"I've reached a point in my life where it's the little things that matter... I was always a rebel and probably could have got much farther had I changed my attitude. But when you think about it, I got pretty far without changing attitudes. I'm happier with that"
About this Quote
Calling herself "a rebel" is both confession and brand management. Lake was famous for a look and a persona that sold cool detachment; here, she recasts what Hollywood likely labeled "difficult" into something closer to integrity. The line "probably could have got much farther had I changed my attitude" acknowledges the industry's transactional logic with disarming clarity: success is available, if you agree to be reshaped. She doesn't deny that deal exists; she refuses to romanticize it.
Then comes the pivot that sharpens the intent: "I got pretty far without changing attitudes". Not "my attitude" but "attitudes" - plural, broader, almost societal. It's a subtle jab at the people who expected adjustment, a reminder that the demand was never just personal polish but submission to a whole set of norms. The final sentence, "I'm happier with that", is less nostalgia than self-exoneration, a late-career insistence that a smaller legacy earned on your own terms can beat a bigger one bought with self-erasure.
Quote Details
| Topic | Happiness |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lake, Veronica. (n.d.). I've reached a point in my life where it's the little things that matter... I was always a rebel and probably could have got much farther had I changed my attitude. But when you think about it, I got pretty far without changing attitudes. I'm happier with that. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-reached-a-point-in-my-life-where-its-the-162245/
Chicago Style
Lake, Veronica. "I've reached a point in my life where it's the little things that matter... I was always a rebel and probably could have got much farther had I changed my attitude. But when you think about it, I got pretty far without changing attitudes. I'm happier with that." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-reached-a-point-in-my-life-where-its-the-162245/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I've reached a point in my life where it's the little things that matter... I was always a rebel and probably could have got much farther had I changed my attitude. But when you think about it, I got pretty far without changing attitudes. I'm happier with that." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-reached-a-point-in-my-life-where-its-the-162245/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.




