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Some People Go To Bed At Night Thinking, 'that Was A Good Day.' I Am One Of Those Who Worries And Asks, 'how Did I Screw Up Today?'
-Tom Hanks
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Some People Go To

Tom Hanks
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Some People Go To Bed At Night Thinking, 'that Was A Good Day.' I Am One Of Those Who Worries And Asks, 'how Did I Screw Up Today?'

Understanding the Quote: "some people go to bed at night thinking, 'that was a good..."

This quote by Tom Hanks reflects deeply on the theme of good day. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Good Day, Thinking, Night, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Tom Hanks interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks is celebrated for insightful thoughts on good day and thinking. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Good Day
Thinking
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People
Arena
Everybody Has Something That Chews Them Up And, For Me, That Thing Was Always Loneliness. The Cinema Has The Power To Make You Not Feel Lonely, Even When You Are.
Lonely
Loneliness
Cinema
By And Large, The Making Of Motion Pictures Is All About, 'let's Ratchet It Up.' And I Always Think, 'we Don't Need To Ratchet This Up.' If You Do, Don't Call It 'captain Phillips' Or 'the Maersk Alabama.' Call It Something Else, And Then You Have Carte Blanche To Do Anything, Down To Sea Serpents And Aliens.
Thinking
Sea
Alabama
Directing Is A Constant Test Of Your Communicative Powers. You're Constantly Trying To Explain People Your Vision Of What You Want And Steer These Tiny Little Details Into A Cohesive Thing.
People
Vision
Trying
You Cannot Look Up At The Night Sky On The Planet Earth And Not Wonder What It's Like To Be Up There Amongst The Stars. And I Always Look Up At The Moon And See It As The Single Most Romantic Place Within The Cosmos.
Romantic
Stars
Moon
I Am A Lay Historian By Nature. I Seek Out An Empirical Reflection Of What Truth Is. I Sort Of Want Dates And Motivations And I Want The Whole Story. But I've Always Felt, Unconsciously, That All Human History Is That Connection From Person To Person To Person, Event To Event To Event, And From Idea To Idea.
Motivation
Reflection
Ideas
Reading A Script Is Usually As Exciting As Reading A Boilerplate Legal Document, So When You Read One That Makes You Feel As If You're Seeing The Movie, You Know It's Something Different.
Reading
Different
Scripts
The Desert, When The Sun Comes Up...i Couldn't Tell Where Heaven Stopped And The Earth Began.
Morning
Heaven
Desert
All That Most Parents Hope Is That Their Children Are Happy, Funny, Well Adjusted, And Have A Passion For Something In Their Lives. What Would Negate Everything Is If The Next Generation That We're Responsible For Has A Passionless Existence. And That's Cause For Occasional Sleepless Nights.
Children
Passion
Night
My Doctor Said, 'if You Can Weigh What You Weighed In High School, You'll Essentially Be Healthy And Not Have Type 2 Diabetes.' Well, I'm Gonna Have Type 2 Diabetes, Because There Is No Way I Can Weigh As Much As I Did In High School.
School
Doctors
Type 2 Diabetes
But Television, When I Was Doing It, Was All About Scoring. You Had To Make These Jokes Bang, Do Whatever You Could To Make The Material Really Pop. And If It Didn't, There Was Something Wrong With The Material, Or With You.
Bangs
Television
Pops
It Was A Million Tiny Little Things That, When You Added Them All Up, They Meant We Were Supposed To Be Together ... And I Knew It.
Love
Romantic
Together
I Have A Woman Who Teaches Me What Love Is Every Day. Maybe That Sentiment Is Possible To Fake, But For Me It's Really True.
Love Is
Fake
Teach
When I Was 21 Years Old, I Had A Job Playing Santa Claus In A Shopping Centre In Sacramento. I Was Rail Thin, So It's Not Like I Was A Traditional Santa Claus Even Then. I Had A Square Stomach; That Was The Shape Of The Sofa Cushion That I Had Stuffed Into My Pants.
Jobs
Years
Shopping
If Not For John Adams Leading A Revolution Against Great Britain...this Would Be The Baftas.
Revolution
Would Be
Britain
A Hero Is Somebody Who Voluntarily Walks Into The Unknown.
Hero
Walks
My Wife Keeps On Telling Me My Worst Fault Is That I Keep Things To Myself And Appear Relaxed. But I Am Really In A Room In My Own Head And Not Hearing A Thing Anyone Is Saying.
Wife
Hearing
Rooms
Growing Up In Northern California Has Had A Big Influence On My Love And Respect For The Outdoors. When I Lived In Oakland, We Would Think Nothing Of Driving To Half Moon Bay And Santa Cruz One Day And Then Driving To The Foothills Of The Sierras The Next Day.
Growing Up
Thinking
Moon
I Have Gone Through So Many Examinations Of What A Hero Is, Between The World War Ii Stuff And The Astronaut Stuff.
War
Hero
Gone
All Directors Should Have To Act And All Actors Should Have To Direct, So That They Can Understand All These Key Things That Come Into Play With Whether You Can Meet Your Day.
