--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I cannot do great things, I can do…" description: "\"“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”\" — Martin Luther King Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_excellence_if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-sma_2235192.jpg" --- # If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a… ![“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” quote by Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_excellence_if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-sma_2235192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_excellence_if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-sma_2235192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_excellence_if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-sma_2235192.jpg) > ““If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”” [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If great deeds are out of reach, performing modest actions excellently still creates meaningful impact. **In simple terms:** Small acts done well matter. Key Takeaway Do small things with excellence. Themes service excellence impact Mood inspirational hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - community projects - daily habits - leadership - social change Key Concepts ethical behavior personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How can small actions scale to broader change? - When is it appropriate to aim for larger goals? A Different Perspective Focusing only on small acts may neglect larger systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) [Great way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-way/) [Small things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-things/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Things Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-great/) [Things Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-small/) ## Related quotes > [If you can't do great things, do small things in great way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-can-t-do-great-things-do-small-things-in-great-way/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you can not do great things, Do small things in a great way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/if-you-can-not-do-great-things-do-small-things-in-a-great-way/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [We can do no great things-only small things with great love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-can-do-no-great-things-only-small-things-with-great-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“ Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. -Mother Teresa ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/not-all-of-us-can-do-great-things-but-we-can-do-small-things-with/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [I don't do great things. I do small things with great love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-don-t-do-great-things-i-do-small-things-with-great-love/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [I can do small things in a great way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-freeman-clarke/i-can-do-small-things-in-a-great-way/) [James Freeman Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-freeman-clarke/) > [“We can do no great things; only small things with great love.(mother Teresa)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/we-can-do-no-great-things-only-small-things-with-great-love-mother/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [I can do no great things, only small things with great love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/live-skate-smoke/i-can-do-no-great-things-only-small-things-with-great-love/) [Live\_Skate\_Smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/live-skate-smoke/) > [None of us, including me, ever do great things. 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But we can do small things with great love. -Mother Teresa”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/we-cannot-all-do-great-things-but-we-can-do-small-things-with-great/) [Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/) > [Most of us will never do great things, but we can do small things in a great way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-of-us-will-never-do-great-things-but-we-can-do-small-things-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I may not be doing great things, but the small things I do are done with great love...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-not-be-doing-great-things-but-the-small-things-i-do-are-done/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/in-this-life-we-cannot-do-great-things-we-can-only-do-small-things/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love. We shall never know all the good that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-theresa/we-cannot-all-do-great-things-but-we-can-do-small-things-with-great-2/) [Mother Theresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-theresa/) > [I don't take on big things. What I do, pretty much, is make the big things small and the small things big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/i-don-t-take-on-big-things-what-i-do-pretty-much-is-make-the-big/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) ## More by Martin Luther King Jr > [We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-have-learned-to-fly-the-air-like-birds-and-swim-the-sea-like-fish/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [I had a dreamthat you would just shut the fuck up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/i-had-a-dreamthat-you-would-just-shut-the-fuck-up/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/yes-if-you-want-to-say-that-i-was-a-drum-major-say-that-i-was-a-drum/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-must-forever-conduct-our-struggle-on-the-high-plane-of-dignity-and/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-may-be-true-that-the-law-cannot-make-a-man-love-me-but-it-can-stop/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/privileged-groups-seldom-give-up-their-privileges-voluntarily/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [God has set the type of marriage everywhere throughout the creation. Every creature seeks its perfection in another. 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We must concentrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-is-not-enough-to-say-we-must-not-wage-war-it-is-necessary-to-love/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“When, for decades, you have been able to make a man compromise his manhood by threatening him with a cruel and unjust punishment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/when-for-decades-you-have-been-able-to-make-a-man-compromise-his/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/the-question-is-not-whether-we-will-be-extremists-but-what-kind-of/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Deep in our history of struggle for freedom, Canada was the North star”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/deep-in-our-history-of-struggle-for-freedom-canada-was-the-north-star/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/and-he-s-allowed-me-to-go-to-the-mountain-and-i-ve-looked-over-and-i/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-know-through-painful-experience-that-freedom-is-never-voluntarily/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/returning-hate-for-hate-multiplies-hate-adding-deeper-darkness-to-a/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) [Explore all 219 Martin Luther King Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## More Excellence quotes > [Imperfections are what make you perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-tell/imperfections-are-what-make-you-perfect/) [Nia Tellé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-tell/) > [The pursuit of perfection is frustrating and a waste of time, because nothing is ever perfect. The pursuit of excellence is commendable and worthwhile.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kulwicki/the-pursuit-of-perfection-is-frustrating-and-a-waste-of-time-because/) [Alan Kulwicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kulwicki/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [You learn a lot from quality players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marouane-fellaini/you-learn-a-lot-from-quality-players/) [Marouane Fellaini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marouane-fellaini/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“In your goals to go the extra mile, prepare to pay an extra cost. Excellence is to be exceptional, surpassing, more competent and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/in-your-goals-to-go-the-extra-mile-prepare-to-pay-an-extra-cost/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [We want to promote the great quality of athletics - and maintain it's integrity - all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-juantorena/we-want-to-promote-the-great-quality-of-athletics-and-maintain-it-s/) [Alberto Juantorena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-juantorena/) > [“Anytime I see a rainbow, what comes into my mind is how skillful and talented someone was to create an ark that didn't leak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/anytime-i-see-a-rainbow-what-comes-into-my-mind-is-how-skillful-and/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [We may be masters of our every lot By bearing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/we-may-be-masters-of-our-every-lot-by-bearing-it/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/quality-means-doing-it-right-when-no-one-is-looking/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [We cannot all be masters, nor all masters Cannot be truly followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/we-cannot-all-be-masters-nor-all-masters-cannot-be-truly-followed/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Leadership, pure and simple, is the assumption of responsibility for the pursuit of excellence in group life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-selznick/leadership-pure-and-simple-is-the-assumption-of-responsibility-for/) [Philip Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-selznick/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Browse all 4,187 Excellence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Luther King Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-small-things-in-a-great-way/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excellence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-small-things-in-a-great-way/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_excellence_if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-sma_2235192.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_excellence_if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-sma_2235192.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_excellence_if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-sma_2235192.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” — Martin Luther King Jr", "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": "Martin Luther King Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If I cannot do great things,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-small-things-in-a-great-way/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/if-i-cannot-do-great-things-i-can-do-small-things-in-a-great-way/#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 } } ] } ```