--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Will you ever bring a better gift for the…" description: "\"Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now?\" — William Stafford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/william-stafford-8165_breathing_will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-th_3181015.png" --- # Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the… ![“Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now?” quote by William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/william-stafford-8165_breathing_will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-th_3181015.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/william-stafford-8165_breathing_will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-th_3181015.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/william-stafford-8165_breathing_will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-th_3181015.png) > “Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now?” [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. True respect is the most valuable offering we can give, present in every interaction. **In simple terms:** Respect is the greatest gift you can give. Key Takeaway Practice genuine respect daily. Themes ethics humanity relationships spirituality Mood thoughtful encouraging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily interactions - leadership - conflict resolution - community building Key Concepts mindfulness interpersonal dynamics moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can you show respect without compromising self? - What barriers prevent respectful behavior? A Different Perspective Respect can be misunderstood as subservience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) [Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“The more people that meet each other, the better it is for all of them. ("The Gift Of God").”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fletcher-pratt/the-more-people-that-meet-each-other-the-better-it-is-for-all-of-them/) [Fletcher Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fletcher-pratt/) > [What greater or better gift can we offer the republic than to teach and instruct our youth? \[Lat., Quod enim munus reiplicae afferre majus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/what-greater-or-better-gift-can-we-offer-the-republic-than-to-teach/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [You have a gift that only you can give the world - that's the whole reason you're on the planet. Use your precious energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/you-have-a-gift-that-only-you-can-give-the-world-that-s-the-whole/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Isn't that the greatest gift in the world-just not to care?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nic-sheff/isn-t-that-the-greatest-gift-in-the-world-just-not-to-care/) [Nic Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nic-sheff/) > [If you want more love in your life, you could not find a better gift to give yourself, a friend, or a lover...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/if-you-want-more-love-in-your-life-you-could-not-find-a-better-gift/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [“What better gift for a manipulator that indifference?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ngel-s-ez-guti-rrez/what-better-gift-for-a-manipulator-that-indifference/) [Miguel Ángel Sáez Gutiérrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ngel-s-ez-guti-rrez/) > [If your trusted and people will allow you to share their inner gardern...what better gift?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/if-your-trusted-and-people-will-allow-you-to-share-their-inner/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [Other than my very own life, there is no better gift one can give me for you is the only gift I want, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cutelovequotes/other-than-my-very-own-life-there-is-no-better-gift-one-can-give-me/) Cutelovequotes > [Surely there must be a better gift God could have given us than life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-donoghue/surely-there-must-be-a-better-gift-god-could-have-given-us-than-life/) [Michael O'Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-donoghue/) > [Seeing gratitude in the hopeful eyes of someone who needed help or assistance, is way better of a gift than an item or money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-young/seeing-gratitude-in-the-hopeful-eyes-of-someone-who-needed-help-or/) [Brian Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-young/) > [May this be the year your significant other gives you a better gift than your Secret Santa does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-this-be-the-year-your-significant-other-gives-you-a-better-gift/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We have the means to change lives for the better, and that's a gift I don't take for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-scott/we-have-the-means-to-change-lives-for-the-better-and-that-s-a-gift-i/) [Kendra Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-scott/) > [Give someone the gift of YOU your time, undivided attention and kindness. Thats better than any other gift, it wont break or get lost,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/give-someone-the-gift-of-you-your-time-undivided-attention-and/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Moments are the Greatest Gift In the World.. Bcoz you Can't Give Same Moments Again to Anyone. But Once you Give It. That Person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/moments-are-the-greatest-gift-in-the-world-bcoz-you-can-t-give-same/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [This, I believe, is the great Western truth: that each of us is a completely unique creature and that, if we are ever to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/this-i-believe-is-the-great-western-truth-that-each-of-us-is-a/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) ## 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 Breathing quotes > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [“As long as we’re breathing, we have a chance to start over and build a stable future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ha-campbell/as-long-as-we-re-breathing-we-have-a-chance-to-start-over-and-build-a/) [Kim Ha Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ha-campbell/) > [People don't think much about breathing. Of all the things we take for granted, breathing has to be number one - even though it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/people-don-t-think-much-about-breathing-of-all-the-things-we-take-for/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [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/) > [I wish," Jared began, and stopped, breathing in. "Do you remember how you used to believe I wasn't real? Sometimes I wish that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/i-wish-jared-began-and-stopped-breathing-in-do-you-remember-how-you/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [The still affection of the heart Became an outward breathing type, That into stillness past again, And left a want unknown before; Although the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-still-affection-of-the-heart-became-an-outward-breathing-type/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [Breathing is give(carbon dioxide) and take(oxygen), such is life, find balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-williams/breathing-is-give-carbon-dioxide-and-take-oxygen-such-is-life-find/) Marcel Williams > [I'll probably be writing as long as I'm breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/i-ll-probably-be-writing-as-long-as-i-m-breathing/) [Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/) > [For me writing is like breathing. I could not live without breathing and I could not live without writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/for-me-writing-is-like-breathing-i-could-not-live-without-breathing/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [I’m in, Cat. I’d never leave you. Especially when you’ve got death breathing down your neck.” “Very funny,” I retorted, since Bones was inches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-in-cat-i-d-never-leave-you-especially-when-you-ve-got-death/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [He’d moved toward me again. His hands released mine and moved to my waist, and I noticed I wasn’t the only one breathing heavily.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/he-d-moved-toward-me-again-his-hands-released-mine-and-moved-to-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [My worry is that opera will become an historic art form as opposed to a living, breathing thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/my-worry-is-that-opera-will-become-an-historic-art-form-as-opposed-to/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [I'm really fascinated and you know I've been wondering about that usage of language, various breathing techniques and why in these practices language is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/i-m-really-fascinated-and-you-know-i-ve-been-wondering-about-that/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [I’m exactly right for you, Bella. It would have been effortless for us — comfortable, easy as breathing. I was the natural path your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-m-exactly-right-for-you-bella-it-would-have-been-effortless-for-us/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) [Browse all 1,666 Breathing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Stafford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-the-world-than-the-breathing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breathing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-the-world-than-the-breathing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/william-stafford-8165_breathing_will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-th_3181015.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/william-stafford-8165_breathing_will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-th_3181015.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/william-stafford-8165_breathing_will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-th_3181015.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go…” — William Stafford", "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": "William Stafford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Will you ever bring a better...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-the-world-than-the-breathing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/will-you-ever-bring-a-better-gift-for-the-world-than-the-breathing/#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 } } ] } ```