DOING YOUR BEST
“I do the very best I know how; the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing it to the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong, then a legion of angels swearing I was right will make no difference.” Abraham Lincoln
slow down and REFLECT
on the MEANING and the MESSAGE of today’s quotation
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IN YOUR OWN WORDS… what is the main idea or theme that is expressed in the above quote?
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” (Albert Einstein)
PERSONALIZE….
Do you have any personal experiences or observations that relate to the meaning of this quote? If so, describe a specific example.
“There are many truths of which the full meaning cannot be realized until personal experience has brought it home.” (John Stuart Mill)
ai Assistant
Interested in seeing what artificial intelligence (ai) has to say about the meaning of today’s quotation? Compare it to your own interpretation. You may be fascinated, or even possibly humbled.
ai INTERPRETATION of TODAY’S QUOTE
“I do the very best I know how; the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing it to the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong, then a legion of angels swearing I was right will make no difference.” Abraham Lincoln
“That powerful quote by Abraham Lincoln reflects a deep commitment to integrity, perseverance, and inner conviction.
What it means:
Lincoln is saying that what truly matters is not what others say about you—but whether you have acted according to your own highest standards.
- “I do the very best I know how…”
He emphasizes personal responsibility—doing your best with the knowledge and judgment you have. - “…keep on doing it to the end.”
Stay consistent and committed, regardless of criticism or praise. - “If the end brings me out all right…”
If your actions ultimately prove to be right, then criticism becomes meaningless. - “If the end brings me out all wrong…”
If you were wrong, then even overwhelming support or praise cannot change that truth.
The deeper lesson:
Live by your conscience—not by public opinion.
True success is not measured by approval, but by honesty, effort, and moral courage.
- External validation is unreliable
- Integrity is internal
- In the end, truth outweighs opinion “(chatGPT, 02/25/26)
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