--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask…" description: "\"Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask yourself \"Is the work vital, strengthening my own character, or inspiring others, or helping the world?\".\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_ask-yourself_value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask_2788683.jpg" --- # Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask yourself "Is the… ![“Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask yourself "Is the work vital, strengthening my own character, or inspiring others, or helping the world?".” quote by Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_ask-yourself_value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask_2788683.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_ask-yourself_value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask_2788683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_ask-yourself_value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask_2788683.jpg) > “Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask yourself "Is the work vital, strengthening my own character, or inspiring others, or helping the world?".” [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Not all work is equal; meaningful work should develop character, inspire others, or benefit society, rather than just occupy time. **In simple terms:** Choose work that builds character or helps others. Key Takeaway Prioritize vital, character‑building, or altruistic work. Themes purpose character altruism Mood thoughtful motivational Type ethical practical When to use this quote - career planning - volunteering - creative projects - skill building - entrepreneurship Key Concepts meaningful labor self‑development social impact Questions to Reflect On - What work in your life aligns with these criteria? - How can you transform routine tasks into character‑building opportunities? A Different Perspective Some essential jobs may be low‑skill but still vital; balance practicality with idealism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Inspiring others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiring-others/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Ask for work. If they don't give you work, ask for bread. If they do not give you work or bread, then take bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/ask-for-work-if-they-don-t-give-you-work-ask-for-bread-if-they-do-not/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [I love that the work that we do is so vital to science. We're in a lot of ways at the scientific front line.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/i-love-that-the-work-that-we-do-is-so-vital-to-science-we-re-in-a-lot/) [Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/) > [The desire of your vital being is towards work. And the vital being won't find any interest in yoga so long as you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/the-desire-of-your-vital-being-is-towards-work-and-the-vital-being/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Access To Work is a vital Government service that provides workplace support and access technology to disabled people. It is wonderful that it exists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mccausland/access-to-work-is-a-vital-government-service-that-provides-workplace/) [Chris McCausland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mccausland/) > [There are a lot of personal things that take place when becoming governor and I am happy to work with him should he ask.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mccallum/there-are-a-lot-of-personal-things-that-take-place-when-becoming/) [Scott McCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mccallum/) > [I prioritize the things that need to get done at work, and I ask myself where I'm spending the majority of my time. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-hasselbeck/i-prioritize-the-things-that-need-to-get-done-at-work-and-i-ask/) [Elisabeth Hasselbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-hasselbeck/) > [The way I work, I always ask myself, 'What did go well this year, and what do we need to work on?' I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-hegerberg/the-way-i-work-i-always-ask-myself-what-did-go-well-this-year-and/) [Ada Hegerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-hegerberg/) > [When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: 'Whose?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/when-a-man-tells-you-that-he-got-rich-through-hard-work-ask-him-whose/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) > [When you're doing a film, your agent and manager spend hours - days - talking about contractual obligations. If you turn up for work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-spall/when-you-re-doing-a-film-your-agent-and-manager-spend-hours-days/) [Timothy Spall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-spall/) > [Take your heart to work and ask the most and best of everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/take-your-heart-to-work-and-ask-the-most-and-best-of-everybody/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/before-you-start-some-work-always-ask-yourself-three-questions-why-am/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [I'm a very shy person and find it difficult to ask for work even if I know somebody for ages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neena-gupta/i-m-a-very-shy-person-and-find-it-difficult-to-ask-for-work-even-if-i/) [Neena Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neena-gupta/) > [People ask me over and over how is it that I work with stars. How do you work with Barbra Streisand, with Paul Newman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/people-ask-me-over-and-over-how-is-it-that-i-work-with-stars-how-do/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Don't ask what the work is. Rather, see what the work does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/don-t-ask-what-the-work-is-rather-see-what-the-work-does/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [People ask me why I work so hard and why I have this compassion to reach the top and be great. I respond by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/people-ask-me-why-i-work-so-hard-and-why-i-have-this-compassion-to/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) ## More by Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay > [Worry is spiritual nearsightedness, a fumbling way of looking at little things, and of magnifying their value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/worry-is-spiritual-nearsightedness-a-fumbling-way-of-looking-at/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [time spent in being interrupted is not time lost. ... How do we know but that the interruption we snarl at is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/time-spent-in-being-interrupted-is-not-time-lost-how-do-we-know-but/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [It is not our failures that distress us so much as our idiocies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us-so-much-as-our-idiocies/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Life is large. We cannot possibly grasp the whole of it in the few years that we have to live. What is vital? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/life-is-large-we-cannot-possibly-grasp-the-whole-of-it-in-the-few/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Every moment of worry weakens the soul for its daily combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/every-moment-of-worry-weakens-the-soul-for-its-daily-combat/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [It costs to be a friend or to have a friend. There is nothing else in life except motherhood that costs so much. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/it-costs-to-be-a-friend-or-to-have-a-friend-there-is-nothing-else-in/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Whatever we really are, that let us be, in all fearlessness. Whatever we are not, that let us cease striving to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/whatever-we-really-are-that-let-us-be-in-all-fearlessness-whatever-we/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Be wise in the use of time. The question in life is not "how much time do we have?" The question is "what shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/be-wise-in-the-use-of-time-the-question-in-life-is-not-how-much-time/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Let us assume nothing, and we shall not be moritifed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/let-us-assume-nothing-and-we-shall-not-be-moritifed/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) [Explore all 10 Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) ## More Ask yourself quotes > [“If you want to stop smoking, ask yourself, do you do it because you love nicotine, or because it provides a burst of stimulation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/if-you-want-to-stop-smoking-ask-yourself-do-you-do-it-because-you/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Cultivate the habit of thinking ahead, and of anticipating the necessary and immediate consequences of all your actions… Likewise in your pleasures, ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/cultivate-the-habit-of-thinking-ahead-and-of-anticipating-the/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“I've written about persistence and perseverance and yet for those of us with patchwork lives (projects, earnings, caretaking, home-tending, playing, friending, loving, celebrating, hurting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellen-lubin/i-ve-written-about-persistence-and-perseverance-and-yet-for-those-of/) [Shellen Lubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellen-lubin/) > [When you experience difficulty at work or in your life, instead of looking back on it as something that was really challenging, look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-ghosn/when-you-experience-difficulty-at-work-or-in-your-life-instead-of/) [Caroline Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-ghosn/) > [“ask yourself how many people you have met who grumbled at a thing as incurable, and how many who attacked it as curable? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/ask-yourself-how-many-people-you-have-met-who-grumbled-at-a-thing-as/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“I have seen plenty of ‘Struggle minus Success’ stories where you are forced to ask yourself ‘Why to him/her?’. There are few questions unanswered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhavik-sarkhedi/i-have-seen-plenty-of-struggle-minus-success-stories-where-you-are/) [Bhavik Sarkhedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhavik-sarkhedi/) > [“What is true for you? What makes your heart smile? When do you feel most yourself? What do you love to do? Ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/what-is-true-for-you-what-makes-your-heart-smile-when-do-you-feel/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [“When a bad experience shakes your faith in humanity, hold those depressing thoughts and ask yourself. 1. How many things in life have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani/when-a-bad-experience-shakes-your-faith-in-humanity-hold-those/) [Drishti Bablani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani/) > [“It is important you understand how fear affects you and how it drives human behavior so you can start to see situations and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-giles/it-is-important-you-understand-how-fear-affects-you-and-how-it-drives/) [Kimberly Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-giles/) > [“It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-idle-to-talk-always-of-the-alternative-of-reason-and-faith/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Picture your life exactly the way you want it and then ask yourself, am I doing the things that will take me there? Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-cook/picture-your-life-exactly-the-way-you-want-it-and-then-ask-yourself/) [Stephanie Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-cook/) > [“Just make sure you've taken a moment or two to ask yourself if it's really a need, and to reflect on the potential benefits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-laricchia/just-make-sure-you-ve-taken-a-moment-or-two-to-ask-yourself-if-it-s/) [Pam Laricchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-laricchia/) > [“Em's the first woman I've met who seems to be...well, the answer.' 'Answer to what?' He shrugged. 'All the questions, I suppose.' Fay looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/em-s-the-first-woman-i-ve-met-who-seems-to-be-well-the-answer-answer/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [“Listen to what you tell yourself about your life situation. If you find it's pessimistic or negative, ask yourself, "What's another way of thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-a-robinson/listen-to-what-you-tell-yourself-about-your-life-situation-if-you/) [Lynn A. Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-a-robinson/) > [“Often the most tricky questions are the ones we secretly know the answers of. What are you running from? What are you waiting for?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/often-the-most-tricky-questions-are-the-ones-we-secretly-know-the/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) Browse all 1,272 Ask yourself quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask yourself \"Is the work vital, strengthening my own character, or inspiring others, or helping the world?\".", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask-yourself-is-the-work-vital/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ask yourself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask-yourself-is-the-work-vital/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_ask-yourself_value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask_2788683.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_ask-yourself_value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask_2788683.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_ask-yourself_value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask_2788683.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask yourself \"Is the work vital, strengthening my own character, or…” — Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay", "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": "Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Value work. But not any kind...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask-yourself-is-the-work-vital/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask-yourself-is-the-work-vital/#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 } } ] } ```