Keys
Should Have
Play
The Average Movie Set Is The Least Political Arena On Earth. Nobody Bothers Talking About Politics Because, One, We All Love The Job So Much. You Don't Talk About Current Events. You Talk About Old Show Business Stories And Whether Or Not There's Gonna Be French Onion Dip At The Craft Services Table That Day.
Jobs
Average
Talking
E-mail Is Far More Convenient Than The Telephone, As Far As I'm Concerned. I Would Throw My Phone Away If I Could Get Away With It.
Phones
Mail
Introvert
Making A Film Is To Make Sure That Everybody Looks Forward To Coming To Work.
Looks
Film
Let's Not Pretend There Isn't A Huge Industry Driven By The Choices Made By Editors And Writers Who Decide What A Story Is.
Choices Made
Editors
Stories
If They Could Offer Up A Way To Go To The Moon That Wouldn't Kill You, I'd Sign Up.
Moon
Way
Offers
Help, And You Will Make A Huge Impact In The Life Of The Street, The Town, The Country And Our Planet. If Only One Out Of Four Of Each One Hundred Of You Choose To Help On Any Given Day, In Any Given Cause, Incredible Things Will Happen In The World You Live In.
Country
Impact
World
Most People Want To Be Able To Go Off And Deal With Their Day - Stop In Here, Run Errands There - And When You Can't Do That, Going Out Becomes A Chore.
Running
People
Going Out
I Just Know That Every Man I Kill The Farther Away From Home I Feel.
Home
Men
Saving Private Ryan
I Know What I Have To Do Now. I Gotta Keep Breathing. Because Tomorrow The Sun Will Rise. Who Knows What The Tide Could Bring?
Breathing
Tides
Sun
I'm Glad I Didn't Have To Fight In Any War. I'm Glad I Didn't Have To Pick Up A Gun. I'm Glad I Didn't Get Killed Or Kill Somebody. I Hope My Kids Enjoy The Same Lack Of Manhood.
Military
War
Kids
I'm Not A Smart Man, But I Know What Love Is.
Romantic
Smart
Love Is
If You Have To Have A Job In This World, A High-priced Movie Star Is A Pretty Good Gig.
Movie
Inspiring
Jobs
No Journalist Has Ever Been In My House And No Photographs Have Ever Been Taken Of Where I Live. I Don't Parade My Family Out For Display, Which Is The Way It Will Stay.
Taken
House
Way
But Look, I Was Born In 1956, The Peak Year For Births In Us History. I Think I'm Very Representative Of Many Of The Thought Processes My Generation Have Been Through And, By And Large, People Of My Age Have Had Their Imprint Planted On The Consciousness Of Western Society For A Long Time.
Birthday
Thinking
Years
I Will Entertain Anything; It Doesn't Matter. You Know, It's Not Obviously About The Price, It's Not About Who, It's Kind Of About When And What. It's Material, That's All.
Matter
Host
Kind
Prior To Saving Private Ryan I Never Worked With Men. I Was Always Working With Some Babe, And It Was Always About Falling In Love, And It Just Got Turned Around. I'm Not Looking For Any Particular Kind Of Story. I Wait Until It Comes Across My Desk.
Falling In Love
Men
Waiting
The Power Of The Individual Is As Powerful As The Universe Is Infinite.
Powerful
Individuality
Infinite
The Prejudice Surrounding Aids Exacts A Social Death Which Precedes The Actual Physical One.
Philadelphia
Prejudice
Aids
There Was Nothing To React To Except Wind And Trees [in Cast Away]. It Was Like Making A Silent Movie.
Movie
Wind
Tree
Human Beings Do Things For A Reason, Even If Sometimes It's The Wrong Reason.
Sometimes
Reason
Humans
'forrest Gump' Was Great, It Was Fabulous. It Lasted Much Longer Than Anybody Thought, And Brought Me A Degree Of Attention That No Human Being On The Face Of The Planet Deserves.
Degrees
Attention
Fabulous
As An Actor I Am Always Waiting For My Luck To Run Out.
Running
Waiting
Luck
I Am Who I Am, And I Think I Have A Good Nature, By And Large. But If Someone Takes Advantage Of That Good Nature, Well Then, You Know, I'm Not That Nice A Guy.
Nice
Thinking
Who I Am
It's Difficult To Say No Sometimes. I Often Hear, "they'll Really Take Care Of You," Or "someone Else Is Going To Take The Role If You Don't Play It." Some Of The Best Advice I Ever Received Was To Always Ask Myself: Am I Going To Kill Myself If Somebody Else Takes This Role? The Answer Is Almost Always No.
Play
Advice
Roles
Mama Always Had A Way Of Explaining Things So I Could Understand Them.
Way
Mama
Explaining
But Actors With Political Views Are A Dime A Dozen.
Views
Political
Dimes
The Most Accurate Representation Of How I Feel Is That I'm Incredibly Lucky To Be Working In This Structure Where People Get Paid Millions To Read The News On Tv. And, Yes, It Is Insane. And There Is Nothing I Can Say Beyond Acknowledging My Immense Good Fortune, And Being Aware That I'm Blessed, And Aware That It Isn't Going To Last Forever.
