They miss the whisper that runs any day in your mind, "Who are you really, wanderer?"-- and the answer you have to give no matter how dark and cold the world around you is: "Maybe I'm a king.
William StaffordRead
I keep following this sort of hidden river of my life, you know, whatever the topic or impulse which comes, I follow it along trustingly. And I don't have any sense of its coming to a kind of crescendo, or of its petering out either. It is just going steadily along.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the idea of embracing life's journey without focusing on a specific destination.
William Stafford's quote speaks to the organic nature of life's path, emphasizing the importance of trusting one's instincts and impulses as they navigate through experiences. It suggests that life is not a linear progression towards a climax or goal, but rather a continuous journey where one learns to be present and follow the flow of experiences patiently and trusting the process.
Themes
JourneyTrustLifeImpulseExperience
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about embracing life's uncertainties.
More from William Stafford
All quotes →A speech is something you say so as to distract attention from what you do not say.
William StaffordRead
The things you do not have to say make you rich. Saying things you do not have to say weakens your talk. Hearing things you do not need to hear dulls your hearing. And things you know before you hear them — those are you, those are why you are in the world.
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A poem is a serious joke, a truth that has learned jujitsu.
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So, the world happens twice--_x000D_ once what we see it as;_x000D_ second it legends itself_x000D_ deep, the way it is.
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The earth says have a place, be what that place_x000D_ requires; hear the sound the birds imply_x000D_ and see as deep as ridges go behind_x000D_ each other.
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