--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My only sure reward is in my actions, not…" description: "\"My only sure reward is in my actions, not from them.\" — Hugh Prather" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/hugh-prather-3404_actions_my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not_1504635.png" --- # My only sure reward is in my actions, not from them. ![“My only sure reward is in my actions, not from them.” quote by Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/hugh-prather-3404_actions_my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not_1504635.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/hugh-prather-3404_actions_my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not_1504635.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/hugh-prather-3404_actions_my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not_1504635.png) > “My only sure reward is in my actions, not from them.” [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal fulfillment comes from the effort you put in, not from external rewards. **In simple terms:** Reward comes from actions, not outcomes. Key Takeaway Focus on effort, not external validation. Themes self‑growth effort intrinsic motivation Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career development - personal projects - volunteering - skill building Key Concepts mindfulness self‑determination Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure success beyond praise? - What actions give you inner satisfaction? A Different Perspective External rewards can be fleeting and unreliable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward/) [Reward Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward-actions-475146/) [Sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure/) [Sure Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-reward-5523560/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) ## Related quotes > [To live for results would be to sentence myself to continuous frustration. My only sure reward is in my actions and not from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/to-live-for-results-would-be-to-sentence-myself-to-continuous/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [“Never abbreviate your dreams. Only short-hand people always do that. Their punishment is that they can't stretch far, further and forward into the future.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/never-abbreviate-your-dreams-only-short-hand-people-always-do-that/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Conservative talkers love to throw numbers around: their ratings and their audience size. And to be sure, they have a sizable audience which numbers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/conservative-talkers-love-to-throw-numbers-around-their-ratings-and/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [There are any number of very hard working people in Hollywood who deserve recognition. Mostly its the artisans and crafts persons - the 'below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/there-are-any-number-of-very-hard-working-people-in-hollywood-who/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Twitter didn't make up the hashtag. Twitter didn't make up the retweet. It's our users. And people started using them so much that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-jacobs-stanton/twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-hashtag-twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-retweet/) [Katie Jacobs Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-jacobs-stanton/) > [Early on I realized when you write a song about someone, it flatters them on some level, and gives you a lot of room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/early-on-i-realized-when-you-write-a-song-about-someone-it-flatters/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [My parents have always been very concerned of making sure we know who we are and where we come from. I have to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilshad-vadsaria/my-parents-have-always-been-very-concerned-of-making-sure-we-know-who/) [Dilshad Vadsaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilshad-vadsaria/) > [If you're going to vote for somebody because you think they have a great faith in God, you'd better be sure that God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/if-you-re-going-to-vote-for-somebody-because-you-think-they-have-a/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [I think that we have a number of different health care challenges in our country, and certainly addressing the uninsured is one, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/i-think-that-we-have-a-number-of-different-health-care-challenges-in/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [“You see," he said, "that's reward enough; you see, you see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-traubel/you-see-he-said-that-s-reward-enough-you-see-you-see/) [Horace Traubel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-traubel/) > [“If you give up, you reward failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/if-you-give-up-you-reward-failure/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [When I'm working on something and I get to the point where I feel it getting interesting, that's my reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-peter-lindstr-m/when-i-m-working-on-something-and-i-get-to-the-point-where-i-feel-it/) [Hans-Peter Lindstrøm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-peter-lindstr-m/) > [It's a sport about risk and reward. It's a sport about becoming a legend. You look at guys that have stepped up on last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyron-woodley/it-s-a-sport-about-risk-and-reward-it-s-a-sport-about-becoming-a/) [Tyron Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyron-woodley/) > [I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-the-great/i-like-to-praise-and-reward-loudly-to-blame-quietly/) [Catherine the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-the-great/) > [The highest reward that God gives us for good work is the ability to do better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-highest-reward-that-god-gives-us-for-good-work-is-the-ability-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) ## More by Hugh Prather > [Ultimately, my character is defined by the quality of my sensitivity to other people. I exist in equilibrium. I am here to the degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/ultimately-my-character-is-defined-by-the-quality-of-my-sensitivity/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [“I wish" assumes that I know what is the opposite of my present experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/i-wish-assumes-that-i-know-what-is-the-opposite-of-my-present/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [Sometimes when I generalize, I am saying, 'Let's pretend I am God,' and of course the other person argues that point endlessly. