--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before anything else, you have received…" description: "\"Before anything else, you have received breath - the gift of life itself. The first word about you is GIFT.\" — Rob Bell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/rob-bell-1025_breath_before-anything-else-you-have-received-b_1995847.png" --- # Before anything else, you have received breath - the gift… ![“Before anything else, you have received breath - the gift of life itself. The first word about you is GIFT.” quote by Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/rob-bell-1025_breath_before-anything-else-you-have-received-b_1995847.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/rob-bell-1025_breath_before-anything-else-you-have-received-b_1995847.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/rob-bell-1025_breath_before-anything-else-you-have-received-b_1995847.png) > “Before anything else, you have received breath - the gift of life itself. The first word about you is GIFT.” [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Breath is presented as the fundamental gift of life, emphasizing gratitude for existence **In simple terms:** Breath is a life‑giving gift Key Takeaway Appreciate the gift of breath Themes gratitude life mindfulness Mood reflective inspirational Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - meditation - health awareness - daily gratitude practice Key Concepts existential philosophy spiritual awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can recognizing breath improve daily mindfulness? - What practices deepen appreciation of life’s basic gifts? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on breath may overlook other vital needs ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath/) [Breaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaths/) [Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift/) [Gift Of Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift-of-life/) [Gifts of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gifts-of-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) ## Related quotes > [I always think about which blood drive was going on in Georgia that day when that husband or mom or school teacher rolled up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-taylor/i-always-think-about-which-blood-drive-was-going-on-in-georgia-that/) [Niki Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-taylor/) > [We have a gift of life. What we do with that gift is dependent on the choices we make. The people who we spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/we-have-a-gift-of-life-what-we-do-with-that-gift-is-dependent-on-the/) [Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/) > [The greatest gift we have is the gift of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/the-greatest-gift-we-have-is-the-gift-of-life/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [Our mothers give us so many gifts. They give us the precious gift of life, of course, but they also leave treasured lessons that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/our-mothers-give-us-so-many-gifts-they-give-us-the-precious-gift-of/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The highest compliment we can give to God, our Creator, is to thoroughly enjoy the gift of life. One should never look a gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-rolheiser/the-highest-compliment-we-can-give-to-god-our-creator-is-to/) [Ronald Rolheiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-rolheiser/) > [No one should be allowed to give back the gift of life, unless they are very old and full of tears, when the body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/no-one-should-be-allowed-to-give-back-the-gift-of-life-unless-they/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Our mother's first gift to us comes at the moment we are born, because Mom, as she will subsequently remind us over and over,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sunshine/our-mother-s-first-gift-to-us-comes-at-the-moment-we-are-born-because/) [Linda Sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sunshine/) > [The gift of life is so precious that we should feel an obligation to pay back the universe for the gift of being alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-gift-of-life-is-so-precious-that-we-should-feel-an-obligation-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [...we got this gift of life and we got it one time and we gonna get hurt in it and be hurt going through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/we-got-this-gift-of-life-and-we-got-it-one-time-and-we-gonna-get-hurt/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [When you look back on a lifetime and think of what has been given to the world by your presence, your fugitive presence, inevitably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kunitz/when-you-look-back-on-a-lifetime-and-think-of-what-has-been-given-to/) [Stanley Kunitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kunitz/) > [The gift of life is the gift to suffer sometimes and to embrace it, heartbreak and all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/the-gift-of-life-is-the-gift-to-suffer-sometimes-and-to-embrace-it/) [David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/) > [A wise man once said, 'Every one of us is given the gift of life, and what a strange gift it is. If it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/a-wise-man-once-said-every-one-of-us-is-given-the-gift-of-life-and/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [Life's a test, mistakes are lessons, but the gift of life is knowing that you have made a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/life-s-a-test-mistakes-are-lessons-but-the-gift-of-life-is-knowing/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [In gratitude for God's gift of life to us we should share that gift with others. The art of giving encompasses many areas. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/in-gratitude-for-god-s-gift-of-life-to-us-we-should-share-that-gift/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [But most importantly, we can all be donors. It does not matter how old you are, your race, where you live; all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/but-most-importantly-we-can-all-be-donors-it-does-not-matter-how-old/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) ## More by Rob Bell > [If the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/if-the-gospel-isn-t-good-news-for-everybody-then-it-isn-t-good-news/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn’t as bright as it could be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/why-blame-the-dark-for-being-dark-it-is-far-more-helpful-to-ask-why/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“This story... blasts to pieces our biases and labels with a declaration that God is on everyone's side, extending grace and compassion to everyone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/this-story-blasts-to-pieces-our-biases-and-labels-with-a-declaration/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [One truth is that suffering raises profound questions with the universe. The other truth is that grace, gift and generosity also raise profound questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/one-truth-is-that-suffering-raises-profound-questions-with-the/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [For Jesus, heaven and hell were present realities. Ways of living we can enter into here and now. He talked very little of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/for-jesus-heaven-and-hell-were-present-realities-ways-of-living-we/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [Love is what God is, love is why Jesus came, and love is why he continues to come, year after year to person after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/love-is-what-god-is-love-is-why-jesus-came-and-love-is-why-he/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [I believe that God is love. I believe that Jesus came to show us this love, to give us this love, to teach us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/i-believe-that-god-is-love-i-believe-that-jesus-came-to-show-us-this/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [If the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody. And this is because the most powerful things happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/if-the-gospel-isn-t-good-news-for-everybody-then-it-isn-t-good-news-2/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“I don’t read the Bible like a flat line. I don’t see all of the passages in the Bible sitting equally side by side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/i-don-t-read-the-bible-like-a-flat-line-i-don-t-see-all-of-the/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [To elevate abstract doctrines and dogmas over living, breathing, embodied experiences of God's love and grace, then, is going the wrong direction. It's taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/to-elevate-abstract-doctrines-and-dogmas-over-living-breathing/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [The modern world has created airports and hospitals and put 10,000 songs in our pocket. It has built gleaming buildings and computers and advances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/the-modern-world-has-created-airports-and-hospitals-and-put-10-000/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [God is bigger than the Christian faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/god-is-bigger-than-the-christian-faith/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [What you believe about the future shapes, informs, and determines how you live now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/what-you-believe-about-the-future-shapes-informs-and-determines-how/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [The life you want begins by embracing the life you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/the-life-you-want-begins-by-embracing-the-life-you-have/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [It takes quite a spine to turn the other cheek. It takes phenomenal fortitude to love your enemy. It takes firm resolve to pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/it-takes-quite-a-spine-to-turn-the-other-cheek-it-takes-phenomenal/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) [Explore all 305 Rob Bell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) ## 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 [Browse all 1,839 Breath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before anything else, you have received breath - the gift of life itself. The first word about you is GIFT.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rob Bell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/before-anything-else-you-have-received-breath-the-gift-of-life-itself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breath" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/before-anything-else-you-have-received-breath-the-gift-of-life-itself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/rob-bell-1025_breath_before-anything-else-you-have-received-b_1995847.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/rob-bell-1025_breath_before-anything-else-you-have-received-b_1995847.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/181/rob-bell-1025_breath_before-anything-else-you-have-received-b_1995847.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before anything else, you have received breath - the gift of life itself. The first word about you is GIFT.” — Rob Bell", "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": "Rob Bell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before anything else, you have received...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/before-anything-else-you-have-received-breath-the-gift-of-life-itself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/before-anything-else-you-have-received-breath-the-gift-of-life-itself/#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 } } ] } ```