--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our greatness has always come from people…" description: "\"Our greatness has always come from people who expect nothing and take nothing for granted - folks who work hard for what they have, then reach back and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/michelle-obama-518_greatness_our-greatness-has-always-come-from-peopl_918815.jpg" --- # Our greatness has always come from people who expect… ![“Our greatness has always come from people who expect nothing and take nothing for granted - folks who work hard for what they have, then reach back and help others after them.” quote by Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/michelle-obama-518_greatness_our-greatness-has-always-come-from-peopl_918815.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/michelle-obama-518_greatness_our-greatness-has-always-come-from-peopl_918815.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/michelle-obama-518_greatness_our-greatness-has-always-come-from-peopl_918815.jpg) > “Our greatness has always come from people who expect nothing and take nothing for granted - folks who work hard for what they have, then reach back and help others after them.” [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Greatness arises from humility, hard work, and generosity toward others. **In simple terms:** Humility, effort, and helping others create greatness. Key Takeaway Practice gratitude and give back. Themes humility hard work generosity community Mood motivational encouraging Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career advancement - volunteering - mentorship - team building Key Concepts social responsibility leadership empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance self‑care with helping others? - What small act of generosity can you start today? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on self‑sacrifice can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expect Granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-granted-1405965/) [Granted Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/granted-folks-1405964/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Greatness Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness-come-1405963/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Help others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-others/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes the best advice comes from those whom you least expect…therefore take no one for granted”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-aldana/sometimes-the-best-advice-comes-from-those-whom-you-least-expect/) [Jeremy Aldana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-aldana/) > [Greatness will come by looking forward - untethered from the politics of the past and anchored by our shared values - and by changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/greatness-will-come-by-looking-forward-untethered-from-the-politics/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [You treat people with greatness and greatness will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afrika-bambaataa/you-treat-people-with-greatness-and-greatness-will-come-back-to-you/) [Afrika Bambaataa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afrika-bambaataa/) > [Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/success-isn-t-always-about-greatness-it-s-about-consistency-2/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Some measure greatness by trophies and awards, but greatness will never come unless you pick yourself up off the floor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-tackett/some-measure-greatness-by-trophies-and-awards-but-greatness-will/) [Ryan Tackett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-tackett/) > [Success isn't always about 'greatness'. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/success-isn-t-always-about-greatness-it-s-about-consistency/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Always have com­plete faith in the indwelling God who takes care of everything. True greatness can only come from faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/always-have-com-plete-faith-in-the-indwelling-god-who-takes-care-of/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [When I Asked God for Strength He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face When I Asked God for Brain & Brawn He Gave Me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-asked-god-for-strength-he-gave-me-difficult-situations-to-face/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You work hard for what you want in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/you-work-hard-for-what-you-want-in-life/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [There is no easy way to greatness in any venue. But if you work hard, good things will inevitably happen to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-long/there-is-no-easy-way-to-greatness-in-any-venue-but-if-you-work-hard/) [Howie Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-long/) > [We tend to look at successful athletes and make them almost bigger than life. I have seen many young men who have achieved greatness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/we-tend-to-look-at-successful-athletes-and-make-them-almost-bigger/) [LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/) > [“A lot of gifted kids are angels who are on this earth with responsibilities to help others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-silverman/a-lot-of-gifted-kids-are-angels-who-are-on-this-earth-with/) [Linda Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-silverman/) > [Often I'm told I'm an inspiration to people which I will forever be grateful for. But the reality is that I'm only able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzie-velasquez/often-i-m-told-i-m-an-inspiration-to-people-which-i-will-forever-be/) [Lizzie Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzie-velasquez/) > [“My past is what God expects me to use to help others through their present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/my-past-is-what-god-expects-me-to-use-to-help-others-through-their/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [Get rid of the idea that God wants you to sacrifice yourself for others, and that you can secure his favor by doing so;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/get-rid-of-the-idea-that-god-wants-you-to-sacrifice-yourself-for/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) ## More by Michelle Obama > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [ The president \[Barack Obama\] asked for a commitment of, I think, 100,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses over the next couple of years.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/the-president-barack-obama-asked-for-a-commitment-of-i-think-100-000/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [You work hard for what you want in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/you-work-hard-for-what-you-want-in-life/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward my husband,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-must-once-again-come-together-and-stand-together-for-the-man-we/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We're starting to see, as the economy improves, that the unemployment rate among veterans and military spouses - we're seeing some improvement in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-re-starting-to-see-as-the-economy-improves-that-the-unemployment/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [There's so much going on in the healthcare system that makes it difficult for women to really have a strong economic hold if insurance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/there-s-so-much-going-on-in-the-healthcare-system-that-makes-it/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [In the 10 cities with the nation's highest obesity rates, the direct costs connected with obesity and obesity-related diseases are roughly $50 million per…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/in-the-10-cities-with-the-nation-s-highest-obesity-rates-the-direct/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/what-i-admire-most-about-hillary-is-that-she-never-buckles-under/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [A lot of young people think they're invincible, but the truth is young people are knuckleheads... Now young people can get insurance for as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/a-lot-of-young-people-think-they-re-invincible-but-the-truth-is-young/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/one-of-the-lessons-that-i-grew-up-with-was-to-always-stay-true-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman. But I am constantly thinking about my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-have-never-felt-more-confident-in-myself-more-clear-on-who-i-am-as/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [ We got a commitment that 3 million nurses are going to be trained to better identify these signs \[of PTSD\], because, you know, when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-got-a-commitment-that-3-million-nurses-are-going-to-be-trained-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We're our kids' first and best role models. So the first question is, what are you as a mom or a dad doing every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-re-our-kids-first-and-best-role-models-so-the-first-question-is/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I've always tried to make sure that what I do really connects with the broader agenda of what my husband is trying to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-ve-always-tried-to-make-sure-that-what-i-do-really-connects-with/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters, and all of our sons and daughters;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-know-from-experience-that-if-i-truly-want-to-leave-a-better-world/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) [Explore all 504 Michelle Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) ## More Greatness quotes > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Every man who is high up likes to think that he has done it all himself, and the wife smiles and lets it go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-man-who-is-high-up-likes-to-think-that-he-has-done-it-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-generally-decide-upon-a-middle-course-which-is-most-hazardous-for/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [Greatness is not guarding yourself from people. Greatness is being accepted by the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/greatness-is-not-guarding-yourself-from-people-greatness-is-being/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-is-distressed-by-his-want-lack-of-ability/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Great men don't 'move to the center' - great men move the center!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/great-men-don-t-move-to-the-center-great-men-move-the-center/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Men want a challenge, but they want a challenge they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gaskell/men-want-a-challenge-but-they-want-a-challenge-they-can-win/) [Whitney Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-gaskell/) [Browse all 7,631 Greatness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our greatness has always come from people who expect nothing and take nothing for granted - folks who work hard for what they have, then reach back and help others after them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michelle Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/our-greatness-has-always-come-from-people-who-expect-nothing-and-take/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Greatness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/our-greatness-has-always-come-from-people-who-expect-nothing-and-take/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/michelle-obama-518_greatness_our-greatness-has-always-come-from-peopl_918815.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/michelle-obama-518_greatness_our-greatness-has-always-come-from-peopl_918815.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/michelle-obama-518_greatness_our-greatness-has-always-come-from-peopl_918815.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our greatness has always come from people who expect nothing and take nothing for granted - folks who work…” — Michelle Obama", "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": "Michelle Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our greatness has always come from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/our-greatness-has-always-come-from-people-who-expect-nothing-and-take/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/our-greatness-has-always-come-from-people-who-expect-nothing-and-take/#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 } } ] } ```