“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave…”
– Ecclesiastes 9:10

Some years ago, I worked part-time as a home tutor for students who had been expelled from school due to behavioral issues. My charges ranged in grade level from young kindergarten students through high school seniors and I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences I had with each one.

Of course, with every student there would come that final time I would meet with him (all were males). In every case, I had enjoyed my time, which had been two hours each day every school day. Therefore, as we parted, I knew it was unlikely that I would see him again. My thought on that final day was, what final bit of advice or wisdom could I impart that will hopefully leave a lasting impression?

I settled on the following and made this statement to every student: “In everything you do, always do your best.” Then, I would take my leave, hoping that my final bit of encouragement would stick with him, far into the future. If I had spoken my final words in Latin, the statement would have been:

Age Quod Agis

Translated into English, the phrase literally means, “Do what you are doing,” but it could be rendered as my personal statement noted above: “In everything you do, always do your best.”

This is sound advice for anyone at any age and as the Lord enables with His good grace, I am committed to applying this bit of wisdom to every important and worthwhile task. Our lives are filled with responsibilities and how we complete these tasks – even the smaller ones – reveals something about who we are as individuals.

If we are consistent in our efforts to complete whatever we do in a way that leads to completeness and high quality, then this builds our reputation so that others know we are reliable. However, if we show a lack of care and effort, then this also reveals a little of who we are.

Let’s be sure to put forth our very best and do all things with excellence in mind – age quod agis – in everything!

© 2026 Jeffery J. Michaels / Plain English Publications
(Quotations allowed with attribution to this blog)