--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It wasn't the reward that mattered or the…" description: "\"It wasn't the reward that mattered or the recognition you might harvest. It was your depth of commitment, your quality of service, the product of your ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/scott-o-grady-81501_commitment_it-wasn-t-the-reward-that-mattered-or-th_2470237.jpg" --- # It wasn't the reward that mattered or the recognition you… ![“It wasn't the reward that mattered or the recognition you might harvest. It was your depth of commitment, your quality of service, the product of your devotion - these were the things that counted in life. When you gave purely, the honor in giving, and that was honor enough.” quote by Scott O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/scott-o-grady-81501_commitment_it-wasn-t-the-reward-that-mattered-or-th_2470237.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/scott-o-grady-81501_commitment_it-wasn-t-the-reward-that-mattered-or-th_2470237.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/scott-o-grady-81501_commitment_it-wasn-t-the-reward-that-mattered-or-th_2470237.jpg) > “It wasn't the reward that mattered or the recognition you might harvest. It was your depth of commitment, your quality of service, the product of your devotion - these were the things that counted in life. When you gave purely, the honor in giving, and that was honor enough.” [Scott O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-o-grady/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True value lies in sincere dedication and selfless service, not external rewards or accolades. **In simple terms:** Worth comes from commitment, not praise. Key Takeaway Focus on genuine service over recognition. Themes service commitment integrity humility purpose Mood reflective inspirational serene Type ethical motivational philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - team projects - customer service - mentorship - community work Key Concepts Altruism intrinsic motivation ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure the impact of your work beyond applause? - What motivates you when no one is watching? A Different Perspective Recognition can be fleeting and may distract from deeper fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Devotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devotion/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-honor-753644/) [Harvest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harvest/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Honor Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor-giving-753645/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Products](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/products/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Recognition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognition/) [Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward/) [Reward Mattered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward-mattered-753642/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [Serving others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving-others/) [Volunteer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volunteer/) [Wasn Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-reward-753643/) ## Related quotes > [Those who give hoping to be rewarded with honor are not giving, they are bargaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philo/those-who-give-hoping-to-be-rewarded-with-honor-are-not-giving-they/) [Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philo/) > [The name of our proper connection to the earth is 'good work,' for good work involves much giving of honor. It honors the source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-name-of-our-proper-connection-to-the-earth-is-good-work-for-good/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [If Uncle Martin were here today, he would surely commend us for giving honor where honor is due.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/if-uncle-martin-were-here-today-he-would-surely-commend-us-for-giving/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [First, there's the job - where the goal is simply to earn a living and support your family. Then there's the career - where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bella/first-there-s-the-job-where-the-goal-is-simply-to-earn-a-living-and/) [Robert Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bella/) > [What are you doing for others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-are-you-doing-for-others/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [In doing your best serving others for free, a lot of eyebrows will raise and sneers will curve many a - faces. But in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/in-doing-your-best-serving-others-for-free-a-lot-of-eyebrows-will/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [We are all like one-winged angels. It is only when we help each other that we can fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-de-crescenzo/we-are-all-like-one-winged-angels-it-is-only-when-we-help-each-other/) [Luciano De Crescenzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-de-crescenzo/) > [Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/everybody-can-be-great-because-anybody-can-serve-you-don-t-have-to/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/one-of-the-things-i-keep-learning-is-that-the-secret-of-being-happy/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Everybody can be great because everybody can serve... You only need a heart full of grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/everybody-can-be-great-because-everybody-can-serve-you-only-need-a/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [ \[I am a co - creator\], an active agent in this universe who makes things happen. If I want the world to change, I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danah-zohar/i-am-a-co-creator-an-active-agent-in-this-universe-who-makes-things/) [Danah Zohar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danah-zohar/) > [The steadily inward look leads us all to death, nations as well as persons, and is equally infantile in them all. Perhaps the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margery-wilson/the-steadily-inward-look-leads-us-all-to-death-nations-as-well-as/) [Margery Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margery-wilson/) > [The value of life does not depend upon the place we occupy. It depends upon the way we occupy that place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/the-value-of-life-does-not-depend-upon-the-place-we-occupy-it-depends/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) > [As long as any one has the means of doing good to his neighbours, and does not do so, he shall be reckoned a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/as-long-as-any-one-has-the-means-of-doing-good-to-his-neighbours-and/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) ## More by Scott O'Grady > [We don’t know what we’re capable of until we have to survive. Each of us is stronger than we know - the key is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-o-grady/we-don-t-know-what-we-re-capable-of-until-we-have-to-survive-each-of/) [Scott O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-o-grady/) > [Your depth of commitment, your quality of service, the product of your devotion -- these are the things that count in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-o-grady/your-depth-of-commitment-your-quality-of-service-the-product-of-your/) [Scott O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-o-grady/) [Explore all 3 Scott O'Grady quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-o-grady/) ## More Commitment quotes > [Deepen your existing spiritual commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-buettner/deepen-your-existing-spiritual-commitment/) [Dan Buettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-buettner/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [“You make me believe in happiness... if I had my way, if anything were up to me, I’d never be without you. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-kirchoff/you-make-me-believe-in-happiness-if-i-had-my-way-if-anything-were-up/) [Courtney Kirchoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-kirchoff/) > [Golf is such a big commitment, and so is acting. Sometimes you have to give up something to do something else, although, when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-newton/golf-is-such-a-big-commitment-and-so-is-acting-sometimes-you-have-to/) [Kathryn Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-newton/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [When you make a commitment to a relationship, you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly because you now experience ownership of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-de-angelis/when-you-make-a-commitment-to-a-relationship-you-invest-your/) [Barbara De Angelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-de-angelis/) > [ “For \[erotically intelligent couples\], love is a vessel that contains both security and adventure, and commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life:… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-erotically-intelligent-couples-love-is-a-vessel-that-contains/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Having a point to start is important. You know that when you decide to write something it's like a commitment. It's like falling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/having-a-point-to-start-is-important-you-know-that-when-you-decide-to/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [A commitment to lifelong learning is a natural expression of the practice of living consciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/a-commitment-to-lifelong-learning-is-a-natural-expression-of-the/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [A lasting relationship consists of the 3 C's: Commitment. Communication. Compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/a-lasting-relationship-consists-of-the-3-c-s-commitment-communication/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I've developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-developed-a-huge-regard-for-toyota-for-its-environmental/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [As a result of reading science fiction when I was eight, I grew up with an interest in music, architecture, city planning, transportation, politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/as-a-result-of-reading-science-fiction-when-i-was-eight-i-grew-up/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) [Browse all 4,004 Commitment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It wasn't the reward that mattered or the recognition you might harvest. 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