--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was holding her breath, waiting to…" description: "\"“She was holding her breath, waiting to start living.”\" — Linda Howard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/linda-howard-3072_breath_she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-st_1386751.png" --- # She was holding her breath, waiting to start living. ![“She was holding her breath, waiting to start living.” quote by Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/linda-howard-3072_breath_she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-st_1386751.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/linda-howard-3072_breath_she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-st_1386751.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/linda-howard-3072_breath_she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-st_1386751.png) > ““She was holding her breath, waiting to start living.”” [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She is on the brink of truly living, but is paused by anticipation or fear. **In simple terms:** Waiting to truly live. Key Takeaway Take the first step toward life. Themes anticipation life courage Mood anxious hopeful Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - personal growth - career change - relationships - health decisions Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What is holding you back from starting? - How can you turn breath-holding into action? A Different Perspective Fear can paralyze progress despite desire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath/) [Breath Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath-waiting-852512/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Holding Breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding-breath/) [Start Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-living/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Waiting Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-start-4819764/) ## Related quotes > [What if the world is holding its breath - waiting for you to take the place that only you can fill?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/what-if-the-world-is-holding-its-breath-waiting-for-you-to-take-the/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) > [“With Dante gone, time seemed to stand still around me; the mornings just as cloudy and dark as the evenings, as if the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-woon/with-dante-gone-time-seemed-to-stand-still-around-me-the-mornings/) [Yvonne Woon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-woon/) > [“Waiting until everything is perfect before making a move is like waiting to start a trip until all the traffic lights are green.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-ireland/waiting-until-everything-is-perfect-before-making-a-move-is-like/) [Karen Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-ireland/) > [Hold your breath. Try holding your breath for just thirty seconds. That’s all it takes. Try it right now while you are looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/hold-your-breath-try-holding-your-breath-for-just-thirty-seconds-that/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [Think of the sound you make when you let go after holding your breath for a very, very long time. Think of the gladdest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-d-schmidt/think-of-the-sound-you-make-when-you-let-go-after-holding-your-breath/) [Gary D. Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-d-schmidt/) > [“Being able to be myself was like being able to exhale for the first time after holding my breath for years. It’s only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/404-ink/being-able-to-be-myself-was-like-being-able-to-exhale-for-the-first/) [404 Ink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/404-ink/) > [Nothing can be delicious when you are holding your breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/nothing-can-be-delicious-when-you-are-holding-your-breath/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Our marriage lasted a few months. Once you left, what remained faded faster than the ink on the license. And what's left..well, it could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-milan/our-marriage-lasted-a-few-months-once-you-left-what-remained-faded/) [Courtney Milan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-milan/) > [If you're throwing punches or exerting energy but you're not breathing, you're holding your breath. That actually saps your strength, it saps your stamina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-jr/if-you-re-throwing-punches-or-exerting-energy-but-you-re-not/) [Chris Eubank Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-jr/) > [“What are you?" I hold my breath, waiting. "Broken," she murmurs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-mcintyre/what-are-you-i-hold-my-breath-waiting-broken-she-murmurs/) [Cheryl McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-mcintyre/) > [“Yet no matter what they were doing, everyone in the forest waited with an indrawn breath, waiting for the taste of autumn, the smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-rogerson/yet-no-matter-what-they-were-doing-everyone-in-the-forest-waited-with/) [Margaret Rogerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-rogerson/) > [“I hold my breath, waiting for her touch to bring me comfort. And then I realize that that's been my problem all along. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-ryan/i-hold-my-breath-waiting-for-her-touch-to-bring-me-comfort-and-then-i/) [Carrie Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-ryan/) > [“He didn’t pay attention to her. I held my breath waiting for him to tell me what he saw. Valerie”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-jefford/he-didn-t-pay-attention-to-her-i-held-my-breath-waiting-for-him-to/) [Nikki Jefford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-jefford/) > [“Now as she sat in the candlelight waiting for his reaction, her chest hurt from holding her breath, expecting the worst, hoping for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynette-chambers/now-as-she-sat-in-the-candlelight-waiting-for-his-reaction-her-chest/) [Lynette Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynette-chambers/) > [“The small Japanese immortal sat cross-legged, his two swords resting flat on the ground before him. He folded his hands in his lap, closed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/the-small-japanese-immortal-sat-cross-legged-his-two-swords-resting/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) ## More by Linda Howard > [I have a real low tolerance for parasites, and you're so close to the limit that I'm already reaching for the flea powder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/i-have-a-real-low-tolerance-for-parasites-and-you-re-so-close-to-the/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“amusement in her eyes and had to grin. