--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Somehow it helps just to take something…" description: "\"Somehow it helps just to take something that's internal and externalize it, to see it in front of you.\" — James Taylor" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-taylor-2045_quote_somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something_1257181.jpg" --- # Somehow it helps just to take something that's internal… ![“Somehow it helps just to take something that's internal and externalize it, to see it in front of you.” quote by James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-taylor-2045_quote_somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something_1257181.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-taylor-2045_quote_somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something_1257181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-taylor-2045_quote_somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something_1257181.jpg) > “Somehow it helps just to take something that's internal and externalize it, to see it in front of you.” [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Externalizing thoughts helps clarify them and makes problems tangible. **In simple terms:** Seeing ideas outside yourself clarifies them. Key Takeaway Write down or speak your thoughts. Themes creativity self‑awareness communication Mood introspective encouraging Type motivational practical When to use this quote - journaling - team brainstorming - therapy sessions Key Concepts externalization mind mapping reflection Questions to Reflect On - What internal thought needs to be voiced? - How does sharing change your view? A Different Perspective Not all internal ideas are useful when externalized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [It's just something internal that says, 'I've got to do this now. This is what I'm doing now.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/it-s-just-something-internal-that-says-i-ve-got-to-do-this-now-this/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [In a film, you have to externalize things that are internal and of course it becomes a debate about to what extent you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-terrio/in-a-film-you-have-to-externalize-things-that-are-internal-and-of/) [Chris Terrio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-terrio/) > [If whatever you do helps just one person, you've done something wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-mycoskie/if-whatever-you-do-helps-just-one-person-you-ve-done-something/) [Blake Mycoskie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-mycoskie/) > [They say breast milk helps just about everything - I'm surprised you can't run a car on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-garraway/they-say-breast-milk-helps-just-about-everything-i-m-surprised-you/) [Kate Garraway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-garraway/) > [When you're coming into training camp, there's not a whole lot that is familiar. When you can grab something from it, it keeps you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-thielen/when-you-re-coming-into-training-camp-there-s-not-a-whole-lot-that-is/) [Adam Thielen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-thielen/) > [As soon as you externalize an idea you see facets of it that weren't clear when it was just floating around in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/as-soon-as-you-externalize-an-idea-you-see-facets-of-it-that-weren-t/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Desire will in due time externalize itself as concrete fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-troward/desire-will-in-due-time-externalize-itself-as-concrete-fact/) [Thomas Troward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-troward/) > [“And the victim must have been broken and must remain so, so that the externalization of evil is possible. The victim who refuses to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natascha-kampusch/and-the-victim-must-have-been-broken-and-must-remain-so-so-that-the/) [Natascha Kampusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natascha-kampusch/) > [“Over the last few millennial, we've invented a series of technologies … that have made it progressively easier and easier for us to externalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/over-the-last-few-millennial-we-ve-invented-a-series-of-technologies/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [“If we want to decode our community's deep-seated fibers, we must go and see the world and explore the significant distinctions and resemblances. 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You can make an extension of your art as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/something-i-do-love-about-social-media-is-how-you-can-expand-your/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [I don't build no heathen temples, where the Lord has done laid a hand. There's a well on the hill, let it be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/i-don-t-build-no-heathen-temples-where-the-lord-has-done-laid-a-hand/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [O, it's enough to be on your way. It's enough just to cover ground. It's enough to be moving on. Home: better build it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/o-it-s-enough-to-be-on-your-way-it-s-enough-just-to-cover-ground-it-s/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [Shower the people you love with love Show them the way that you feel Things are gonna work out fine if you only will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/shower-the-people-you-love-with-love-show-them-the-way-that-you-feel/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [Songs are like myths. Myths are useful because they allow you to cast yourself and your life and your own experience. And for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/songs-are-like-myths-myths-are-useful-because-they-allow-you-to-cast/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [Won't you look down upon me, Jesus, You've got to help me make a stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/won-t-you-look-down-upon-me-jesus-you-ve-got-to-help-me-make-a-stand/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [I don't play the kind of music that works in a football stadium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/i-don-t-play-the-kind-of-music-that-works-in-a-football-stadium/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [Being on a boat that's moving through the water, it's so clear. Everything falls into place in terms of what's important and what's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/being-on-a-boat-that-s-moving-through-the-water-it-s-so-clear/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [Songwriting is too mysterious and uncontrolled a process for me to direct it towards any one thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/songwriting-is-too-mysterious-and-uncontrolled-a-process-for-me-to/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [I had a very moral upbringing, and spiritual in a sort of not very specific way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/i-had-a-very-moral-upbringing-and-spiritual-in-a-sort-of-not-very/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [I believe musicians have a duty, a responsibility to reach out, to share your love or pain with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/i-believe-musicians-have-a-duty-a-responsibility-to-reach-out-to/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [It is the most delightful thing that ever happens to me, when I hear something coming out of my guitar and out of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/it-is-the-most-delightful-thing-that-ever-happens-to-me-when-i-hear/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [If you're an addict, it controls your life and your life becomes uncontrollable. It's boring and painful, filling your system with something that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/if-you-re-an-addict-it-controls-your-life-and-your-life-becomes/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [I'm often surprised by classical music and musicians. I've met a large number of them because my wife works for the Boston Symphony, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/i-m-often-surprised-by-classical-music-and-musicians-i-ve-met-a-large/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [That's the motivation of an artist - to seek attention of some kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/that-s-the-motivation-of-an-artist-to-seek-attention-of-some-kind/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) [Explore all 190 James Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) ## More Externalize quotes > [In a film, you have to externalize things that are internal and of course it becomes a debate about to what extent you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-terrio/in-a-film-you-have-to-externalize-things-that-are-internal-and-of/) [Chris Terrio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-terrio/) > [“And the victim must have been broken and must remain so, so that the externalization of evil is possible. The victim who refuses to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natascha-kampusch/and-the-victim-must-have-been-broken-and-must-remain-so-so-that-the/) [Natascha Kampusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natascha-kampusch/) > [Desire will in due time externalize itself as concrete fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-troward/desire-will-in-due-time-externalize-itself-as-concrete-fact/) [Thomas Troward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-troward/) > [As soon as you externalize an idea you see facets of it that weren't clear when it was just floating around in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/as-soon-as-you-externalize-an-idea-you-see-facets-of-it-that-weren-t/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [“Over the last few millennial, we've invented a series of technologies … that have made it progressively easier and easier for us to externalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/over-the-last-few-millennial-we-ve-invented-a-series-of-technologies/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) Browse all 6 Externalize quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Somehow it helps just to take something that's internal and externalize it, to see it in front of you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Taylor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something-that-s-internal-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Externalize" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something-that-s-internal-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-taylor-2045_quote_somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something_1257181.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-taylor-2045_quote_somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something_1257181.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-taylor-2045_quote_somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something_1257181.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Somehow it helps just to take something that's internal and externalize it, to see it in front of you.” — James Taylor", "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 Taylor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Somehow it helps just to take...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something-that-s-internal-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/somehow-it-helps-just-to-take-something-that-s-internal-and/#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 } } ] } ```