--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Begin where you are and such as you are…" description: "\"Begin where you are and such as you are, without aiming mainly to become of more worth, and with kindness aforethought, go about doing good.\" — Henry D..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/henry-david-thoreau-20_begin_begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are_2881687.jpg" --- # Begin where you are and such as you are, without aiming… ![“Begin where you are and such as you are, without aiming mainly to become of more worth, and with kindness aforethought, go about doing good.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/henry-david-thoreau-20_begin_begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are_2881687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/henry-david-thoreau-20_begin_begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are_2881687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/henry-david-thoreau-20_begin_begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are_2881687.jpg) > “Begin where you are and such as you are, without aiming mainly to become of more worth, and with kindness aforethought, go about doing good.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Act with humility and kindness, focusing on doing good rather than seeking personal worth. **In simple terms:** Be humble and kind, do good. Key Takeaway Practice kindness without seeking reward. Themes humility kindness service Mood reflective calm Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - volunteering - daily interactions - community service - personal development Key Concepts ethical living selflessness inner growth Questions to Reflect On - How can you serve others while maintaining self‑respect? - What small acts of kindness can you start today? A Different Perspective May overlook self‑care or enable exploitation if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begin/) [Doing good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-good/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Kindness Aforethought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness-aforethought-3997072/) [Where you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where-you-are/) [Worth Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-kindness-767201/) ## Related quotes > [Giving is a great teacher of love, self-worth, kindness and selflessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/giving-is-a-great-teacher-of-love-self-worth-kindness-and-selflessness/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Not everyone is going to know how to appreciate everything you've done for them. You have to figure out who's worth your kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/not-everyone-is-going-to-know-how-to-appreciate-everything-you-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [NOT everyone will appreciate what you do to them...YOU have to figure out who's worth your kindness AND who's just taking advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/not-everyone-will-appreciate-what-you-do-to-them-you-have-to-figure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Not every0ne will appreciate what y0u do for them.. y0u have t0 figure out who's worth your kindness and whose just taking advantage,. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-fox/not-every0ne-will-appreciate-what-y0u-do-for-them-y0u-have-t0-figure/) [The\_fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-fox/) > [Be kind to yourself. God thinks you're worth his kindness. And he's a good judge of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/be-kind-to-yourself-god-thinks-you-re-worth-his-kindness-and-he-s-a/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Do your best with what you have where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-punch/do-your-best-with-what-you-have-where-you-are/) [Lucy Punch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-punch/) > [Begin where you are. It would be unscientific to begin anywhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-holmes/begin-where-you-are-it-would-be-unscientific-to-begin-anywhere-else/) [Ernest Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-holmes/) > [Begin where you are. Read every word, every phrase, every paragraph of the mind, as it operates through thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/begin-where-you-are-read-every-word-every-phrase-every-paragraph-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“As for Doing-good...I have tried it fairly, and, strange as it may seem, am satisfied that it does not agree with my constitution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-i-have-tried-it-fairly-and-strange-as-it-may-seem/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/not-until-we-are-lost-do-we-begin-to-understand-ourselves/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [There is only one way of not hating those who do us wrong, and that is by doing them good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/there-is-only-one-way-of-not-hating-those-who-do-us-wrong-and-that-is/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [“doing good required taking risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/doing-good-required-taking-risks/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [When things are going bad that does not mean God has stopped doing good It's mean He is shifting things around you to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christianquotes/when-things-are-going-bad-that-does-not-mean-god-has-stopped-doing/) [ChristianQuotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christianquotes/) > [There's nothing like getting feedback that's positive and supportive. That's what I'm all about. I'm really just genuinely doing good music. I'm not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-villarreal/there-s-nothing-like-getting-feedback-that-s-positive-and-supportive/) [Tiffany Villarreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-villarreal/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Begin quotes > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“Let the motherfucking games begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-mchugh/let-the-motherfucking-games-begin/) [Gail McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-mchugh/) > [“Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began, and let the Lord be all in all to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/begin-as-you-mean-to-go-on-and-go-on-as-you-began-and-let-the-lord-be/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [The world will only begin to have faith in you when you do too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-world-will-only-begin-to-have-faith-in-you-when-you-do-too/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The idea with a collection is sort of to begin with a kind of bang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/the-idea-with-a-collection-is-sort-of-to-begin-with-a-kind-of-bang/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [“Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you high. People who are gentle, humble and able always have a great ending no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/humble-yourself-before-the-lord-and-he-will-lift-you-high-people-who/) [israelmore ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Just begin and the mind grows heated; continue, and the task will be completed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/just-begin-and-the-mind-grows-heated-continue-and-the-task-will-be/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Quitters don’t gain what they have started working on; waiters don’t start what they could have gained. What is common there is failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/quitters-don-t-gain-what-they-have-started-working-on-waiters-don-t/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-akin/i-don-t-know-the-future-i-didn-t-come-here-to-tell-you-how-this-is/) [Todd Akin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-akin/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [“A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/a-mother-is-always-the-beginning-she-is-how-things-begin/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [I look forward to the day that a lot of the folks that you all talk about and cover on this network will begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-look-forward-to-the-day-that-a-lot-of-the-folks-that-you-all-talk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...I'd be interested in any tips you have for somebody starting out.” “Uh-huh,” I said, looking out the window. I decided, as we drove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/i-d-be-interested-in-any-tips-you-have-for-somebody-starting-out-uh/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [I'm Irish and always will be, but America has taught me so much. Maybe it's here in the U.S. that we find a healing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fionnula-flanagan/i-m-irish-and-always-will-be-but-america-has-taught-me-so-much-maybe/) [Fionnula Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fionnula-flanagan/) > [Begin where you are. Read every word, every phrase, every paragraph of the mind, as it operates through thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/begin-where-you-are-read-every-word-every-phrase-every-paragraph-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) [Browse all 1,199 Begin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begin/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Begin where you are and such as you are, without aiming mainly to become of more worth, and with kindness aforethought, go about doing good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are-without-aiming-mainly-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Begin" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are-without-aiming-mainly-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/henry-david-thoreau-20_begin_begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are_2881687.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/henry-david-thoreau-20_begin_begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are_2881687.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/henry-david-thoreau-20_begin_begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are_2881687.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Begin where you are and such as you are, without aiming mainly to become of more worth, and with kindness…” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Begin where you are and such...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are-without-aiming-mainly-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/begin-where-you-are-and-such-as-you-are-without-aiming-mainly-to/#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 } } ] } ```