Blessed
People
Forever
If I Have No Connection With The Character, Then It's All Fake - It's Just Blah, Blah, Blah.
Character
Fake
Connections
I Know How The Academy Awards Works: It's A Card Game, And I'm In The Toss-up Category.
Games
Awards
Cards
'larry Crowne' Is About As Bummed Out A Human Being As One Can Be When He Loses His Job. What He Is Able To Enjoy Is Something That May Not Be Available To Everybody. But It's About The Value Of Being Willing To Get And Willing To Give Good Advice.
Jobs
Giving
Advice
Back In World War Ii, We Viewed The Japanese As 'yellow, Slant-eyed Dogs' That Believed In Different Gods. They Were Out To Kill Us Because Our Way Of Living Was Different. We, In Turn, Wanted To Annihilate Them Because They Were Different. Does That Sound Familiar, By Any Chance, To What's Going On Today?
Dog
War
Yellow
In The Creative Process You Come To Loggerheads And You Just Have To Keep The Process Moving Forward, Even If That Requires Jumping On A Plane And Flying To London. It's A Good Thing It's Fun, Otherwise It Would Be Too Much Work.
Fun
Moving
Jumping
I Always Wanted To Play Lestrade Of Scotland Yard 'cause He's A Buffoon That Gets To Wear A Uniform. I Thought That Would Be Fun.
Fun
Play
Scotland
Even The Simplest Choice Can Make A Jaw-dropping Difference In Our World.
Our World
Differences
Choices
Are You Crying? There's No Crying. There's No Crying In Baseball.
Baseball
League
Cry
What We're Doing With Band Of Brothers Is Trying To Put It Into Human Terms, So It Is Not Just A Flickering, Black And White Myth On A Screen, It Is A Resonant Story. I Want The Audience To Recognize Themselves In These Men. They're Not Just Mythic Heroes.
Brother
Hero
Black And White
People Ask Me All The Time, "what Kind Of Father Are You?" I Won't Know Until My Kids Are Grown.
Father
Kids
People
Tweeting Is Like Sending Out Cool Telegrams To Your Friends Once A Week.
Week
Telegrams
The Only Way You Can Truly Control How You Are Seen Is By Being Honest All The Time.
Motivational
Way
Honest
It's Not A Mid-life Crisis. It's A Mid-life Disaster. A Mid-life Crisis Is When You Wake Up With Everything And You Go "i Have Everything But I'm Still Unhappy."
Unhappy
Wake Up
Disaster
Every Job Requires A Certain Riding Of A Horse.
Horse
Jobs
Riding
Truth Is, I'll Never Know All There Is To Know About You Just As You Will Never Know All There Is To Know About Me. Humans Are By Nature Too Complicated To Be Understood Fully. So, We Can Choose Either To Approach Our Fellow Human Beings With Suspicion Or To Approach Them With An Open Mind, A Dash Of Optimism And A Great Deal Of Candour.
Optimistic
Optimism
Tolerance
The Nature Of The Movies Is Different Than It Was Five Years Ago, And They're All Driven By The Possibilities Of Cgi, Which Means You Can Make Anything Happen On Screen That You Can Possibly Desire.
Mean
Years
Desire
I've Made Quite A Number Of Movies Like Castaway And A Few Others Where I'm The Only Guy In The Movie And The Only Place To Be Is Right Next To The Camera In Costume Ready To Go In Order To Get It. The Years, And More Specifically Probably The Four Months Prior To Beginning Shooting, Is Where The Big Preparation Is That The Director Does Because I Knew We Were Going To Get On The Set. And The Good News Is, If You're The Boss, If It Ain't Good, You Don't Use It. You Just Cut It Out.
Cutting
Order
Years
Audiences Crave Something They've Never Seen Before. That's What They Want. They Want To Be Dazzled. They Want To Go In Either To Have Their Expectations Blown Out Of The Water, Or Have No Expectations And Are Dazzled By The Decisions That We Filmmakers Made.
Water
Expectations
Decision
Mass-market Movies Have Become About One Thing. They Kind Of Declare Themselves Right Off The Bat. . . . But When I Go To See (a Film), I Want To Be Surprised. I Want To See Something I Never Expected. And When You Get That, It Should Be Celebrated.
Bats
Want
Kind
I Know The Pope Is Opposed To The Use Of Condoms. All I Can Say Is, I Am A Spiritual Man And I've Been Happily Married For 21 Years. I Don't Even Know What A Condom Is Anymore.
Spiritual
Men
Years
I've Been Doing A Pale Imitation Of Bill Murray For Most Of My Career.
Careers
Bills
Imitation
Work In The Theater Is More Fun Than Fun.
Fun
Theater
I Have Faith That A Script Is Going To Hit Me Like A Ton Of Bricks, And When That Happens, It's Undeniable That I Should Choose The Role.
Have Faith
Scripts
Bricks
My Job Has Always Been To Hold A Mirror Up To Nature.
Jobs
Mirrors
I Don't Think Anybody's Mind's Gonna Be Changed.
Thinking
Mind
Changed
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