"It's not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean"
About this Quote
The subtext is classic self-help pragmatism: if meaning is negotiable, then so is identity. That’s emotionally potent in a culture where people are exhausted by structural forces they can’t individually outmaneuver: the economy, algorithms, family history. Robbins offers a workaround that feels empowering because it is immediate; you can’t rewind an event, but you can reframe it tonight, in a seminar seat, with the right vocabulary and a surge of adrenaline.
There’s also an implicit marketing logic. If beliefs shape outcomes, then the product isn’t advice, it’s conversion: adopt a new story and you’ll become a new person. The risk is the shadow side of that promise - when everything hinges on interpretation, suffering can start to look like a failure of mindset, not a reality to be addressed. The quote lands because it’s both comforting and demanding: your past isn’t destiny, but your story about it is your responsibility.
Quote Details
| Topic | Self-Improvement |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Robbins, Tony. (2026, January 15). It's not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-not-the-events-of-our-lives-that-shape-us-but-26408/
Chicago Style
Robbins, Tony. "It's not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-not-the-events-of-our-lives-that-shape-us-but-26408/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"It's not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-not-the-events-of-our-lives-that-shape-us-but-26408/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.





