--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If my hands are fully occupied in holding…" description: "\"If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive.\" — Dorothee Solle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/dorothee-solle-24665_giving_if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holdin_1810762.jpg" --- # If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something… ![“If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive.” quote by Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/dorothee-solle-24665_giving_if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holdin_1810762.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/dorothee-solle-24665_giving_if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holdin_1810762.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/dorothee-solle-24665_giving_if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holdin_1810762.jpg) > “If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive.” [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Holding tightly to something prevents both giving and receiving, limiting exchange. **In simple terms:** Holding on blocks give and receive. Key Takeaway Release to enable flow. Themes attachment generosity balance Mood contemplative empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - caregiving - receiving - meditation - therapy Key Concepts mindfulness interdependence exchange Questions to Reflect On - What are you clinging to that hinders you? - How can you practice letting go? A Different Perspective Total attachment can lead to stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hands Fully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-fully-2112773/) [Holding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding/) [Holding on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding-on/) [Holding Receive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding-receive-2112771/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Occupied Holding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupied-holding-2112772/) ## Related quotes > [It was always in me to just put records out. I don't like holding on to records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-dream/it-was-always-in-me-to-just-put-records-out-i-don-t-like-holding-on/) [The-Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-dream/) > [You can't hit someone if they're holding on to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/you-can-t-hit-someone-if-they-re-holding-on-to-you/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [People say, if you have 100 reasons 2 let go, you find 1 reason 2 hold on, but that is not so true, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-say-if-you-have-100-reasons-2-let-go-you-find-1-reason-2-hold/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Holding on is tougher than letting go or simply quitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/holding-on-is-tougher-than-letting-go-or-simply-quitting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Letting go is going to hurt, but holding on may kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlet-koop/letting-go-is-going-to-hurt-but-holding-on-may-kill-me/) [Scarlet Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlet-koop/) > [Im fighting to get you out of my head but Im holding on to very word that you ever said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-fighting-to-get-you-out-of-my-head-but-im-holding-on-to-very-word/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The people of Shishmaref want their community to survive, but they are holding on to their legacy by a very delicate thread indeed. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-j-berg/the-people-of-shishmaref-want-their-community-to-survive-but-they-are/) [Amy J. Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-j-berg/) > [There are those who break up always looking for someone better and holding on to the one they are with until that someone comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-those-who-break-up-always-looking-for-someone-better-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We give up what we want to give up and keep what in some way we still want to keep. There are payoffs for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/we-give-up-what-we-want-to-give-up-and-keep-what-in-some-way-we-still/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Holding on to the weak is called strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/holding-on-to-the-weak-is-called-strength/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Holding on may sound like the brave thing to do, the right thing to do, but holding on doesn't make you strong. You hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-dye/holding-on-may-sound-like-the-brave-thing-to-do-the-right-thing-to-do/) [Melissa Dye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-dye/) > [Holding back your feelings may save you from others, but it will never save you from yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/holding-back-your-feelings-may-save-you-from-others-but-it-will-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was always holding onto people, and they were always leaving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-always-holding-onto-people-and-they-were-always-leaving/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why was I holding on to something that would never be mine? But isn't that what people do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/why-was-i-holding-on-to-something-that-would-never-be-mine-but-isn-t/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Why should I even bother holding on when there is nothing to hold on to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-should-i-even-bother-holding-on-when-there-is-nothing-to-hold-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Dorothee Solle > [What is important is not what someone is but what he is waiting for. Not the events of life but its possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/what-is-important-is-not-what-someone-is-but-what-he-is-waiting-for/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [To be content with the world as it is is to be dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/to-be-content-with-the-world-as-it-is-is-to-be-dead/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [A language that takes our emotions seriously and gives them real weight in our lives encourages us to think and be and act differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/a-language-that-takes-our-emotions-seriously-and-gives-them-real/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [Religion is made up of unrestrained wishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/religion-is-made-up-of-unrestrained-wishes/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [God has no other hands than ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/god-has-no-other-hands-than-ours/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [God has no other hands than ours. If the sick are to be healed, it is our hands that will heal them. If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/god-has-no-other-hands-than-ours-if-the-sick-are-to-be-healed-it-is/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [“We are afraid of religion because it interprets rather than observance. Religion does not confirm that there are hungry people in the world; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/we-are-afraid-of-religion-because-it-interprets-rather-than/) [Dorothee Sölle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [With the disappearance of God the Ego moves forward to become the sole divinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/with-the-disappearance-of-god-the-ego-moves-forward-to-become-the/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [The more people anticipate the elimination of suffering the less strength they have actually to oppose it. Whoever deals with his personal suffering only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/the-more-people-anticipate-the-elimination-of-suffering-the-less/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [Our whole life consists of despairing of an answer and seeking an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/our-whole-life-consists-of-despairing-of-an-answer-and-seeking-an/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [Really living like Christ will not mean reward, social recognition, and an assured income, but difficulties, discrimination, solitude, anxiety. Here, too, the basic experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/really-living-like-christ-will-not-mean-reward-social-recognition-and/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [There is no wrong suffering. There is imaginary, sham, feigned, simulated, pretended suffering. But the assertion that someone suffers for the right or wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/there-is-no-wrong-suffering-there-is-imaginary-sham-feigned-simulated/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [All fundamentalist theologians make the ordinances of creation an essential part of creation and absolutize them. Women belong at home, fulfil their life through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/all-fundamentalist-theologians-make-the-ordinances-of-creation-an/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [Religion does not confirm that there are hungry people in the world; it interprets the hungry to be our brethren whom we allow to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/religion-does-not-confirm-that-there-are-hungry-people-in-the-world/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) > [For me as a woman pride is not really sin, but rather something that I still have to learn. The male conception of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/for-me-as-a-woman-pride-is-not-really-sin-but-rather-something-that-i/) [Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) [Explore all 23 Dorothee Solle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/) ## More Giving quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [You've touched people and known it. You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I don't think my relationship with the idea of womanhood is that attached to giving birth... like, I'm fully aware that I'll never give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-harrison/i-don-t-think-my-relationship-with-the-idea-of-womanhood-is-that/) [Patti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-harrison/) [Browse all 39,303 Giving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothee Solle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holding-on-to-something-i-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Giving" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holding-on-to-something-i-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/dorothee-solle-24665_giving_if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holdin_1810762.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/dorothee-solle-24665_giving_if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holdin_1810762.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/dorothee-solle-24665_giving_if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holdin_1810762.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive.” — Dorothee Solle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dorothee Solle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If my hands are fully occupied...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holding-on-to-something-i-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holding-on-to-something-i-can/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```