---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's okay to play turtle for a while, as…"
description: "\"It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't get too fond of your shell.\" — Eileen Wilks"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ba/eileen-wilks-10049_long_it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as_196449.jpg"
---

#  It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't…

![“It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't get too fond of your shell.” quote by Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ba/eileen-wilks-10049_long_it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as_196449.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ba/eileen-wilks-10049_long_it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as_196449.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ba/eileen-wilks-10049_long_it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as_196449.jpg)

> “It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't get too fond of your shell.”

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

## About This Quote

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

Taking a break is fine, but avoid becoming overly attached to comfort zones that limit growth.

**In simple terms:** Breaks are okay, but don’t cling to safety.

Key Takeaway

Balance rest with progress.

Themes

self-care growth comfort zones

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

- career transitions
- creative projects
- relationship building
- health routines

Key Concepts

psychology personal development

Questions to Reflect On

- What comforts are you holding onto?
- How can you use rest productively?

A Different Perspective

Rest can become stagnation if not monitored.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fond Shell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fond-shell-2062529/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Okay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/okay/) [Okay Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/okay-play-1951554/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Turtle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-turtle-2062527/) [Shells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shells/) [Turtle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtle/) [Turtle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtle-long-2062528/) [Turtles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtles/)

## Related quotes

> [“I wonder about turtles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/i-wonder-about-turtles/)

[Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/)

> [I like turtles because they're so chill. They don't hurt anyone. They're just like, 'Hey man, I want to swim, and maybe eat some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-turtles-because-they-re-so-chill-they-don-t-hurt-anyone-they/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The holistic acupuncturist and the sea turtle rescuer may not be able to explain the feeling, 'We are serving the same thing,' but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/the-holistic-acupuncturist-and-the-sea-turtle-rescuer-may-not-be-able/)

[Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/)

> [Re. the Caribbean Conservation Corporation Everybody in the organization has subscribed to the original concept that its most important attributes are a single-minded resistance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-carr/re-the-caribbean-conservation-corporation-everybody-in-the/)

[Archie Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-carr/)

> [I was obsessed with the Turtles, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There's Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and my dad used to call me Callemundo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callum-smith/i-was-obsessed-with-the-turtles-the-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles/)

[Callum Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callum-smith/)

> [The turtle couldn't help us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-turtle-couldn-t-help-us/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Turtles are greater than baby nephews, because it's ok to drop a turtle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/turtles-are-greater-than-baby-nephews-because-it-s-ok-to-drop-a-turtle/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [“I like turtles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-turtles/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The idea of the state is, or should be, a very limited, prescribed idea. The state looks after the defense of the realm, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/the-idea-of-the-state-is-or-should-be-a-very-limited-prescribed-idea/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [“It's turtles all the way down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-s-turtles-all-the-way-down/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

> [No turtle can be a revolutionist, because revolution requires high speed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/no-turtle-can-be-a-revolutionist-because-revolution-requires-high/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [the body is simple as a turtle / and straight as a dog: / the body cannot lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-body-is-simple-as-a-turtle-and-straight-as-a-dog-the-body-cannot/)

[Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/)

> [Rabbits are played. Nowadays it's all about the turtles. Tell them it's a ninja, they'll freak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/rabbits-are-played-nowadays-it-s-all-about-the-turtles-tell-them-it-s/)

[Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/)

> [Be like the turtle. If he didn't stick his neck out, he wouldn't get anywhere at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/be-like-the-turtle-if-he-didn-t-stick-his-neck-out-he-wouldn-t-get/)

[Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/)

> [Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/anytime-you-see-a-turtle-up-on-top-of-a-fence-post-you-know-he-had/)

[Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/)

## More by Eileen Wilks

> [I do love you. I think you know that, but just in case...I love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/i-do-love-you-i-think-you-know-that-but-just-in-case-i-love-you/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [“When you slice the truth too thin, you deceive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/when-you-slice-the-truth-too-thin-you-deceive/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [I see you. I will be careful with the places that hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/i-see-you-i-will-be-careful-with-the-places-that-hurt/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [Women were complicated creatures. Any man who thought he had one figured out simply wasn’t paying attention,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/women-were-complicated-creatures-any-man-who-thought-he-had-one/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [What?" She drew herself up, stern as a cat presented with the wrong food for dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/what-she-drew-herself-up-stern-as-a-cat-presented-with-the-wrong-food/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [“There is no place on you I can’t love, and love grants me entry . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/there-is-no-place-on-you-i-can-t-love-and-love-grants-me-entry/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [“Feelings are not always a guide to truth, and guilt is an indulgence you cannot afford. It clouds the mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/feelings-are-not-always-a-guide-to-truth-and-guilt-is-an-indulgence/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [“He wanted slow. He wanted lingering and teasing, and she was not in a patient mood. As with so much in a relationship, compromise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/he-wanted-slow-he-wanted-lingering-and-teasing-and-she-was-not-in-a/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [“Querida. You make me ache”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/querida-you-make-me-ache/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [“Regrets are the most useless form of guilt," Cullen said. "They always arrive too late to do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/regrets-are-the-most-useless-form-of-guilt-cullen-said-they-always/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [“What was romance but a lovely bit of play between man and woman?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/what-was-romance-but-a-lovely-bit-of-play-between-man-and-woman/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [But when you slice truth too thin, you deceive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/but-when-you-slice-truth-too-thin-you-deceive/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [Surely a woman who picked a spot so close to the ocean didn't automatically hide from the rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/surely-a-woman-who-picked-a-spot-so-close-to-the-ocean-didn-t/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [Dogs make sense. They understand hierarchy and the need to cooperate. They come when you call them. A cat though—a cat will take your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/dogs-make-sense-they-understand-hierarchy-and-the-need-to-cooperate/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

> [My feelings were hurt. Once I started I couldn't seem to let it go. Be strange if the person who matters most in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/my-feelings-were-hurt-once-i-started-i-couldn-t-seem-to-let-it-go-be/)

[Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

[Explore all 67 Eileen Wilks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/)

## More Long quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [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/)

> [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/)

[Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/)

> [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/)

[Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/)

> [Contradictory precepts that have guided me for as long as I can remember: 1: I will live forever. 2: I will die tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/contradictory-precepts-that-have-guided-me-for-as-long-as-i-can/)

[Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/)

> [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/)

[Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/)

> [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/)

[Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/)

> [Long before the 2016 presidential campaign, confidential sources had alerted me to longstanding misuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court system and the erosion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyl-attkisson/long-before-the-2016-presidential-campaign-confidential-sources-had/)

[Sharyl Attkisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyl-attkisson/)

> [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/)

[Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/)

> [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/)

[St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/)

> [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/)

[Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/)

> [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

[Browse all 39,551 Long quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't get too fond of your shell.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eileen Wilks"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as-long-as-you-don-t-get-too/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Long"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as-long-as-you-don-t-get-too/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ba/eileen-wilks-10049_long_it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as_196449.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ba/eileen-wilks-10049_long_it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as_196449.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ba/eileen-wilks-10049_long_it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as_196449.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't get too fond of your shell.” — Eileen Wilks",
                "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": "Eileen Wilks",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's okay to play turtle for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as-long-as-you-don-t-get-too/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as-long-as-you-don-t-get-too/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
