--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The more you let yourself be distracted…" description: "\"The more you let yourself be distracted from where you are going, the more you are the person that you are. It's not so much like getting lost as it is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/william-stafford-8165_distracted_the-more-you-let-yourself-be-distracted_1261970.png" --- # The more you let yourself be distracted from where you are… ![“The more you let yourself be distracted from where you are going, the more you are the person that you are. It's not so much like getting lost as it is like getting found.” quote by William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/william-stafford-8165_distracted_the-more-you-let-yourself-be-distracted_1261970.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/william-stafford-8165_distracted_the-more-you-let-yourself-be-distracted_1261970.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/william-stafford-8165_distracted_the-more-you-let-yourself-be-distracted_1261970.png) > “The more you let yourself be distracted from where you are going, the more you are the person that you are. It's not so much like getting lost as it is like getting found.” [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Distractions can reveal deeper aspects of self, turning wandering into self‑discovery rather than loss. **In simple terms:** Being distracted can help you find yourself. Key Takeaway Embrace moments of wandering as self‑exploration. Themes self‑discovery mindfulness identity distraction growth Mood thoughtful introspective calm Type poetic philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - walking - meditation - creative work - daily routines - travel Key Concepts psychology philosophy self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What distractions help you learn about yourself? - When does wandering become unproductive? A Different Perspective Too much distraction can lead to aimlessness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Getting lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-lost/) ## Related quotes > [I think there are times when you walk onto a set you can potentially be either intimidated or distracted by what's going on around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bana/i-think-there-are-times-when-you-walk-onto-a-set-you-can-potentially/) [Eric Bana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bana/) > [If we continue to let ourselves be distracted by the Republicans' antics, we can look forward to unaffordable health care, further cuts in government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/if-we-continue-to-let-ourselves-be-distracted-by-the-republicans/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [“He wasn’t about to let himself be distracted by irrelevant mental trickery. He needed to focus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/he-wasn-t-about-to-let-himself-be-distracted-by-irrelevant-mental/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [I focus on my work. If I let myself get distracted by the insults and slanders I wouldn't get anything substantive done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/i-focus-on-my-work-if-i-let-myself-get-distracted-by-the-insults-and/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) > [I know not to let myself get distracted and to concentrate on what happens on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-martial/i-know-not-to-let-myself-get-distracted-and-to-concentrate-on-what/) [Anthony Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-martial/) > [“You don't necessarily meet a lot of people in this world. Not when you let yourself get distracted by music and the passing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/you-don-t-necessarily-meet-a-lot-of-people-in-this-world-not-when-you/) [Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/) > [If you know you're going to be outside, you have to be a little bit more in tune, so that you don't get distracted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dzundza/if-you-know-you-re-going-to-be-outside-you-have-to-be-a-little-bit/) [George Dzundza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dzundza/) > [Stay focused when you're playing alive, so you're not distracted by something going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/stay-focused-when-you-re-playing-alive-so-you-re-not-distracted-by/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [When you see Paul Wall, I'm always going to be the same person. I might have on a new grill, I might have on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wall/when-you-see-paul-wall-i-m-always-going-to-be-the-same-person-i-might/) [Paul Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wall/) > [There's Always Going To Be That One Person You Will Love With All YOur Heart But You Got To Move On And Learn From…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-rivera/there-s-always-going-to-be-that-one-person-you-will-love-with-all/) Alicia Rivera > [You're never going to see me in person and be like, 'Woah! She looks totally different than on her social media.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andi-dorfman/you-re-never-going-to-see-me-in-person-and-be-like-woah-she-looks/) [Andi Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andi-dorfman/) > [The person they're working with, is going to be the person they'll know more. So if that person leaves, they're going to go -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-person-they-re-working-with-is-going-to-be-the-person-they-ll/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Sometimes PEOPLE keep going back to the same PERSON who treats them bad, because they are not ready to give up hope that maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-paul-rose/sometimes-people-keep-going-back-to-the-same-person-who-treats-them/) [LEONARD PAUL ROSE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-paul-rose/) > [At the end of the day, not everyone's going to like what you do. There's always going to be that one person, or many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skai-jackson/at-the-end-of-the-day-not-everyone-s-going-to-like-what-you-do-there/) [Skai Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skai-jackson/) > [I'm going to be the first person to land on the sun! I know what your thinking and thats why I will be going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thegr81/i-m-going-to-be-the-first-person-to-land-on-the-sun-i-know-what-your/) Thegr81 ## More by William Stafford > [People wander about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/people-wander-about-what-you-are-pursuing-you-have-to-explain-about/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [Anyone who breathes is in the rhythm business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/anyone-who-breathes-is-in-the-rhythm-business/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [I don't see writing as a communication of something already discovered, as "truths" already known. Rather, I see writing as a job of experiment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-don-t-see-writing-as-a-communication-of-something-already/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [An owl sound wandered along the road with me. I didn't hear it--I breathed it into my ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/an-owl-sound-wandered-along-the-road-with-me-i-didn-t-hear-it-i/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The Way It Is There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-way-it-is-there-s-a-thread-you-follow-it-goes-among-things-that/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [It's love,' they say. You touch the right one and a whole half of the universe wakes up, a new half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/it-s-love-they-say-you-touch-the-right-one-and-a-whole-half-of-the/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“We think it is calm here, or that our storm is the right size.