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/sometimes-when-i-generalize-i-am-saying-let-s-pretend-i-am-god-and-of/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [If the ocean was pure mind and I was a wave, I would be in terror if Itried to distinguish myself fromthe water that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/if-the-ocean-was-pure-mind-and-i-was-a-wave-i-would-be-in-terror-if/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [I don't need a "reason" to be happy. I don't have to consult the future to know how happy I feel now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/i-don-t-need-a-reason-to-be-happy-i-don-t-have-to-consult-the-future/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [“In order to see, I have to be willing to be seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/in-order-to-see-i-have-to-be-willing-to-be-seen/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [No matter what we talk about, we are talking about ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/no-matter-what-we-talk-about-we-are-talking-about-ourselves/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [Love itself is not an act of will, but sometimes I need the force of my volition to break with my habitual responses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-sometimes-i-need-the-force-of/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [I can not 'make my mark' for all time - those concepts are mutually exclusive. 'Lasting effect' is a self-contradictory term. Meaning does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/i-can-not-make-my-mark-for-all-time-those-concepts-are-mutually/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [Today I don't want to live for, I want to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/today-i-don-t-want-to-live-for-i-want-to-live/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [Love, the magician, knows this little trick whereby two people walk in different directions yet always remain side by side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/love-the-magician-knows-this-little-trick-whereby-two-people-walk-in/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [Books seek us out. They slip themselves into our hands just at the time we are ready for a new self-concept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/books-seek-us-out-they-slip-themselves-into-our-hands-just-at-the/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [If I work toward an end, meantime I am confined to a process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/if-i-work-toward-an-end-meantime-i-am-confined-to-a-process/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [Happiness is gentleness, peace, concentration, simplicity, forgiveness, humor, fearlessness, trust, and now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/happiness-is-gentleness-peace-concentration-simplicity-forgiveness/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [One element of maturity is the realization that we don't get away with anything. Any advantage gained or convenience taken, any private procrastination or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/one-element-of-maturity-is-the-realization-that-we-don-t-get-away/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) [Explore all 130 Hugh Prather quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) ## More Actions quotes > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [A lot of my work involves instilling objects with the power of touch - a transference of soul, spirit, energy through actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-colen/a-lot-of-my-work-involves-instilling-objects-with-the-power-of-touch/) [Dan Colen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-colen/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [True love is proven through the actions of your true love!! Not through the act of saying it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-love-is-proven-through-the-actions-of-your-true-love-not-through/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [As we get more transparent with data sets about infrastructure and systems management, I have a feeling we'll see big changes in how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/as-we-get-more-transparent-with-data-sets-about-infrastructure-and/) [Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/) > [“When you are pushed to the wall, you will act and do things you have never done before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-you-are-pushed-to-the-wall-you-will-act-and-do-things-you-have/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/) [Alan Sheinwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sheinwald/) > [“FLIES IN DISGUISE Tell me, Have you Really seen Flies in a child's eyes Or heard their hungry cries In the middle Of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/flies-in-disguise-tell-me-have-you-really-seen-flies-in-a-child-s/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“We are the result of our mere actions. What we do, we become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/we-are-the-result-of-our-mere-actions-what-we-do-we-become/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [I would rather have my actions speak for me on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-insigne/i-would-rather-have-my-actions-speak-for-me-on-the-pitch/) [Lorenzo Insigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-insigne/) > [If you want to know someone's mind, listen to their words. If you want to know their heart, watch their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-someone-s-mind-listen-to-their-words-if-you-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Twitter didn't make up the hashtag. Twitter didn't make up the retweet. It's our users. And people started using them so much that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-jacobs-stanton/twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-hashtag-twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-retweet/) [Katie Jacobs Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-jacobs-stanton/) > [I personally claim no special insight into Satan's methods, but I have at times been able to identify his influence and his actions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/i-personally-claim-no-special-insight-into-satan-s-methods-but-i-have/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) [Browse all 1,287 Actions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My only sure reward is in my actions, not from them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hugh Prather" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not-from-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not-from-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/hugh-prather-3404_actions_my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not_1504635.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/hugh-prather-3404_actions_my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not_1504635.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/hugh-prather-3404_actions_my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not_1504635.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My only sure reward is in my actions, not from them.” — Hugh Prather", "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": "Hugh Prather", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My only sure reward is in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not-from-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/my-only-sure-reward-is-in-my-actions-not-from-them/#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 } } ] } ```