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice dropping to a low, intimate tone that excluded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/amusement-in-her-eyes-and-had-to-grin-how-are-you-feeling-he-asked/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“You remember the 'be quiet' part of the rules? Embrace it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/you-remember-the-be-quiet-part-of-the-rules-embrace-it/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“It's daylight. Shouldn't you have burned to a crisp, or something? Don't you have to crawl into a coffin? Where do you keep it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/it-s-daylight-shouldn-t-you-have-burned-to-a-crisp-or-something-don-t/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“Everything feels like the end of the world, and you can't reason with someone who can't see tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/everything-feels-like-the-end-of-the-world-and-you-can-t-reason-with/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“Pure hell was living in her eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/pure-hell-was-living-in-her-eyes/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“The lessons learned hardest were the lessons learned best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/the-lessons-learned-hardest-were-the-lessons-learned-best/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [Cows are the Devil's handmaidens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/cows-are-the-devil-s-handmaidens/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“What?” he demanded testily. Trammell raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t say anything.” “You’re thinking something, though. You’ve got that shit-eating smirk on your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/what-he-demanded-testily-trammell-raised-his-eyebrows-i-didn-t-say/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [He needed a woman. Bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/he-needed-a-woman-bad/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [God, I love you," he said, and laid his head on her belly, his arms locked around her hips. Madelyn slid her fingers into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/god-i-love-you-he-said-and-laid-his-head-on-her-belly-his-arms-locked/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“She felt oddly safe with him, though not safe from him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/she-felt-oddly-safe-with-him-though-not-safe-from-him/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“Oh, Jesus,” he said, wheezing with the effort it took to control himself. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/oh-jesus-he-said-wheezing-with-the-effort-it-took-to-control-himself/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“Don’t you want it?” “Want what?” “The engagement ring.” “Oh, is that what’s in the box? You threw my engagement ring at me?” Boy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/don-t-you-want-it-want-what-the-engagement-ring-oh-is-that-what-s-in/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“She had no sense of time, of what day it was, or anything beyond the bed she was on and the unceasing battle she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/she-had-no-sense-of-time-of-what-day-it-was-or-anything-beyond-the/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) [Explore all 137 Linda Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) ## More Breath quotes > [“The days may last forever, but the years pass by in a blink; the secret to survival is actually remembering to take a deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-smokler/the-days-may-last-forever-but-the-years-pass-by-in-a-blink-the-secret/) [Jill Smokler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-smokler/) > [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [Take a deep breath. It,s just a bad day not a bad life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-a-deep-breath-it-s-just-a-bad-day-not-a-bad-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I stopped loving you today, But OMG..., Seeing your Body takes my breath away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becka-miller/i-stopped-loving-you-today-but-omg-seeing-your-body-takes-my-breath/) [Becka Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becka-miller/) > [So we must do our very best Whatever life may bring And look beyond the winter chill To smell the breath of spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-we-must-do-our-very-best-whatever-life-may-bring-and-look-beyond/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Poetry should be vital--either stirring our blood by its divine movements or snatching our breath by its divine perfection. To do both is supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/poetry-should-be-vital-either-stirring-our-blood-by-its-divine/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [“The first step in awareness is to be watchful of your body. Slowly,slowly one becomes alert about each gesture,each movement. And as you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-first-step-in-awareness-is-to-be-watchful-of-your-body-slowly/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [Tic Tacs are the maracas of breath mints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/tic-tacs-are-the-maracas-of-breath-mints/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [“To control your life, control your mind. To control your mind, control your breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/to-control-your-life-control-your-mind-to-control-your-mind-control/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“He’s sitting so close, I can feel his breath on my cheek. My stomach flip-flops again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-s-sitting-so-close-i-can-feel-his-breath-on-my-cheek-my-stomach/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My heart is your heart," she whispers, and wow that takes my breath away, this line from my childhood that she always used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annabel-pitcher/my-heart-is-your-heart-she-whispers-and-wow-that-takes-my-breath-away/) [Annabel Pitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annabel-pitcher/) > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“Being able to be myself was like being able to exhale for the first time after holding my breath for years. It’s only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/404-ink/being-able-to-be-myself-was-like-being-able-to-exhale-for-the-first/) [404 Ink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/404-ink/) [Browse all 1,839 Breath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She was holding her breath, waiting to start living.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Linda Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-start-living/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breath" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-start-living/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/linda-howard-3072_breath_she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-st_1386751.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/linda-howard-3072_breath_she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-st_1386751.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/linda-howard-3072_breath_she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-st_1386751.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She was holding her breath, waiting to start living.” — Linda Howard", "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": "Linda Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She was holding her breath, waiting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-start-living/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/she-was-holding-her-breath-waiting-to-start-living/#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 } } ] } ```