---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not drifting. I'm waiting."
description: "\"I'm not drifting. I'm waiting.\" — Donna Noble"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/donna-noble-11443_quote_i-m-not-drifting-i-m-waiting-970451_970451.jpg"
---

#  I'm not drifting. I'm waiting.

![“I'm not drifting. I'm waiting.” quote by Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/donna-noble-11443_quote_i-m-not-drifting-i-m-waiting-970451_970451.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/donna-noble-11443_quote_i-m-not-drifting-i-m-waiting-970451_970451.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/donna-noble-11443_quote_i-m-not-drifting-i-m-waiting-970451_970451.jpg)

> “I'm not drifting. I'm waiting.”

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Patience is a state of waiting, not drifting aimlessly; it implies purposeful anticipation.

**In simple terms:** Waiting with purpose.

Key Takeaway

Practice patient waiting.

Themes

patience anticipation purpose

Mood

calm hopeful

Type

inspirational reflective

When to use this quote

- career planning
- creative projects
- personal growth

Key Concepts

time mindfulness goal setting

Questions to Reflect On

- What are you waiting for?
- How can you stay active while waiting?

A Different Perspective

Waiting can become passive if not active.

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[Drifting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drifting/) [Drifting Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drifting-waiting-1859470/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/)

## Related quotes

> [I have what I call an iron prescription that helps me keep sane when I naturally drift toward preferring one ideology over another and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-have-what-i-call-an-iron-prescription-that-helps-me-keep-sane-when/)

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> [I have very vivid dreams - almost always action-adventure. I'm often on the run. I've always had dreams. When I was little, I'd go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/i-have-very-vivid-dreams-almost-always-action-adventure-i-m-often-on/)

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> [My life owes me. Like an overdose, I'm slowly Drifting into the arms of trouble, then trouble holds me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-naan/my-life-owes-me-like-an-overdose-i-m-slowly-drifting-into-the-arms-of/)

[K'naan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-naan/)

> [I wish I could close my eyes and be blown into dust and nothingness, feel all my thoughts disperse like dandelion fluff drifting off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-wish-i-could-close-my-eyes-and-be-blown-into-dust-and-nothingness-2/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [Through the dripping weeks that follow One another slow, and soak Summer's extinguished fire and autumn's drifting smoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-austin/through-the-dripping-weeks-that-follow-one-another-slow-and-soak/)

[Alfred Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-austin/)

> [The weathercocks on spires and housetops were mysterious with hints of stormy wind, and pointed, like so many ghostly fingers, out to dangerous seas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-weathercocks-on-spires-and-housetops-were-mysterious-with-hints/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [We are drifting, and youh know it.. John It kills me to say that.. I can't stay in this relationship .. its too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jane/we-are-drifting-and-youh-know-it-john-it-kills-me-to-say-that-i-can-t/)

[Alice Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jane/)

> [Now you see,' said the turtle, drifting back into the pond, 'why it is useless to cry. Your tears do not wash away your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/now-you-see-said-the-turtle-drifting-back-into-the-pond-why-it-is/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [Let the desert wind cool your aching head. Let the weight of the world - drift away instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beck/let-the-desert-wind-cool-your-aching-head-let-the-weight-of-the-world/)

[Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beck/)

> [I hope we're not just human garbage drifting toward a big sewer. But I think so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-hope-we-re-not-just-human-garbage-drifting-toward-a-big-sewer-but-i/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [A lot of people get a misconception And start drifting in the wrong direction Miss Goody Two Shoes see you later I ain't got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rappin-4-tay/a-lot-of-people-get-a-misconception-and-start-drifting-in-the-wrong/)

[Rappin' 4-Tay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rappin-4-tay/)

> [The poets began drifting away from churches as the jurists grew louder and more insistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-poets-began-drifting-away-from-churches-as-the-jurists-grew/)

[Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/)

> [We are not at the same place we were in 1973. This country today is drifting, moving steadily towards the pro-life position because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/we-are-not-at-the-same-place-we-were-in-1973-this-country-today-is/)

[Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/)

