Living By "The Paradoxical Commandments"

While I was on my way home after my evening gym workout one day, I swung into the supermarket to pick up some groceries to prepare dinner. While I was queuing at the checkout counter, I couldn't help but notice the glum faces in the queue, and customers were ignoring the politeness of the cashier to the point of being rude. Understandably, with each glum customer, her energy level just got lower and lower, until it came to a point when her Ps and Qs seemed so contrived and tired. 

Just before I came down to the supermarket, I had the lift door slam in my face just as I was rushing to get into the lift but the lady in the lift just couldn't be bothered to hold it although I'd called out to her to hold the lift.

The book by Kent Keith

The whole evening made me wonder why should I bother being polite and nice to people when chances are, I'll be met with indifference and even rudeness. I know that kindness begets kindness.. but only occasionally, it seems. I've even felt that people would just think that I'm weak to give way to them. Then one day, I was attending the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" workshop, and I came across "The Paradoxical Commandments", written by Kent Keith (when he was 19 years old!). The poem had hung on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for the children in Calcutta (India), and had been wrongly attributed to her, although the version below was rewritten by her in a more spiritual way. Anyway, I find great meaning in the poem, and I hope that you find the strength in the words, just as I had:

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.