--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do my best work if I think about what…" description: "\"I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to offer.\" — Barbara Kingsolver" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ae/barbara-kingsolver-200_best_i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what_746212.png" --- # I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to… ![“I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to offer.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ae/barbara-kingsolver-200_best_i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what_746212.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ae/barbara-kingsolver-200_best_i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what_746212.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ae/barbara-kingsolver-200_best_i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what_746212.png) > “I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to offer.” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Thinking about one’s contribution enhances performance, suggesting purpose drives quality output. **In simple terms:** Purpose improves work. Key Takeaway Align tasks with personal strengths. Themes work purpose productivity Mood encouraging reflective Type self‑help professional When to use this quote - career development - volunteering - creative projects - teaching Key Concepts motivation self‑efficacy meaning Questions to Reflect On - What unique value do you bring? - How can you clarify your purpose? A Different Perspective Purpose can be unclear or shifting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Best work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-work/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Offer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offer/) [Offers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offers/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Offer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-offer-1264208/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-think/) ## Related quotes > [I like to think that I offer more woman per square inch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-waddingham/i-like-to-think-that-i-offer-more-woman-per-square-inch/) [Hannah Waddingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-waddingham/) > [When you're getting older, you think about what you have to offer, and what's the point of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chancellor/when-you-re-getting-older-you-think-about-what-you-have-to-offer-and/) [Justin Chancellor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chancellor/) > [I don't have resentment towards Barca, only good memories, but if Real Madrid called me I would think about that offer in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adama-traore/i-don-t-have-resentment-towards-barca-only-good-memories-but-if-real/) [Adama Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adama-traore/) > [I don't think there's ever a point when you turn to yourself and go, 'Yes, I've made a success of this career path.' You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cooper/i-don-t-think-there-s-ever-a-point-when-you-turn-to-yourself-and-go/) [Dominic Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cooper/) > [Just because a woman is over 50 does not mean she no longer has anything to offer. If anything, we have so much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-wells/just-because-a-woman-is-over-50-does-not-mean-she-no-longer-has/) [Dawn Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-wells/) > [I would never put on 20 kilos and mess up my system because a role demands it. Hindi cinema doesn't offer you roles that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bipasha-basu/i-would-never-put-on-20-kilos-and-mess-up-my-system-because-a-role/) [Bipasha Basu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bipasha-basu/) > [In my movies, I'm not trying to erase any old image of myself, really. And also I'm not trying to imitate anyone or follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/in-my-movies-i-m-not-trying-to-erase-any-old-image-of-myself-really/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [America, for me, is the country where, if you have something great to offer, you'll be valued highly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadashi-yanai/america-for-me-is-the-country-where-if-you-have-something-great-to/) [Tadashi Yanai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadashi-yanai/) > [There are not many companies in China that dare to say in public, 'We don't offer bribes', or companies that operate only by market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wang-jianlin/there-are-not-many-companies-in-china-that-dare-to-say-in-public-we/) [Wang Jianlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wang-jianlin/) > [It is a curse, being blessed with so much to offer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gannicus/it-is-a-curse-being-blessed-with-so-much-to-offer/) [Gannicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gannicus/) > [I believe that all brands will become storytellers, editors and publishers, all stores will become magazines, and all media companies will become stores. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-massenet/i-believe-that-all-brands-will-become-storytellers-editors-and/) [Natalie Massenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-massenet/) > [It is only in your thriving that you have anything to offer anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/it-is-only-in-your-thriving-that-you-have-anything-to-offer-anyone/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [When you're educated, you must offer others a road to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-juneau/when-you-re-educated-you-must-offer-others-a-road-to-success/) [Denise Juneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-juneau/) > [The elderly have so much to offer. They're our link with history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/the-elderly-have-so-much-to-offer-they-re-our-link-with-history/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [Companies are bought for their revenue, customer base, technology, or people. A few great companies offer all of these, but any valuable business offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/companies-are-bought-for-their-revenue-customer-base-technology-or/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. "That was a luna." Crys shrugged. "So?" "So? So what? You want it should sing, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/lusa-turned-to-crys-her-eyes-shining-that-was-a-luna-crys-shrugged-so/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-strength-of-motherhood-is-greater-than-natural-laws/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Respecting the dignity of a spectacular food means enjoying it at its best. Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More Best quotes > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... 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When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. 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I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) [Browse all 21,674 Best quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to offer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Kingsolver" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what-it-is-i-have-to-offer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what-it-is-i-have-to-offer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ae/barbara-kingsolver-200_best_i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what_746212.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ae/barbara-kingsolver-200_best_i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what_746212.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ae/barbara-kingsolver-200_best_i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what_746212.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to offer.” — Barbara Kingsolver", "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": "Barbara Kingsolver", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I do my best work if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what-it-is-i-have-to-offer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-do-my-best-work-if-i-think-about-what-it-is-i-have-to-offer/#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 } } ] } ```