---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While it is well enough to leave…"
description: "\"While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction.\" — Jame..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/james-branch-cabell-8751_enough_while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footpri_731699.jpg"
---

#  While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands…

![“While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction.” quote by James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/james-branch-cabell-8751_enough_while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footpri_731699.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/james-branch-cabell-8751_enough_while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footpri_731699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/james-branch-cabell-8751_enough_while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footpri_731699.jpg)

> “While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction.”

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

## About This Quote

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

Leaving a legacy matters more than merely existing; actions should aim toward noble goals.

**In simple terms:** Make sure your actions aim for good.

Key Takeaway

Act with purpose and integrity.

Themes

legacy purpose integrity

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- career planning
- community service
- personal goals
- environmental activism

Key Concepts

ethics direction meaning

Questions to Reflect On

- What values guide your daily choices?
- How do you ensure your impact is positive?

A Different Perspective

Good intentions can be misinterpreted without clear outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Footprints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/footprints/) [Sands of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sands-of-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“If you want to leave your footprints in the sands of time you'll need some roughness and some dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-mani/if-you-want-to-leave-your-footprints-in-the-sands-of-time-you-ll-need/)

[A. Mani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-mani/)

> [You can't leave footprints in the sands of time while sitting down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-rockefeller/you-can-t-leave-footprints-in-the-sands-of-time-while-sitting-down/)

[Nelson Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-rockefeller/)

> [“IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE FOOTPRINTS IN THE SANDS OF TIME, WEAR WORK SHOES”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-brock/if-you-want-to-leave-footprints-in-the-sands-of-time-wear-work-shoes/)

[John A. Brock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-brock/)

> [I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time, Know there was something that I left behind, When I leave this world, I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce/i-wanna-leave-my-footprints-on-the-sands-of-time-know-there-was/)

[Beyonce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce/)

> [If you would like to leave footprints in the sands of time, you had better wear work shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-v-prochnow/if-you-would-like-to-leave-footprints-in-the-sands-of-time-you-had/)

[Herbert V. Prochnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-v-prochnow/)

> [“The most important task for a MAN is to leave his footprints in the sands of time and for his name to be written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-kendo/the-most-important-task-for-a-man-is-to-leave-his-footprints-in-the/)

Kenny Kendo

> [Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/lives-of-great-men-all-remind-us-we-can-make-our-lives-sublime-and-3/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time Know there was something that, meant something that I left behind When I leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-wanna-leave-my-footprints-on-the-sands-of-time-know-there-was-2/)

[Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/)

> [You can't leave footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-ryan/you-can-t-leave-footprints-in-the-sands-of-time-if-you-re-sitting-on/)

Jo Ryan

> [“You can't make footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to make buttprints in the sands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-moawad/you-can-t-make-footprints-in-the-sands-of-time-if-you-re-sitting-on/)

[Bob Moawad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-moawad/)

> [“You can't make footprints in the sands of time by sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-moawad/you-can-t-make-footprints-in-the-sands-of-time-by-sitting-on-your/)

[Bob Moawad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-moawad/)

> [The people who have sacrificed their view in order to get to the top have very often left no footprints in the sands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/the-people-who-have-sacrificed-their-view-in-order-to-get-to-the-top/)

[Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/)

> [“Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/lives-of-great-men-all-remind-us-we-can-make-our-lives-sublime-and/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Some people walk into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts. Others walk into our lives and we want to leave footprints on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-walk-into-our-lives-and-leave-footprints-on-our-hearts/)

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

> [Everyone leaves footprints in your memory... But the ones that leave footprints in your heart are the ones you will truly remember...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/everyone-leaves-footprints-in-your-memory-but-the-ones-that-leave/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

## More by James Branch Cabell

> [American literature was enriched with Men Who Loved Allison … Of the actual and eventual worth of this romance I cannot pretend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/american-literature-was-enriched-with-men-who-loved-allison-of-the/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [Thou shalt not offend against the notions of thy neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/thou-shalt-not-offend-against-the-notions-of-thy-neighbor/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [Oh, do the Overlords of Life and Death always provide some obstacle to prevent what all of us have known in youth was possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/oh-do-the-overlords-of-life-and-death-always-provide-some-obstacle-to/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [Creeds matter very little... The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/creeds-matter-very-little-the-optimist-proclaims-that-we-live-in-the/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [I am Manuel. I have lived in the loneliness which is common to all men, but the difference is that I have known it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/i-am-manuel-i-have-lived-in-the-loneliness-which-is-common-to-all-men/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [Whatever pretended pessimists in search of notoriety may say, most people are naturally kind, at heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/whatever-pretended-pessimists-in-search-of-notoriety-may-say-most/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [“That moving carcass does but very inadequately symbolizes you…a subtle and immortal spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/that-moving-carcass-does-but-very-inadequately-symbolizes-you-a/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [People never want to be told anything they do not believe already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/people-never-want-to-be-told-anything-they-do-not-believe-already/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [Man alone of animals plays the ape to his dreams .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/man-alone-of-animals-plays-the-ape-to-his-dreams/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [I was born, I think, with the desire to make beautiful books — brave books that would preserve the glories of the Dream untarnished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/i-was-born-i-think-with-the-desire-to-make-beautiful-books-brave/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [There are many of our so-called captains on industry who, if the truth were told, and a shorter and uglier word were not unpermissible,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/there-are-many-of-our-so-called-captains-on-industry-who-if-the-truth/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [And one would worship a woman whom all perfections dower, But the other smiles at transparent wiles; and he quotes from Schopenhauer . Thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/and-one-would-worship-a-woman-whom-all-perfections-dower-but-the/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [ “...\[we\] has left nothing durable to signalize his stay upon this planet. \[we\]eventually dies to the honest regret of \[our\] associates.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/we-has-left-nothing-durable-to-signalize-his-stay-upon-this-planet-we/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [Poetry is man's rebellion against being what he is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/poetry-is-man-s-rebellion-against-being-what-he-is/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

> [Here was the astounding fact: the race did go forward; the race did achieve; and in every way the race grew better. Progress through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/here-was-the-astounding-fact-the-race-did-go-forward-the-race-did/)

[James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

[Explore all 78 James Branch Cabell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/)

## More Enough quotes

> [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/)

[Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/)

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/)

Adam Ant

> [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/)

[Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/)

> [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/)

Rena Kornreich Gelissen

> [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/)

[Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/)

> [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/)

[Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/)

> [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/)

[James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/)

[Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/)

Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Branch Cabell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footprints-on-the-sands-of-time-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Enough"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footprints-on-the-sands-of-time-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/james-branch-cabell-8751_enough_while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footpri_731699.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/james-branch-cabell-8751_enough_while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footpri_731699.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/james-branch-cabell-8751_enough_while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footpri_731699.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure…” — James Branch Cabell",
                "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": "James Branch Cabell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "While it is well enough to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footprints-on-the-sands-of-time-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/while-it-is-well-enough-to-leave-footprints-on-the-sands-of-time-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
