginning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but-a-sequel-and-the-book-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/wislawa-szymborska-4464_beginning_every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but_119512.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/wislawa-szymborska-4464_beginning_every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but_119512.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/wislawa-szymborska-4464_beginning_every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but_119512.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel, and the book of events is always open in the middle.” — Wislawa Szymborska", "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": "Wislawa Szymborska", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Every beginning, after all, is nothing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but-a-sequel-and-the-book-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but-a-sequel-and-the-book-of/#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 } } ] } ```