## More by Donna Noble

> [I'm a human being. Maybe not the stuff of legend but every bit as important as Time Lords, thank you. Way back, when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/i-m-a-human-being-maybe-not-the-stuff-of-legend-but-every-bit-as/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [Oh well, if you're calling him 'dad' you're definitely getting over him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/oh-well-if-you-re-calling-him-dad-you-re-definitely-getting-over-him/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [Yeah. Maybe we can get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/yeah-maybe-we-can-get-sentimental-after-the-world-s-finished-choking/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [Is that why you travel 'round with a human at your side? It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/is-that-why-you-travel-round-with-a-human-at-your-side-it-s-not-so/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [On Earth we have these insects. Some people said it was pollution or mobile phones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/on-earth-we-have-these-insects-some-people-said-it-was-pollution-or/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [So the Source could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/so-the-source-could-be-a-weapon-and-we-ve-just-given-directions-to/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [Oh, don't. Just...don't. I'm tired. I'm so tired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/oh-don-t-just-don-t-i-m-tired-i-m-so-tired/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers. In the street, in broad daylight. It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/what-and-that-means-arresting-ordinary-factory-workers-in-the-street/)

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> [But if it's poisonous, then they've got poisonous gas in every car on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/but-if-it-s-poisonous-then-they-ve-got-poisonous-gas-in-every-car-on/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [More numbers. They've got to mean something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/more-numbers-they-ve-got-to-mean-something/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [Oy, you lot! All your Storm Troopers and your sonics, rubbish. You should have come with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/oy-you-lot-all-your-storm-troopers-and-your-sonics-rubbish-you-should/)

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[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> [I bet you say that to all the girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/i-bet-you-say-that-to-all-the-girls/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

> ['Cause I understand now. You said I was gonna die, but you mean this whole world, is gonna blink out of existence. But that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/cause-i-understand-now-you-said-i-was-gonna-die-but-you-mean-this/)

[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

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[Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

[Explore all 60 Donna Noble quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/)

## More Drifting quotes

> [I have what I call an iron prescription that helps me keep sane when I naturally drift toward preferring one ideology over another and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-have-what-i-call-an-iron-prescription-that-helps-me-keep-sane-when/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [The poets began drifting away from churches as the jurists grew louder and more insistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-poets-began-drifting-away-from-churches-as-the-jurists-grew/)

[Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/)

> [A lot of people get a misconception And start drifting in the wrong direction Miss Goody Two Shoes see you later I ain't got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rappin-4-tay/a-lot-of-people-get-a-misconception-and-start-drifting-in-the-wrong/)

[Rappin' 4-Tay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rappin-4-tay/)

> [I hope we're not just human garbage drifting toward a big sewer. But I think so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-hope-we-re-not-just-human-garbage-drifting-toward-a-big-sewer-but-i/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Let the desert wind cool your aching head. Let the weight of the world - drift away instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beck/let-the-desert-wind-cool-your-aching-head-let-the-weight-of-the-world/)

[Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beck/)

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[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

> [We are drifting, and youh know it.. John It kills me to say that.. I can't stay in this relationship .. its too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jane/we-are-drifting-and-youh-know-it-john-it-kills-me-to-say-that-i-can-t/)

[Alice Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jane/)

> [The weathercocks on spires and housetops were mysterious with hints of stormy wind, and pointed, like so many ghostly fingers, out to dangerous seas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-weathercocks-on-spires-and-housetops-were-mysterious-with-hints/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Through the dripping weeks that follow One another slow, and soak Summer's extinguished fire and autumn's drifting smoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-austin/through-the-dripping-weeks-that-follow-one-another-slow-and-soak/)

[Alfred Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-austin/)

> [I wish I could close my eyes and be blown into dust and nothingness, feel all my thoughts disperse like dandelion fluff drifting off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-wish-i-could-close-my-eyes-and-be-blown-into-dust-and-nothingness-2/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [My life owes me. Like an overdose, I'm slowly Drifting into the arms of trouble, then trouble holds me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-naan/my-life-owes-me-like-an-overdose-i-m-slowly-drifting-into-the-arms-of/)

[K'naan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-naan/)

> [it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-o-hara/it-is-hard-to-believe-when-i-m-with-you-that-there-can-be-anything-as/)

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> [I have very vivid dreams - almost always action-adventure. I'm often on the run. I've always had dreams. When I was little, I'd go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/i-have-very-vivid-dreams-almost-always-action-adventure-i-m-often-on/)

[Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/)

> [As long as I breathe I hope. As long as I breathe I shall fight for the future, that radiant future, in which man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/as-long-as-i-breathe-i-hope-as-long-as-i-breathe-i-shall-fight-for/)

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[Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/)

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