People are often unreasonable,
illogical, and self-centred;
forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you
of having 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 God;
it never was between you and them anyway.
– Mother Teresa of Calcutta*
~~~~~~~~
* See https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/05/18/do-good-anyway/#more-3828 –
“In conclusion, Kent M. Keith crafted the “Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership” when he was a young student at Harvard University in 1968. His words have been misattributed to at least four different people including Mother Teresa. The commandments have also been altered over the decades. Sometime between 1995 and 1999 a coda was added that Keith dislikes. …
“[KKSR] 1969 (Copyright 1968), The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council by Kent M. Keith, 4th edition, Chapter Two: Brotherly What?, Quote Page 11, Harvard Student Agencies, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Verified with scans; Many thanks to the librarians of the Olin C. Bailey Library of Hendrix College) …”
See also: http://www.paradoxicalcommandments.com/
Introducing this “Nativity Story with a Modern Twist,” author Joy Kingsbury-Aitken writes – “Each year churches use nativity plays to involve their children in the telling of the story of the first Christmas. Finding creative new ways of doing this is often challenging. This version locates the story in our time and our place and in our summer.”
collections published by the New Zealand Hymnbook Trust that find a place in worship as prayers/ reflections.’
