"Later in my life, I'm going to look back and smile and be very fulfilled. I know that if I don't give it my all right now I'll regret it later. That's very important to me, because I've worked all my life to have this"
About this Quote
The subtext is that success doesn’t automatically grant satisfaction. Twain is separating achievement (having “this”) from the moral obligation to deserve it, as if the only way to live inside a dream without feeling like an imposter is to empty the tank every night. The repeated “all” language isn’t rhetorical excess; it’s defensive architecture against the most corrosive thought in show business: I didn’t do enough with what I was given.
Context matters because Twain’s career is inseparable from endurance. She’s not just talking about a tour cycle or an album rollout; she’s speaking as someone who fought for her place, then had to fight again to keep her voice and momentum. “I’ve worked all my life to have this” lands like a rebuttal to the myth of effortless stardom. She isn’t asking for admiration. She’s laying down a private contract: if the spotlight is temporary, the effort has to be permanent, so the memory won’t betray her later.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Twain, Shania. (2026, January 16). Later in my life, I'm going to look back and smile and be very fulfilled. I know that if I don't give it my all right now I'll regret it later. That's very important to me, because I've worked all my life to have this. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/later-in-my-life-im-going-to-look-back-and-smile-129153/
Chicago Style
Twain, Shania. "Later in my life, I'm going to look back and smile and be very fulfilled. I know that if I don't give it my all right now I'll regret it later. That's very important to me, because I've worked all my life to have this." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/later-in-my-life-im-going-to-look-back-and-smile-129153/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Later in my life, I'm going to look back and smile and be very fulfilled. I know that if I don't give it my all right now I'll regret it later. That's very important to me, because I've worked all my life to have this." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/later-in-my-life-im-going-to-look-back-and-smile-129153/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.