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/we-think-it-is-calm-here-or-that-our-storm-is-the-right-size/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“There may be losses too great to understand That rove after you and--faint and terrible-- rip unknown through your hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/there-may-be-losses-too-great-to-understand-that-rove-after-you-and/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [It is as if the ordinary language we use every day has a hidden set of signals, a kind of secret code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/it-is-as-if-the-ordinary-language-we-use-every-day-has-a-hidden-set/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [My question is "when did other people give up the idea of being a poet?" You know, when we are kids we make up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/my-question-is-when-did-other-people-give-up-the-idea-of-being-a-poet/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The things you do not have to say make you rich. Saying the things you do not have to say weakens your talk. Hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-things-you-do-not-have-to-say-make-you-rich-saying-the-things-you/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“I am your own way of looking at things," she said. "When you allow me to live with you, every glance at the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-am-your-own-way-of-looking-at-things-she-said-when-you-allow-me-to/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [I heard a bird congratulating itself all day for being a jay. Nobody cared. But it was glad all over again, and said so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-heard-a-bird-congratulating-itself-all-day-for-being-a-jay-nobody/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The earth says have a place, be what that place requires; hear the sound the birds imply and see as deep as ridges go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-earth-says-have-a-place-be-what-that-place-requires-hear-the/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [You can lie at a banquet but you have to be honest in the kitchen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/you-can-lie-at-a-banquet-but-you-have-to-be-honest-in-the-kitchen/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) [Explore all 83 William Stafford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) ## More Distracted quotes > [Life is Too Short to be Distracted by the Opinions of Others.. Live it the way you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/life-is-too-short-to-be-distracted-by-the-opinions-of-others-live-it/) Senoraroy > [One reason why my memory decays is that I have three cats, all so loving and insistent that they play cat's-cradle with every train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/one-reason-why-my-memory-decays-is-that-i-have-three-cats-all-so/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [“You’ve so distracted me, your absence fans my love. Don’t ask how. Then you come near. “Do not…” I say, and “Do not…,” you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/you-ve-so-distracted-me-your-absence-fans-my-love-don-t-ask-how-then/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [We are going to die, as is everyone we adore - I hate this! But the question is, how do we live as women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-are-going-to-die-as-is-everyone-we-adore-i-hate-this-but-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“A distracted mind cannot build a disciplined life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glody-kikonga/a-distracted-mind-cannot-build-a-disciplined-life/) [Glody Kikonga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glody-kikonga/) > [He was distracted by a giggle, and turned to see a rare sight: a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/he-was-distracted-by-a-giggle-and-turned-to-see-a-rare-sight-a-girl/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [One should not be too distracted by definitions. Ideas transcend definitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/one-should-not-be-too-distracted-by-definitions-ideas-transcend/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I would make a genuinely terrible guide. I can't remember things. I would get half way through telling a story or explaining something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-would-make-a-genuinely-terrible-guide-i-can-t-remember-things-i/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [We are distracted from our greatness because are greatness is what scares us. Right where you are…God is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/we-are-distracted-from-our-greatness-because-are-greatness-is-what/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-more-you-focus-on-yourself-the-more-distracted-you-will-be-from/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [One of the things we've seen here is how easy it is for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to get distracted from dealing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/one-of-the-things-we-ve-seen-here-is-how-easy-it-is-for-barack-obama/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [You cannot control your own population by force, but it can be distracted by consumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-cannot-control-your-own-population-by-force-but-it-can-be/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“She thinks I am easily distracted when I drive. There were a few fender benders, but she doesn’t actually realize I was playing bumper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-ann-lunsford/she-thinks-i-am-easily-distracted-when-i-drive-there-were-a-few/) [Leigh Ann Lunsford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-ann-lunsford/) > [I dipped into his brain. He wasn't happy that I wasn't wearing a bra, because my boobs distracted him. He was thinking I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-dipped-into-his-brain-he-wasn-t-happy-that-i-wasn-t-wearing-a-bra/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-crosby/it-seemed-intended-by-the-blessed-providence-of-god-that-i-should-be/) [Fanny Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-crosby/) Browse all 593 Distracted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The more you let yourself be distracted from where you are going, the more you are the person that you are. 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