--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You gotta do the work and understand why…" description: "\"You gotta do the work and understand why you're doing it, and what is your purpose for doing it. And for me, it is... in a way, my form of activism, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2f/da-vine-joy-randolph-4712_better_you-gotta-do-the-work-and-understand-why_1544637.jpg" --- # You gotta do the work and understand why you're doing it… ![“You gotta do the work and understand why you're doing it, and what is your purpose for doing it. And for me, it is... in a way, my form of activism, and reaching out to others, and connecting with people, and hopefully making somebody's life or day better.” quote by Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2f/da-vine-joy-randolph-4712_better_you-gotta-do-the-work-and-understand-why_1544637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2f/da-vine-joy-randolph-4712_better_you-gotta-do-the-work-and-understand-why_1544637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2f/da-vine-joy-randolph-4712_better_you-gotta-do-the-work-and-understand-why_1544637.jpg) > “You gotta do the work and understand why you're doing it, and what is your purpose for doing it. And for me, it is... in a way, my form of activism, and reaching out to others, and connecting with people, and hopefully making somebody's life or day better.” [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding personal purpose fuels meaningful work and helps others positively. **In simple terms:** Purpose drives work and helps others. Key Takeaway Align actions with purpose to uplift others. Themes purpose activism connection service Mood inspirational reflective Type personal motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - team projects - mentorship - public speaking Key Concepts self‑actualization social impact motivation Questions to Reflect On - What purpose drives your daily work? - How can you protect your well‑being while helping others? A Different Perspective Purpose may clash with personal burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/we-all-sorely-complain-of-the-shortness-of-time-and-yet-have-much/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [It is important to ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing and what purpose it serves in the big picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/it-is-important-to-ask-yourself-why-you-re-doing-what-you-re-doing/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Prayer is not a substitute for work. First we have to do all we can ourselves to understand a situation. Then when we ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-romney/prayer-is-not-a-substitute-for-work-first-we-have-to-do-all-we-can/) [George W. Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-romney/) > [Your kids are launched. You love your work but you understand how to place it in the panorama of the rest of your life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/your-kids-are-launched-you-love-your-work-but-you-understand-how-to/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Poetry is subconscious conversation, it is as much the work of those who understand it and those who make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sanchez/poetry-is-subconscious-conversation-it-is-as-much-the-work-of-those/) [Sonia Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sanchez/) > [“The more I see God at work, the more I understand that saying yes to God makes ripples.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelene-bryan/the-more-i-see-god-at-work-the-more-i-understand-that-saying-yes-to/) Shelene Bryan > [Anything that works against you can also work for you once you understand the Principle of Reverse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/anything-that-works-against-you-can-also-work-for-you-once-you/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm obsessed about my work. And if you can't understand that. You will never understand me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-obsessed-about-my-work-and-if-you-can-t-understand-that-you-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You know what your trouble is? You're the kind who always reads the handbook. Anything people build, any kind of technology, it's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/you-know-what-your-trouble-is-you-re-the-kind-who-always-reads-the/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [I always try and find a purpose in what I am doing - even when it comes to wrestling... when I go into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-belair/i-always-try-and-find-a-purpose-in-what-i-am-doing-even-when-it-comes/) [Bianca Belair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-belair/) > [“Often the only way to make a hard decision is to come back to the purpose of what you’re doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/often-the-only-way-to-make-a-hard-decision-is-to-come-back-to-the/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Once you clarify your purpose for doing something, the way to do it becomes clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/once-you-clarify-your-purpose-for-doing-something-the-way-to-do-it/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [While goals are chosen, a purpose is discovered. Our purpose is something we have been doing all along, and will continue to do, regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/while-goals-are-chosen-a-purpose-is-discovered-our-purpose-is/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [Making money isn't the backbone of our guiding purpose; making money is the by-product of our guiding purpose. If you're doing something you love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/making-money-isn-t-the-backbone-of-our-guiding-purpose-making-money/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [You can put yourself to the purpose of others, and in doing so, you can be better off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/you-can-put-yourself-to-the-purpose-of-others-and-in-doing-so-you-can/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) ## More by Da'Vine Joy Randolph > [For my personal boundaries, I don't look at critiques.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/for-my-personal-boundaries-i-don-t-look-at-critiques/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [Laughter, to me, was the currency. It gave me agency within my home, as well as out in the world at a young age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/laughter-to-me-was-the-currency-it-gave-me-agency-within-my-home-as/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [Love makes people do crazy stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/love-makes-people-do-crazy-stuff/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [As a woman of color, I always pay homage to my ancestors and elders - in the industry in particular - who have paved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/as-a-woman-of-color-i-always-pay-homage-to-my-ancestors-and-elders-in/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [As a supporting actress, my job is almost like a boxer in the ring, to observe what my opponent is doing and learn how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/as-a-supporting-actress-my-job-is-almost-like-a-boxer-in-the-ring-to/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [I never aim to be funny. I'm always just focused on telling the story authentically, and if that affects people sometimes through laughter, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/i-never-aim-to-be-funny-i-m-always-just-focused-on-telling-the-story/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [Every two weeks, every Friday on the dot, I would go into my dean's office and be like, 'listen, this is the standard that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/every-two-weeks-every-friday-on-the-dot-i-would-go-into-my-dean-s/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [What gives me the most joy is cooking for other people. I look up five different recipes from five different sources to compare. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/what-gives-me-the-most-joy-is-cooking-for-other-people-i-look-up-five/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [I'm just attracted to human behavior and how people sometimes never would interact with one another or be in each other's sphere of awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/i-m-just-attracted-to-human-behavior-and-how-people-sometimes-never/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [I will always pay tribute to, honor, uplift and be a part of Black storytelling, but I need to infiltrate and get in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/i-will-always-pay-tribute-to-honor-uplift-and-be-a-part-of-black/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [I'm a woman of color. And then on top of that, a woman of color who is curvy. Those stories don't get told often.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/i-m-a-woman-of-color-and-then-on-top-of-that-a-woman-of-color-who-is/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [Usually, when I get hit with inspiration hard - I don't know, maybe it's impulsive - but I'm the type of person where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/usually-when-i-get-hit-with-inspiration-hard-i-don-t-know-maybe-it-s/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [I think creating a recipe that tastes good is art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/i-think-creating-a-recipe-that-tastes-good-is-art/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [No one in my family acts or sings - nothing. There's no sense of entertainment in my family. Sometimes I feel like an oddball,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/no-one-in-my-family-acts-or-sings-nothing-there-s-no-sense-of/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [Every time I think I'm in control and trying to do something, it doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/every-time-i-think-i-m-in-control-and-trying-to-do-something-it-doesn/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) [Explore all 107 Da'Vine Joy Randolph quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. 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I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You gotta do the work and understand why you're doing it, and what is your purpose for doing it. 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